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Hafez Ghazal 195: ⁧غلام نرگس مست تو، تاجداران‌اند⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 195 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.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
غُلَامِ نَرْگِسِ مَسْتِ تو، تاجداران‌اَنْدخَرابِ بادِهٔ لَعْلِ تو، هوشیاران‌اَنْد
gholâm-e narges-e mast-e to tâjdârânand / kharâb-e bâde-ye la'l-e to hushyârânand
Crowned kings are servants of your drunken narcissus eyes; the sober are wrecked by the ruby wine of your lips.
COUPLET 2
تو را صَبا و مَرا آبِ دیدِه شُد غَمّازوَگَرنَه عاشِق و مَعْشوق، رازداران‌اَنْد
to râ sabâ o marâ âb-e dide shod ghammâz / vagarna âshegh o ma'shugh râzdârânand
The morning breeze gave you away, and the water of my eyes gave me away; otherwise, lover and beloved both know how to keep a secret.
COUPLET 3
زِ زیرِ زُلْفِ دوتا چون گُذَر کُنی، بِنْگرکِه اَز یَمین و یَسارت چِه سوگواران‌اَنْد!
ze zir-e zolf-e dotâ chon gozar koni bengar / ke az yamin o yasârat che sugvârânand
When you pass by under your doubled curls, look: how many mourners there are on your right and on your left!
COUPLET 4
گُذار کُن چو صَبا بَر بَنَفْشِه‌زار! و بِبینکِه اَز تَطاوُلِ زُلْفَت چِه بی‌قَراران‌اَنْد!
gozâr kon cho sabâ bar banafshe-zâr o bebin / ke az tatâvol-e zolfat che bi-gharârânand
Pass like the morning breeze over the bed of violets, and see how restless they are from the long reach of your curls.
COUPLET 5
نَصیبِ ماست بِهِشْت، اِی خُداشِناس! بُرو!کِه مُستَحَقِّ کِرامَت، گُناهکاران‌اَنْد
nasib-e mâst behesht ey khodâshenâs borow / ke mostahagh-e kerâmat gonâhkârânand
Paradise is our share: go away, you who claim to know God, for it is sinners who are worthy of grace.
COUPLET 6
نَه مَن بر آن گُلِ عارِض، غَزَل‌سُرایم و بَسکه عَنْدَلیبِ تو اَز هَر طَرَف، هزاران‌اَنْد
na man bar ân gol-e ârez ghazal-sorâyam o bas / ke andalib-e to az har taraf hezârânand
I am not the only one singing ghazals to that rose of a cheek: your nightingales are thousands, on every side.
COUPLET 7
تو دَسْتگیر شو! اِی خِضْرِ پِی‌خُجَسْتِه! کِه مَنپیادِه می‌رَوَم و هَمْرَهان، سَواران‌اَنْد
to dastgir sho ey khezr-e pey-khojaste ke man / piyâde miravam o hamrahân savârânand
Take my hand, O Khizr of the blessed footsteps, for I walk on foot while my companions ride.
COUPLET 8
بیا به مِیکَدِه! و چِهْرِه، اَرغَوانی کُن!مَرو بِه صومَعِه کآنجا سیاه‌کاران‌اَنْد!
biyâ be meykade o chehre arghavâni kon / marow be sowme'e k-ânjâ siyâhkârânand
Come to the tavern and make your face rosy red; do not go to the cloister, for there are wrongdoers there.
COUPLET 9
خَلاصِ «حافِظ» از آن زُلْفِ تابدار مَباد!کِه بَسْتِگانِ کَمَنْدِ تو، رَسْتگاران‌اَنْد
khalâs-e Hâfez az ân zolf-e tâbdâr mabâd / ke bastegân-e kamand-e to rastegârânand
May Hafez never be freed from those twisting curls, for those bound in your lasso are the saved.

What this fâl tells you

You may feel you are walking on foot while others ride ahead, but this fal says a guide is near: ask for a helping hand without shame. Tradition reads it as a reminder that grace is given to the humble, not the proud. Choose the warm company of honest friends over places full of pretense.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: -and ("they are"). qâfiye: -ârân (tâjdârân, hushyârân, râzdârân, sugvârân, bi-gharârân, gonâhkârân, hezârân, savârân, siyâhkârân, rastegârân).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
gholâmservant dictionary
نرگسnargesnarcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary
مستmastdrunk dictionary
toyou dictionary
kharâbruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary
bâdewine dictionary
لعلla'lruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary
هوشیاران‌اندhushyârânandare the sober, the wise dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
وva / oand dictionary
مراmarâme; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من)
âbwater; stream dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
وگرنهvagarnaotherwise dictionary
âsheghlover dictionary
معشوقma'shughbeloved dictionary
râzdârânandare keepers of secrets dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
zirunder dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
گذرgozarpassage dictionary
koniyou do, you make dictionary
bengarlook! (نگاه کن) dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
sugvârânandare mourners dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
baron, upon dictionary
bebinsee! look! dictionary
zolfatyour curls dictionary
bi-gharârânandare restless dictionary
نصیبnasibshare, lot dictionary
beheshtparadise dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
khodâshenâsone who (claims to) know God, the pious dictionary
borowgo! dictionary
مستحقmostahaghworthy of, deserving dictionary
کرامتkerâmatnobility, generosity dictionary
گناهکاران‌اندgonâhkârânandare sinners dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
ânthat dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
ârazcheek (گونه)
basenough; o bas = and nothing more, only dictionary
andalibnightingale (بلبل)
هرharevery dictionary
tarafside, region dictionary
هزاران‌اندhezârânandare thousands; also: are nightingales (hezâr) dictionary
shobecome! be! (بشو) dictionary
پیادهpiyâdeon foot dictionary
می‌رومmiravamI go dictionary
همرهانhamrahânfellow travelers (= hamrâhân) (همراهان) dictionary
savârânandare riders dictionary
biyâcome! dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
میکدهmeykadetavern dictionary
چهرهchehreface dictionary
مروmarowdo not go! (نرو) dictionary
sowme'ecloister, hermitage (place of formal piety) dictionary
کآنجاk-ânjâfor there (= ke ânjâ) (که آنجا)
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
مبادmabâdmay it not be (نباشد) dictionary
bastegânthose bound dictionary
کمندkamandlasso dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 195. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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