Ghazal 196 of Hafez (12 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
آنان که خاک را به نظر کیمیا کنندآیا بُوَد که گوشهٔ چشمی به ما کنند
ânân ke khâk râ be nazar kimiyâ konand / âyâ bovad ke gushe-ye cheshmi be mâ konand
Those who turn dust into gold with a single look: might they cast a glance at us from the corner of their eye?
COUPLET 2
دَردَم نهفته بِه ز طبیبانِ مدعیباشد که از خزانهٔ غیبم دوا کنند
dardam nahofte beh ze tabibân-e modda'i / bâshad ke az khazâne-ye gheybam davâ konand
My pain is better kept hidden from doctors who only pretend; perhaps they will cure me from the treasury of the unseen.
COUPLET 3
معشوق چون نقاب ز رخ درنمی‌کشدهر کس حکایتی به تَصوّر چرا کنند؟
ma'shugh chon neghâb ze rokh darnemikeshad / har kas hekâyati be tasavvor cherâ konand
Since the beloved does not draw the veil from that face, why does everyone tell a story out of their own imagination?
COUPLET 4
چون حُسنِ عاقبت نه به رندی و زاهدی‌ستآن بِه که کارِ خود به عنایت رها کنند
chon hosn-e âghebat na be rendi o zâhedi-st / ân beh ke kâr-e khod be enâyat rahâ konand
Since a good ending does not come from being a free spirit or an ascetic, it is better to leave one's affairs to grace.
COUPLET 5
بی معرفت مباش که در من‌یزیدِ عشقاهلِ نظر معامله با آشنا کنند
bi ma'refat mabâsh ke dar man-yazid-e eshgh / ahl-e nazar mo'âmele bâ âshenâ konand
Do not be without understanding: at love's auction, the people of insight deal only with those who know.
COUPLET 6
حالی درونِ پرده بسی فتنه می‌رودتا آن زمان که پرده برافتد چه‌ها کنند
hâli darun-e parde basi fetne miravad / tâ ân zamân ke parde barofted che-hâ konand
For now, much intrigue is going on behind the curtain; when the curtain falls, who knows what they will do.
COUPLET 7
گر سنگ از این حدیث بنالد عجب مدارصاحبدلان حکایتِ دل خوش ادا کنند
gar sang az in hadis benâlad ajab madâr / sâhebdelân hekâyat-e del khosh adâ konand
Do not be surprised if even a stone cries out at this tale: people with hearts tell the story of the heart beautifully.
COUPLET 8
مِی خور که صد گناه ز اغیار در حجاببهتر ز طاعتی که به روی و ریا کنند
mey khor ke sad gonâh ze aghyâr dar hejâb / behtar ze tâ'ati ke be ruy o riyâ konand
Drink wine: a hundred sins hidden from strangers' eyes are better than worship done for show and pretense.
COUPLET 9
پیراهنی که آید از او بویِ یوسفمترسم برادران غَیورش قَبا کنند
pirâhani ke âyad az u bu-ye yusofam / tarsam barâdarân-e ghayurash ghabâ konand
The shirt that brings me the scent of my Joseph: I fear his jealous brothers will tear it open.
COUPLET 10
بگذر به کویِ میکده تا زُمرِهٔ حضوراوقاتِ خود ز بهر تو صرفِ دعا کنند
bogzar be ku-ye meykade tâ zomre-ye hozur / owghât-e khod ze bahr-e to sarf-e do'â konand
Pass by the street of the tavern, so that the company of the truly present will spend their time praying for you.
COUPLET 11
پنهان ز حاسدان به خودم خوان که مُنعِمانخیرِ نهان برایِ رضایِ خدا کنند
penhân ze hâsedân be khodam khân ke mon'emân / kheyr-e nahân barâ-ye rezâ-ye khodâ konand
Call me to you, hidden from the envious, for the generous do their good deeds in secret, to please God.
COUPLET 12
حافظ دوامِ وصل میسر نمی‌شودشاهان کم التفات به حالِ گدا کنند
Hâfez davâm-e vasl moyassar nemishavad / shâhân kam eltefât be hâl-e gedâ konand
Hafez, lasting union cannot be had: kings seldom pay attention to a beggar's condition.
What this fâl tells you
A single kind look from a wise and generous person could change everything, and this fal encourages you to hope for it. Tradition reads it as advice to keep your troubles away from those who only pretend to help, and to trust your affairs to grace. Do your good quietly; what is hidden behind the curtain will become clear in time.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konand ("they do"). qâfiye: -â (kimiyâ, davâ, cherâ, rahâ, âshenâ, che-hâ, adâ, riyâ, ghabâ, do'â, khodâ, gedâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| کنند | konand | (they) do, make dictionary |
| âyâ | (question word) whether dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| cheshmi | an eye dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| dardam | my pain dictionary | |
| نهفته | nahofte | hidden dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| tabibân | doctors (پزشکان) dictionary | |
| modda'i | pretender, critic dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| khazâne-ye | treasury of dictionary | |
| davâ | medicine, cure dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| hekâyati | a story dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| âghebat | end, outcome dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| rahâ | free; rahâ nakardan = not to leave dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| معرفت | ma'refat | knowledge, mystical insight dictionary |
| مباش | mabâsh | do not be! (نباش) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| معامله | mo'âmele | dealing, exchange dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| hâli | now, for the moment (فعلاً) | |
| darun | inside dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| فتنه | fetne | intrigue, turmoil dictionary |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| چه‌ها | che-hâ | what things! dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| benâlad | cries out, laments dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| مدار | madâr | do not have (old imperative of dâshtan) (نداشته باش) dictionary |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| adâ | expression; adâ kardan = to tell, to express dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| khor | drink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| aghyâr | strangers, rivals (plural of gheyr) dictionary | |
| hejâb | veil, curtain dictionary | |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| riyâ | hypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary | |
| pirâhani | a shirt dictionary | |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| barâdarân | brothers dictionary | |
| ghayurash | his jealous (brothers) dictionary | |
| قبا | ghabâ | robe; ghabâ kardan = to tear open (like a robe split down the front) dictionary |
| bogzar | pass by, give up! dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| owghât | times dictionary | |
| bahr | sake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای) | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| sarf | spending; sarf shodan = to be spent dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| پنهان | penhân | hidden dictionary |
| khodam | myself dictionary | |
| khân | call! invite! (بخوان) dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| barâ-ye | for dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| davâm | lasting, permanence dictionary | |
| نمی‌شود | nemishavad | does not become dictionary |
| shâhân | kings dictionary | |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 196. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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