Ghazal 188 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
مرا به رندی و عشق، آن فضول، عیب کندکه اعتراض بر اسرار علم غیب کند
marâ be rendi o eshgh ân fozul eyb konad / ke e'terâz bar asrâr-e elm-e gheyb konad
That meddler blames me for my free spirit and my love, the same one who objects to the secrets of the knowledge of the unseen.
COUPLET 2
کمال سرّ محبّت ببین، نه نقص گناهکه هر که بی‌هنر افتد، نظر به عیب کند
kamâl-e serr-e mohabbat bebin na naghs-e gonâh / ke har ke bi-honar oftad nazar be eyb konad
Look at the perfect secret of love, not the flaw of sin: whoever has no merit looks only at faults.
COUPLET 3
ز عطر حور بهشت، آن نفس برآید بویکه خاک میکدهٔ ما، عبیر جیب کند
ze atr-e hur-e behesht ân nafas barâyad buy / ke khâk-e meykade-ye mâ abir-e jeyb konad
The perfume of paradise's houris gives off its scent at the moment they use the dust of our tavern to perfume their collars.
COUPLET 4
چُنان زَنَد رَهِ اِسْلام، غَمْزِهٔ ساقیکه اجتناب ز صهبا، مگر صهیب کند
chonân zanad rah-e eslâm ghamze-ye sâghi / ke ejtenâb ze sahbâ magar soheyb konad
The cupbearer's glance so robs the road of faith that only a Suhayb could keep away from the red wine.
COUPLET 5
کلید گنج سعادت، قبول اهل دل استمباد آن‌که در این نکته، شکّ و ریب کند!
kelid-e ganj-e sa'âdat ghabul-e ahl-e del ast / mabâd ân ke dar in nokte shakk o reyb konad
The key to the treasure of happiness is to be accepted by the people of the heart; may no one ever doubt this point.
COUPLET 6
شبان وادی ایمن، گهی رسد به مرادکه چند سال، به جان، خدمت شعیب کند
shabân-e vâdi-ye ayman gahi resad be morâd / ke chand sâl be jân khedmat-e sho'eyb konad
The shepherd of the holy valley reaches his heart's wish only after serving Shu'ayb with his whole soul for some years.
COUPLET 7
ز دیده، خون بچکاند فسانهٔ حافظچو یاد وقت زمان شباب و شیب کند
ze dide khun bechekânad fesâne-ye Hâfez / cho yâd-e vaght-e zamân-e shabâb o sheyb konad
Hafez's tale draws tears of blood from the eyes when he remembers the time of youth and of old age.
What this fâl tells you
Do not be troubled by those who only look for faults; look yourself at the love behind things. Tradition reads this fal as a promise that patient service brings its reward, as Moses served Shu'ayb for years before reaching his wish. The key you need is the good will of kind-hearted people.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konad ("does"). qâfiye: -eyb (eyb, gheyb, jeyb, soheyb, reyb, sho'eyb, sheyb). Beyt 4 plays on sahbâ "red wine" and Suhayb, an early Muslim known for piety; beyt 6 recalls Moses as a shepherd for Shu'ayb.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| فضول | fozul | meddler, busybody dictionary |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| e'terâz | objection, complaint dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| asrâr | secrets dictionary | |
| elm | knowledge dictionary | |
| کمال | kamâl | perfection, height, fullness dictionary |
| محبت | mohabbat | love, affection dictionary |
| bebin | see! look! dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| نقص | naghs | flaw, defect dictionary |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| bi-honar | without merit or talent dictionary | |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| atr | perfume dictionary | |
| behesht | paradise; here also "left" (behesht = past of heshtan) dictionary | |
| نفس | nafas | breath, moment dictionary |
| bar âyad | rises; comes true; comes out (برمی‌آید) | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| میکدهٔ | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| zanad | strikes; rah zadan = to rob (travelers) dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| eslâm | Islam, the faith dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| ejtenâb | abstaining, keeping away dictionary | |
| sahbâ | red wine (Arabic) (شراب سرخ) | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| کلید | kelid | key dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| sa'âdat | happiness, good fortune dictionary | |
| قبول | ghabul | acceptance; ghabul-e khâter = being loved by people dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| shabân | shepherd (here Moses) (چوپان) dictionary | |
| vâdi | valley; vâdi-ye ayman = the holy valley where Moses saw the fire dictionary | |
| gahi | then, only then dictionary | |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| sâl | year dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| bechekânad | makes drip dictionary | |
| فسانهٔ | fesâne | tale, story (افسانه) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 188. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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