Ghazal 185 of Hafez (7 couplets), in the original Persian as on Ganjoor, with a transliteration, a plain English translation, the meanings of key words and the traditional fâl-e Hâfez reading.
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COUPLET 1
نقدها را بُوَد آیا که عیاری گیرند؟تا همه صومعه‌داران، پی کاری گیرند
naghd-hâ râ bovad âyâ ke ayâri girand / tâ hame sowme'e-dârân pey-e kâri girand
Will they ever assay the coins for their purity, so that all the keepers of the cloisters go off and find honest work?
COUPLET 2
مصلحت‌دید من، آن است که یاران، همه کاربگذارند و خم طُرّهٔ یاری گیرند
maslahat-did-e man ân ast ke yârân hame kâr / begozârand o kham-e torre-ye yâri girand
My advice is this: let the friends put aside all their work and take hold of the curve of a beloved's lock.
COUPLET 3
خوش گرفتند حریفان، سر زلف ساقیگر فلکْشان بگذارد که قراری گیرند
khosh gereftand harifân sar-e zolf-e sâghi / gar falakshân begozârad ke gharâri girand
The companions have taken a fine hold of the cupbearer's curls, if only the heavens let them settle and rest.
COUPLET 4
قُوَّتِ بازوی پرهیز به خوبان مفروش!که در این خیل، حصاری به سواری گیرند
ghovvat-e bâzu-ye parhiz be khubân mafrush / ke dar in kheyl hesâri be savâri girand
Do not boast to the beautiful ones about the strength of your abstinence: in this troop they take a fortress with a single rider.
COUPLET 5
یا رب! این بچهٔ تُرکان چه دلیرند به خونکه به تیر مُژه، هر لحظه، شکاری گیرند
yâ rab in bachche-ye torkân che delirand be khun / ke be tir-e mozhe har lahze shekâri girand
O Lord, how bold these young Turks are at shedding blood: every moment they bring down some prey with the arrows of their lashes.
COUPLET 6
رقص بر شعر تر و نالهٔ نی خوش باشدخاصه، رقصی که در آن، دست نگاری گیرند
raghs bar she'r-e tar o nâle-ye ney khosh bâshad / khâsse raghsi ke dar ân dast-e negâri girand
Dancing to fresh poetry and the cry of the reed flute is sweet, especially a dance in which you hold a beauty's hand.
COUPLET 7
«حافظ»! ابنایِ زمان را غم مسکینان نیستزین میان گر بتوان؛ بِهْ که کناری گیرند
Hâfez abnâ-ye zamân râ gham-e meskinân nist / z-in miyân gar betavân beh ke kenâri girand
Hafez, the people of this age do not care about the poor: if one can, it is better to step aside from among them.
What this fâl tells you
A time is coming when what is genuine will be told apart from what only looks pious. Tradition reads this fal as advice to put down needless burdens and take hold of what brings real joy: friendship, music, a loved one's hand. Where people show no care, it is wise to step quietly aside.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: girand ("they take"). qâfiye: -âri (ayâri, kâri, yâri, gharâri, savâri, shekâri, negâri, kenâri).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| âyâ | (question marker) will...? dictionary | |
| ayâri | assay, test of purity (of coin) dictionary | |
| گیرند | girand | they take; ayâr gereftan = to assay dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary | |
| kâri | a job, some work dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| begozârand | (that) they put aside dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| yâri | a beloved dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| گرفتند | gereftand | they took hold of dictionary |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| sar | head; tip (of a curl) dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| فلکشان | falakshân | the heavens (falak) ... them dictionary |
| begozârad | lets, allows dictionary | |
| gharâri | rest, calm dictionary | |
| قوت | ghovvat | strength (قدرت) dictionary |
| bâzu | arm dictionary | |
| پرهیز | parhiz | abstinence, self-restraint dictionary |
| be | to dictionary | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| مفروش | mafrush | do not sell! (do not boast of) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| hesâri | a fortress dictionary | |
| savâri | a (single) rider dictionary | |
| yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| delirand | are bold dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| مژه | mozhe | eyelash dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| لحظه | lahze | moment dictionary |
| shekâri | a prey dictionary | |
| raghs | dance dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| tar | wet, fresh dictionary | |
| نالهٔ | nâle | lament, cry dictionary |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| khâsse | especially (به‌ویژه) | |
| raghsi | a dance dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos) dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| مسکینان | meskinân | the poor, the wretched dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| betavân | one can dictionary | |
| kenâri | a corner; kenâri gereftan = to step aside dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 185. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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