Ghazal 190 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.
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COUPLET 1
کِلْکِ مُشْکینِ تو، روزی که زِ ما یاد کُنَدبِبَرَد اَجْرِ دو صَد بَنْدِه کِه آزاد کُنَد
kelk-e moshkin-e to ruzi ke ze mâ yâd konad / bebarad ajr-e do sad bande ke âzâd konad
The day your musky pen remembers us, it will earn the reward of freeing two hundred slaves.
COUPLET 2
قاصِدِ مَنْزِلِ سَلْمیٰ که سَلامَت بادَشچِه شَوَد، گَر بِه سَلامی، دِلِ ما، شاد کُنَد؟
ghâsed-e manzel-e salmâ ke salâmat bâdash / che shavad gar be salâmi del-e mâ shâd konad
The messenger from Salma's house, may he be safe and well: what would it cost him to gladden our heart with one greeting?
COUPLET 3
اِمْتِحان کُن! کِه بَسی گَنْجِ مُرادَت بِدَهَنْدگَر خَرابی چو مَرا، لُطْفِ تو، آباد کُنَد
emtehân kon ke basi ganj-e morâdat bedahand / gar kharâbi cho marâ lotf-e to âbâd konad
Put it to the test: you will be given many treasures you wish for if your kindness rebuilds a ruin like me.
COUPLET 4
یا رَب! اَنْدَر دِلِ آن خُسْروِ شیرین اَنْدازکِه بِه رَحْمَت، گُذَری بَر سَرِ فَرْهاد کُنَد!
yâ rab andar del-e ân khosrow-e shirin andâz / ke be rahmat gozari bar sar-e farhâd konad
O Lord, put it into the heart of that sweet Khosrow to pass by Farhad with mercy.
COUPLET 5
شاه را بِهْ بُوَد اَز طاعَتِ صَدسالِه و زُهْدقَدْرِ یک ساعَتِه عُمْری کِه دَر او، داد کُنَد
shâh râ beh bovad az tâ'at-e sad-sâle o zohd / ghadr-e yek sâ'ate omri ke dar u dâd konad
For a king, a single hour of life spent doing justice is better than a hundred years of worship and piety.
COUPLET 6
حالیا، عِشْوِهٔ نازِ تو، زِ بُنْیادَم بُرْدتا دِگَربارِه، حَکیمانِه، چِه بُنْیاد کُنَد
hâliyâ eshve-ye nâz-e to ze bonyâdam bord / tâ degar-bâre hakimâne che bonyâd konad
For now your coy charm has swept me off my foundations; let us see what it will wisely build again.
COUPLET 7
گوهَرِ پاکِ تو از مِدْحَتِ ما مُسْتَغْنی‌ستفِکْرِ مَشّاطِه، چِه با حُسْنِ خُداداد کُنَد؟
gowhar-e pâk-e to az medhat-e mâ mostaghni-st / fekr-e mashshâte che bâ hosn-e khodâdâd konad
Your pure essence has no need of our praise: what can the bride-dresser's art add to God-given beauty?
COUPLET 8
رَه نَبُرْدیم بِه مَقْصودِ خود اَنْدَر شیرازخُرَّم آن روز که «حافِظ»، رَهِ بَغْداد کُنَد
rah nabordim be maghsud-e khod andar shirâz / khorram ân ruz ke Hâfez rah-e baghdâd konad
We did not find the way to our goal here in Shiraz; happy the day Hafez takes the road to Baghdad.
What this fâl tells you
A single kind word from the right person could change your situation, and this fal invites you to ask for it. Tradition reads it as a sign that generosity shown to you will be richly returned to the giver. If one place has not opened its doors, a journey or a new setting may bring what you seek.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konad ("does"). qâfiye: -âd (yâd, âzâd, shâd, âbâd, farhâd, dâd, bonyâd, khodâdâd, baghdâd). In beyt 2 Salmâ is the conventional beloved of Arabic poetry.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bebarad | wins, earns dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| âzâd | free; âzâd kardan = set free dictionary | |
| قاصد | ghâsed | messenger dictionary |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| bâdash | may (safety) be with him dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| salâmi | a greeting dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| shâd | happy; shâd kardan = cheer up dictionary | |
| emtehân | test, trial dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| مرادت | morâdat | your wish dictionary |
| bedahand | they will give dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| andâz | -shooting (kaj-andâz = shooting crooked) dictionary | |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| gozari | a passing by dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; bar sar-e X gozar kardan = to pass by X dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| sad-sâle | hundred-year dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| sâ'ate | hour-long dictionary | |
| omri | a life, a lifetime dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| dâd | justice; dâd kardan = to do justice dictionary | |
| hâliyâ | for now (فعلاً) | |
| eshve | flirting, coaxing; eshve dâdan = to deceive with charm; eshve kharidan = to be taken in dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| bonyâdam | my foundation dictionary | |
| bord | took away dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| degar-bâre | once again (دوباره) | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| پاک | pâk | pure, clean dictionary |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| مشاطه | mashshâte-ye | the bride-dresser, adorner of (آرایشگر) |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| نبردیم | nabordim | we did not find (the way); rah bordan = to find the way dictionary |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| khod | our own dictionary | |
| khorram | cheerful dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 190. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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