Ghazal 186 of Hafez (8 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
گر می‌فروش، حاجت رندان روا کندایزد، گنه ببخشد و دفع بلا کند
gar meyforush hâjat-e rendân ravâ konad / izad gonah bebakhshad o daf'-e balâ konad
If the wine-seller grants the free spirits what they need, God will forgive sins and turn away misfortune.
COUPLET 2
ساقی، به جام عدل بده باده تا گداغیرت نیاورد، که جهان پر‌بلا کند
sâghi be jâm-e adl bede bâde tâ gedâ / gheyrat nayâvarad ke jahân por-balâ konad
Cupbearer, pour the wine with the cup of fairness, so the beggar does not grow jealous and fill the world with trouble.
COUPLET 3
حقّا کز این غمان برسد مژدهٔ امانگر سالکی، به عهد امانت، وفا کند
haghghâ k-az in ghamân beresad mozhde-ye amân / gar sâleki be ahd-e amânat vafâ konad
Truly, news of rescue from these sorrows will come, if a traveler on the path keeps faith with the trust given to him.
COUPLET 4
گر رنج پیشت آید و گر راحت ای حکیم!نسبت مکن به غیر که این‌ها خدا کند
gar ranj pishat âyad o gar râhat ey hakim / nesbat makon be gheyr ke in-hâ khodâ konad
Whether pain comes your way or comfort, O wise one, do not credit it to anyone else: it is God who does these things.
COUPLET 5
در کارخانه‌ای که ره عقل و فضل نیستفهم ضعیف رای فضولی چرا کند؟
dar kârkhâne'i ke rah-e aghl o fazl nist / fahm-e za'if ra'y-e fozuli cherâ konad
In a workshop where reason and learning find no way in, why should weak understanding offer its meddling opinions?
COUPLET 6
مطرب بساز پرده که کس بی‌اجل نمردوان کاو نه این ترانه سراید خطا کند
motreb besâz parde ke kas bi-ajal namord / v-ân k-u na in tarâne sorâyad khatâ konad
Musician, tune up your melody: no one has ever died before their time, and whoever does not sing this song is making a mistake.
COUPLET 7
ما را که درد عشق و بلای خمار کشتیا وصل دوست یا می صافی دوا کند
mâ râ ke dard-e eshgh o balâ-ye khomâr kosht / yâ vasl-e dust yâ mey-e sâfi davâ konad
The pain of love and the torment of the hangover have killed us: only union with the beloved, or clear wine, can cure us.
COUPLET 8
جان رفت در سر می و حافظ به عشق سوختعیسی‌دمی کجاست که احیای ما کند؟
jân raft dar sar-e mey o Hâfez be eshgh sukht / isâ-dami kojâst ke ehyâ-ye mâ konad
My soul was spent on wine, and Hafez burned up in love: where is someone with the breath of Jesus to bring us back to life?
What this fâl tells you
Relief is promised to those who keep their word. Tradition reads this fal as advice to accept both the hard and the easy as coming from God, without blaming others or overthinking what reason cannot reach. Be fair with what you share, and keep the music going; a healing presence is on its way.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konad ("does"). qâfiye: -â (ravâ, balâ, vafâ, khodâ, cherâ, khatâ, davâ, ehyâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| ravâ | granted; ravâ kardan = to fulfil (a need) dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| izad | God dictionary | |
| گنه | gonah | sin (گناه) |
| bebakhshad | forgives dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| daf' | repelling, warding off dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| adl | justice dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| gheyrat | jealousy (of love); zeal dictionary | |
| نیاورد | nayâvarad | (so that) he does not bring; gheyrat âvardan = to grow jealous dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| in | this dictionary | |
| ghamân | sorrows dictionary | |
| beresad | arrives dictionary | |
| amân | safety, refuge dictionary | |
| sâleki | a traveler on the spiritual path dictionary | |
| ahd | pact, promise dictionary | |
| amânat | trust, something held in trust dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| ranj | pain, suffering dictionary | |
| پیشت | pishat | before you; pish âmadan = to happen to dictionary |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| râhat | comfort, ease dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| hakim | the Wise One (God); a sage dictionary | |
| نسبت | nesbat | relation, connection dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| in-hâ | these things dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| kârkhâne'i | a workshop (the world) dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| فهم | fahm | understanding dictionary |
| za'if | weak dictionary | |
| fozuli | meddling, presumptuous dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| besâz | tune! play! dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | musical mode, tune; curtain dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نمرد | namord | did not die dictionary |
| وان | v-ân | and the one (= va ân) (و آن) dictionary |
| کاو | k-u | who (= ke u) (که او) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| sorâyad | sings dictionary | |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| balâ | calamity, torment dictionary | |
| khomâr | hangover dictionary | |
| کشت | kosht | killed dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| sâfi-ye | pure dictionary | |
| davâ | medicine, cure dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| sar | head; dar sar-e X raftan = to be spent on X dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sukht | burned dictionary | |
| ehyâ | reviving, bringing back to life dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 186. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.