Ghazal 199 of Hafez (8 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
واعظان کاین جلوه در محراب و منبر می‌کنندچون به خلوت می‌روند آن کارِ دیگر می‌کنند!
vâ'ezân k-in jelve dar mehrâb o menbar mikonand / chon be khalvat miravand ân kâr-e digar mikonand
The preachers who make such a show in the prayer niche and the pulpit do something quite different when they are alone.
COUPLET 2
مشکلی دارم، زِ دانشمندِ مجلس بازپرستوبه‌فرمایان، چرا خود توبه کم‌تر می‌کنند؟
moshkeli dâram ze dâneshmand-e majles bâz pors / towbe-farmâyân cherâ khod towbe kamtar mikonand
I have a question; ask the scholar of the gathering: why do those who command repentance repent so little themselves?
COUPLET 3
گوییا باور نمی‌دارند روزِ داوریکاین همه قَلب و دَغَل در کارِ داور می‌کنند
gu'iyâ bâvar nemidârand ruz-e dâvari / k-in hame ghalb o daghal dar kâr-e dâvar mikonand
It seems they do not believe in the Day of Judgment, since they bring so much counterfeit and fraud into the work of the Judge.
COUPLET 4
یا رب این نُودولَتان را با خَرِ خودْشان نشانکاین همه ناز از غلامِ تُرک و اَسْتَر می‌کنند
yâ rab in now-dowlatân râ bâ khar-e khodshân neshân / k-in hame nâz az gholâm-e tork o ester mikonand
O Lord, put these newly rich back on their own donkeys, for they show off so much over their Turkish slaves and mules.
COUPLET 5
ای گدای خانِقَه، بَرْجَه که در دِیرِ مُغانمی‌دهند آبی و دل‌ها را توانگر می‌کنند
ey gedâ-ye khânghah barjah ke dar deyr-e moghân / midahand âbi o del-hâ râ tavângar mikonand
O beggar of the Sufi lodge, jump up: in the temple of the Magi they give out a water that makes hearts rich.
COUPLET 6
حُسنِ بی‌پایان او، چندان که عاشق می‌کُشدزمرهٔ دیگر به عشق از غیب سَر بَر می‌کنند
hosn-e bi-pâyân-e u chandân ke âshegh mikoshad / zomre-ye digar be eshgh az gheyb sar bar mikonand
However many lovers that endless beauty kills, another company rises up in love from the unseen.
COUPLET 7
بر درِ می‌خانهٔ عشق ای مَلَک، تسبیح گویکاَندر آنجا، طینَتِ آدم مُخَمَّر می‌کنند
bar dar-e meykhâne-ye eshgh ey malak tasbih guy / k-andar ânjâ tinat-e âdam mokhammar mikonand
At the door of love's tavern, O angel, sing God's praise, for in there they knead and leaven the clay of Adam.
COUPLET 8
صبح‌دم از عرش می‌آمد خروشی، عقل گفت«قُدسیان گویی که شعرِ حافظ از بَر می‌کنند»
sobhdam az arsh miâmad khorushi, aghl goft / ghodsiyân gu'i ke she'r-e Hâfez az bar mikonand
At dawn a cry was rising from the highest heaven; reason said, "It seems the angels are learning Hafez's poetry by heart."
What this fâl tells you
Look beyond fine words to how people really live: this fal warns against those who preach what they do not practice. Tradition reads it as encouragement to leave empty places and seek the source that truly enriches the heart. Beauty and grace never run out; new lovers rise from the unseen, and your own sincere voice is heard higher than you think.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: mikonand ("they do"). qâfiye: -ar (menbar, digar, kamtar, dâvar, ester, tavângar, bar, mokhammar, bar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| واعظان | vâ'ezân | preachers dictionary |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| محراب | mehrâb-e | prayer niche of dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| منبر | menbar | pulpit dictionary |
| می‌کنند | mikonand | they do; talab mikonand = they demand dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| می‌روند | miravand | they go dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| moshkeli | a problem, a hard question dictionary | |
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dâneshmand | scholar, learned man dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| bâz pors | ask! inquire! dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| کم‌تر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| گوییا | gu'iyâ | it seems, as if (گویا) |
| bâvar | belief; bâvar kardan = to believe dictionary | |
| نمی‌دارند | nemidârand | they do not hold (belief) dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| dâvari | judgment; ruz-e dâvari = Judgment Day dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| قلب | ghalb | counterfeit (coin); also "heart" (pun) dictionary |
| daghal | fraud, cheating dictionary | |
| dâvar | judge (here God) dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khar | donkey dictionary | |
| khodshân | their own dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | seat! put! (بنشان) dictionary |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary | |
| khâneghah | Sufi lodge (خانقاه) | |
| می‌دهند | midahand | they give dictionary |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| del-hâ | hearts dictionary | |
| tavângar | rich; tavângar kardan = to make rich dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| bi-pâyân | endless dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| چندان | chandân | so long, only so much dictionary |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| می‌کشد | mikoshad | kills dictionary |
| sar | head; sar bar kardan = to rise up dictionary | |
| bar | on, at; sar bar kardan = to rise up; az bar kardan = to learn by heart dictionary | |
| می‌خانهٔ | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| tasbih | praising God; rosary dictionary | |
| guy | say! (tasbih guy = praise God!) (بگو) dictionary | |
| کاندر | k-andar | for in (= ke andar) (که در) |
| ânjâ | there dictionary | |
| tinat | nature, clay one is made of (سرشت) | |
| âdam | Adam dictionary | |
| arsh | the throne of God, highest heaven dictionary | |
| می‌آمد | mi-âmad | was coming dictionary |
| khorushi | a loud cry dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 199. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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