Ghazal 198 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
گفتم کِی ام دهان و لبت کامران کنند؟گفتا به چشم هر چه تو گویی چُنان کنند
goftam key-am dahân o labat kâmrân konand / goftâ be cheshm har che to gu'i chonân konand
I said, "When will your mouth and lips grant my wish?" The beloved said, "Gladly: whatever you ask, they will do."
COUPLET 2
گفتم خَراجِ مصر طلب می‌کند لبتگفتا در این معامله کمتر زیان کنند
goftam kharâj-e mesr talab mikonad labat / goftâ dar in mo'âmele kamtar ziyân konand
I said, "Your lips are demanding the tribute of Egypt." The beloved said, "In a deal like this, people rarely lose."
COUPLET 3
گفتم به نقطهٔ دهنت خود که بُرد راه؟گفت این حکایتیست که با نکته‌دان کنند
goftam be noghte-ye dahanat khod ke bord râh / goft in hekâyati-st ke bâ nokte-dân konand
I said, "Who has ever found the way to the tiny point of your mouth?" The beloved said, "That story is told only to those who understand subtle points."
COUPLET 4
گفتم صَنم‌پَرست مشو با صَمَد نشینگفتا به کویِ عشق هم این و هم آن کنند
goftam sanam-parast masho bâ samad neshin / goftâ be ku-ye eshgh ham in o ham ân konand
I said, "Do not be an idol-worshipper; sit with the Eternal." The beloved said, "In the street of love they do both this and that."
COUPLET 5
گفتم هوایِ میکده غم می‌بَرَد ز دلگفتا خوش آن کَسان که دلی شادمان کنند
goftam havâ-ye meykade gham mibarad ze del / goftâ khosh ân kasân ke deli shâdmân konand
I said, "The air of the tavern takes sorrow from the heart." The beloved said, "Happy are those who make a heart glad."
COUPLET 6
گفتم شراب و خِرقه نه آیینِ مذهب استگفت این عمل به مذهبِ پیرِ مغان کنند
goftam sharâb o kherghe na âyin-e mazhab ast / goft in amal be mazhab-e pir-e moghân konand
I said, "Wine and the Sufi cloak do not belong together in religion." The beloved said, "In the creed of the Magian elder, this is just what they do."
COUPLET 7
گفتم ز لَعلِ نوش‌ْلبان پیر را چه سود؟گفتا به بوسهٔ شِکَرینَش جوان کنند
goftam ze la'l-e nush-labân pir râ che sud / goftâ be buse-ye shekarinash javân konand
I said, "What good are the ruby lips of the sweet-mouthed to an old man?" The beloved said, "With a sugary kiss they make him young."
COUPLET 8
گفتم که خواجه کِی به سرِ حجله می‌رود؟گفت آن زمان که مشتری و مَه قِران کنند
goftam ke khâje key be sar-e hejle miravad / goft ân zamân ke moshtari o mah gherân konand
I said, "When will the master go to the bridal chamber?" The beloved said, "When Jupiter and the moon meet in conjunction."
COUPLET 9
گفتم دعایِ دولت او وِردِ حافظ استگفت این دعا ملایکِ هفت آسمان کنند
goftam do'â-ye dowlat-e u verd-e Hâfez ast / goft in do'â malâyek-e haft âsmân konand
I said, "Praying for his good fortune is Hafez's daily litany." The beloved said, "The angels of the seven heavens pray this prayer too."
What this fâl tells you
Every question you ask in this fal is answered with a gentle "yes". Tradition reads it as a sign that a wish is close to being granted and that the deal will be worth it. The right moment is like a fortunate conjunction of stars: when it comes, things fall into place, and your prayers are joined by many others.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konand ("they do"). qâfiye: -ân (kâmrân, chonân, ziyân, nokte-dân, ân, shâdmân, moghân, javân, gherân, âsmân). The whole ghazal is a dialogue: goftam ... goftâ ("I said ... she said").
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| کنند | konand | (they) do, make dictionary |
| گفتا | goftâ | (he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| gu'i | you say dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| kharâj | tribute, land tax dictionary | |
| مصر | mesr | Egypt dictionary |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| می‌کند | mikonad | does, is doing dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| معامله | mo'âmele | dealing, exchange dictionary |
| کمتر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| ziyân | loss dictionary | |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| bord | took; râh bordan = to find the way dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| hekâyati-st | is a story dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| نشین | neshin | sit! (بنشین) dictionary |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes away dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| کسان | kasân | other people dictionary |
| deli | a heart dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| مذهب | mazhab | creed, religion dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| amal | action, practice dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| sud | profit, gain dictionary | |
| buse | kiss dictionary | |
| javân | young; javân kardan = to make young dictionary | |
| khâje | master; a patron of Hafez's time dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| hejle | bridal chamber dictionary | |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| moshtari | Jupiter (the planet of good fortune) dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| هفت | haft | seven; haft keshvar = the seven climes, the whole world dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 198. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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