Ghazal 191 of Hafez (9 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
آن، کیست کز روی کَرَم، با ما وفاداری کند؟بر جای بدکاری چو من، یک دم نکوکاری کند؟
ân kist k-az ru-ye karam bâ mâ vafâdâri konad / bar jâ-ye badkâri cho man yek dam nekukâri konad
Who is it that, out of generosity, will keep faith with us, and for one moment do good to a wrongdoer like me?
COUPLET 2
اول، بِه بانگِ نای و نی، آرد به دل، پیغام ویوآن‌گه به یک پیمانه می، با من وفاداری کند
avval be bâng-e nây o ney ârad be del peyghâm-e vey / v-ângah be yek peymâne mey bâ man vafâdâri konad
Who will first bring the beloved's message to my heart with the sound of pipe and reed, and then keep faith with me over a cup of wine?
COUPLET 3
دلبر که جان فرسود از او، کام دلم نگْشود از اونومید نتْوان بود از او، باشد که دلداری کند
delbar ke jân farsud az u, kâm-e delam nagshud az u / nomid natvân bud az u, bâshad ke deldâri konad
The beloved wore out my soul and never granted my heart's wish; still, one cannot lose hope: perhaps the beloved will show some tenderness.
COUPLET 4
گفتم: «گره نگْشوده‌ام، زان طُرّه تا من بوده‌ام»گفتا: «مَنَش فرموده‌ام، تا با تو طَرّاری کند»
goftam gereh nagshude-am z-ân torre tâ man bude-am / goftâ manash farmude-am tâ bâ to tarrâri konad
I said, "As long as I have lived, I have not undone a single knot of that lock." The beloved said, "I ordered it to play tricks on you."
COUPLET 5
پشمینه‌پوش تندخو، از عشق نشنیده‌ست بوبا مستی‌اش، رمزی بگو! تا تَرکِ هشیاری کند
pashmine-push-e tondkhu az eshgh nashenide-st bu / bâ mastiyash ramzi begu tâ tark-e hoshyâri konad
The bad-tempered wearer of wool has never caught the scent of love: whisper a hint to him while he is drunk, so he gives up his sobriety.
COUPLET 6
چون من گدای بی‌نشان، مشکل بود یاری چُنانسلطان کجا عیشِ نهان، با رندِ بازاری کند؟
chon man gedâ-ye bi-neshân moshkel bovad yâri chonân / soltân kojâ eysh-e nahân bâ rend-e bâzâri konad
For a nameless beggar like me, such a friend is hard to win: when would a sultan share secret pleasures with a rogue from the bazaar?
COUPLET 7
زآن طُرّهٔ پرپیچ و خم، سهل است اگر بینم ستماز بند و زنجیرش چه غم، هر کس که عیّاری کند؟
z-ân torre-ye por-pich o kham sahl ast agar binam setam / az band o zanjirash che gham har kas ke ayyâri konad
It is a small thing if I suffer injustice from that twisting, curling lock: why should one who lives as a bold vagabond fear its chains and fetters?
COUPLET 8
شد لشکر غم بی‌عدد، از بخت می‌خواهم مددتا فخرِ دین عبدالصّمد، باشد که غم‌خواری کند
shod lashkar-e gham bi-adad, az bakht mikhâham madad / tâ fakhr-e din abdossamad bâshad ke ghamkhâri konad
The army of sorrow has grown beyond counting; I ask fortune for help, in the hope that Fakhr al-Din Abd al-Samad may console me.
COUPLET 9
با چشم پر نیرنگ او، «حافظ»! مکن آهنگ او!کآن طُرِّهٔ شبرنگِ او، بسیار طرّاری کند
bâ cheshm-e por neyrang-e u Hâfez makon âhang-e u / k-ân torre-ye shabrang-e u besyâr tarrâri konad
Hafez, with those eyes full of tricks, do not set out to pursue the beloved: that night-black lock is a great thief.
What this fâl tells you
You are hoping for loyalty and a little kindness, and this fal says not to lose hope: help may come from a generous person you have not yet counted on. Tradition reads it also as a gentle warning against charm that hides tricks. Ask for support openly, and be patient with what is out of reach for now.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konad ("does"). qâfiye: -âri (vafâdâri, nekukâri, deldâri, tarrâri, hoshyâri, bâzâri, ayyâri, ghamkhâri). Each half-line also has inner rhymes (karam/man, vey/mey, az u, bude-am/farmude-am...).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| vafâdâri | faithfulness dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| ârad | brings; be dast ârad = takes in hand, wins (بیاورد) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| پیغام | peyghâm | message dictionary |
| وآن‌گه | v-ângah | and then (و آنگاه) |
| پیمانه | peymâne | cup, measure dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| فرسود | farsud | wore out dictionary |
| u | him / her dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| نگشود | nagshud | did not open, did not grant dictionary |
| نومید | nomid | hopeless (ناامید) |
| bud | be; nomid natvân bud = one cannot be hopeless dictionary | |
| bâshad | bâshad ke = perhaps dictionary | |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| نگشوده‌ام | nagshude-am | I have not undone dictionary |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| tâ | so that; as long as dictionary | |
| bude-am | I have been, I have lived dictionary | |
| گفتا | goftâ | (he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary |
| فرموده‌ام | farmude-am | I have ordered dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| tondkhu | bad-tempered dictionary | |
| نشنیده‌ست | nashenide-st | has not smelled, has not heard (= nashenide ast) dictionary |
| bu | scent dictionary | |
| مستی‌اش | mastiyash | his drunkenness dictionary |
| ramzi | a hint, a secret sign dictionary | |
| begu | say! tell! dictionary | |
| tark | giving up dictionary | |
| hoshyâri | sobriety dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| bi-neshân | nameless, without a trace dictionary | |
| مشکل | moshkel | hard, difficult dictionary |
| yâri | friendship; a friend dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden, secret dictionary |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| binam | I see (ببینم) dictionary | |
| setam | injustice dictionary | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| zanjirash | its chain dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| gham | sorrow; che gham = why worry? dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| ayyâri | the life of a bold vagabond, daring dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| می‌خواهم | mikhâham | I want dictionary |
| مدد | madad | help dictionary |
| فخر | fakhr | pride; Fakhr al-Din = "pride of the faith", a title dictionary |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| نیرنگ | neyrang | trick, deceit dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| âhang | intention; âhang-e chizi sâz kardan = to set out for something dictionary | |
| کآن | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 191. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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