Ghazal 193 of Hafez (11 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
در نظربازی ما، بی‌خبران، حیرانندمن، چنینم که نمودم؛ دگر ایشان دانند
dar nazarbâzi-ye mâ bikhabarân heyrânand / man chonin-am ke nemudam, degar ishân dânand
The unaware are baffled by our gazing at beauty. I am just as I have shown myself; the rest is up to them.
COUPLET 2
عاقلان، نقطهٔ پرگار وجودند ولیعشق داند که در این دایره، سرگردانند
âghelân noghte-ye pargâr-e vojudand vali / eshgh dânad ke dar in dâyere sargardânand
The wise are the center point of the compass of existence, but love knows that in this circle they are spinning, lost.
COUPLET 3
جلوه‌گاه رخ او، دیدهٔ من، تنها نیستماه و خورشید، همین آینه می‌گردانند
jelvegâh-e rokh-e u dide-ye man tanhâ nist / mâh o khorshid hamin âyene migardânand
My eye is not the only place where the beloved's face shows itself: the moon and the sun carry this same mirror around.
COUPLET 4
عهد ما با لب شیرین‌دهنان بست خداما، همه، بنده و این قوم، خداوندانند
ahd-e mâ bâ lab-e shirin-dahanân bast khodâ / mâ hame bande o in ghowm khodâvandânand
It was God who bound our pact with the lips of the sweet-mouthed ones: we are all servants, and they are the lords.
COUPLET 5
مفلسانیم و هوای می و مطرب داریمآه اگر خرقهٔ پشمین به گرو نستانند!
moflesânim o havâ-ye mey o motreb dârim / âh agar kherghe-ye pashmin be gerow nastânand
We are penniless, yet we long for wine and a musician: alas, if they will not take our woolen cloak as a pledge!
COUPLET 6
وصل خورشید به شب‌پرّهٔ اعمیٰ نرسدکه در آن آینه، صاحب‌نظران، حیرانند
vasl-e khorshid be shabparre-ye a'mâ naresad / ke dar ân âyene sâheb-nazarân heyrânand
Union with the sun is not for the blind bat, when even the clear-sighted are dazzled in that mirror.
COUPLET 7
لاف عشق و گِله از یار؟ زهی لاف دروغ!عشق‌بازانِ چُنین، مستحقِ هجرانند
lâf-e eshgh o gele az yâr, zahi lâf-e dorugh / eshghbâzân-e chonin mostahagh-e hejrânand
Boasting of love and complaining of the beloved? What a lying boast! Lovers like that deserve separation.
COUPLET 8
مگرم چشم سیاه تو بیاموزد کارورنه مستوری و مستی، همه‌کس نتْوانند
magaram cheshm-e siyâh-e to biyâmuzad kâr / v-arna masturi o masti hame kas natvânand
Perhaps your black eyes will teach me the art; otherwise, not everyone can be modest and drunk at the same time.
COUPLET 9
گر به نُزهتگهِ ارواح بَرَد بویِ تو، بادعقل و جان، گوهر هستی به نثار افشانند
gar be nozhatgah-e arvâh barad bu-ye to bâd / aghl o jân gowhar-e hasti be nesâr afshânand
If the wind carries your scent to the pleasure garden of the spirits, reason and soul will scatter the jewel of existence as an offering.
COUPLET 10
زاهد ار رندیِ «حافظ» نکند فهم، چه شد؟دیو بگریزد از آن قوم که قرآن خوانند
zâhed ar rendi-ye Hâfez nakonad fahm che shod / div bogrizad az ân ghowm ke ghor'ân khânand
So what if the ascetic does not understand Hafez's free spirit? The demon runs from those who recite the Quran.
COUPLET 11
گر شوند آگه از اندیشهٔ ما، مغ‌بَچگانبعد از این، خرقهٔ صوفی به گرو نستانند
gar shavand âgah az andishe-ye mâ moghbachegân / ba'd az in kherghe-ye sufi be gerow nastânand
If the young Magi of the tavern learn what we have in mind, from now on they will not take a Sufi's cloak as a pledge.
What this fâl tells you
Others may not understand your way, and that is all right: be as you are, honestly, and let them judge. Tradition reads this fal as advice not to complain about the one you love while claiming to love them; true devotion is quiet and grateful. Cleverness alone will not find the center of the circle; love will.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -and ("they are / they do"). qâfiye: -ân (heyrân, dân, sargardân, gardân, khodâvandân, nastân, hejrân, natvân, afshân, khân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bikhabarân | the unaware, the ignorant dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| چنینم | chonin-am | I am like this dictionary |
| نمودم | nomudam | I made, I did dictionary |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| ishân | they dictionary | |
| dânand | (they) know dictionary | |
| âghelân | the sensible, the wise dictionary | |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| پرگار | pargâr | compass (for drawing circles) dictionary |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dâyere-ye | circle of dictionary | |
| sargardânand | are spinning, lost dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| tanhâ | alone; na be tanhâ = not only dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| âyene | mirror (آیینه) | |
| می‌گردانند | migardânand | they carry around, turn dictionary |
| ahd | pact, covenant dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| bast | bound, tied dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| قوم | ghowm | people, group dictionary |
| khodâvandânand | are lords, masters dictionary | |
| havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dârim | we have dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| گرو | gerow | pawn, pledge dictionary |
| نستانند | nastânand | they do not take dictionary |
| نرسد | narasad | does not reach dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| لاف | lâf | boast dictionary |
| گله | gele | complaint (گلایه) |
| یار | yâr | beloved dictionary |
| dorugh | lie, falsehood dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| مستحق | mostahagh | in need, deserving (of alms) dictionary |
| مگرم | magaram | perhaps ... me (magar + -am) dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| biyâmuzad | teaches dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | the art, the work dictionary |
| ورنه | v-arna | otherwise (= va agar na) (وگرنه) |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| همه‌کس | hamekas | everyone (همه) |
| نتوانند | natvânand | cannot dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| نزهتگه | nozhatgah | pleasure garden, place of recreation (تفرجگاه) |
| arvâh | spirits, souls dictionary | |
| barad | carries dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| hasti | existence, being dictionary | |
| نثار | nesâr-e | scattered as an offering on (فدای) |
| afshânand | they scatter dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not (understand) dictionary |
| فهم | fahm | understanding dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| div | demon dictionary | |
| bogrizad | flees dictionary | |
| قرآن | ghor'ân | the Quran dictionary |
| khânand | recite dictionary | |
| shavand | (they) become dictionary | |
| âgah | aware, informed (آگاه) | |
| andishe | thought, intention dictionary | |
| ba'd | after; ba'd az in = from now on dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 193. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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