Ghazal 20 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
روزه یک‌سو شد و عید آمد و دل‌ها برخاستمی ز خُم‌خانه به‌جوش آمد و می باید خواست
ruze yek su shod o eyd âmad o del-hâ barkhâst / mey ze khomkhâne be jush âmad o mey bâyad khâst
The fast is set aside, the Eid has come and hearts have risen. Wine is bubbling in the cellar: now it is time to ask for wine.
COUPLET 2
نوبهٔ زهدفروشانِ گران‌جان بگذشتوقتِ رندی و طرب کردنِ رندان پیداست
nowbe-ye zohd-forushân-e gerân-jân bogzasht / vaght-e rendi o tarab kardan-e rendân peydâ-st
The turn of the dreary sellers of piety has passed; clearly it is the time for free spirits to be free and to make merry.
COUPLET 3
چه ملامت بُوَد آن را که چنین باده خورَد؟این چه عیب است بدین بی‌خردی؟ وین چه خطاست؟
che malâmat bovad ân râ ke chonin bâde khorad? / in che eyb ast bedin bi-kheradi? v-in che khatâ-st?
Why blame someone who drinks wine like this? What fault is there in such "folly", and what wrong is it?
COUPLET 4
باده‌نوشی که در او روی و ریایی نَبُوَدبهتر از زهدفروشی که در او روی و ریاست
bâde-nushi ke dar u ru-y o riyâyi nabovad / behtar az zohd-forushi ke dar u ru-y o riyâ-st
A wine-drinker without show or pretense is better than a seller of piety full of show and pretense.
COUPLET 5
ما نه رندانِ ریاییم و حریفانِ نفاقآن‌که او عالِم سِرّ است، بدین حال گواست
mâ na rendân-e riyâyim o harifân-e nefâgh / ân ke u âlem-e serr ast bedin hâl govâ-st
We are not two-faced rogues or comrades in hypocrisy; the One who knows all secrets is witness to this.
COUPLET 6
فرضِ ایزد بگزاریم و به کس بد نکنیموان چه گویند روا نیست، نگوییم رواست
farz-e izad begozârim o be kas bad nakonim / v-ân che guyand ravâ nist nagu'im ravâ-st
We fulfill God's duties and do no harm to anyone, and what they say is not allowed, we do not claim is allowed.
COUPLET 7
چه شود گر من و تو چند قدح باده خوریم؟باده از خونِ رزان است، نه از خون شماست
che shavad gar man o to chand ghadah bâde khorim? / bâde az khun-e razân ast, na az khun-e shomâ-st
What harm if you and I drink a few cups of wine? Wine is made from the blood of grapevines, not from your blood.
COUPLET 8
این چه عیب است کز آن عیب، خلل خواهد بود؟ور بُوَد نیز چه شد؟ مردم بی‌عیب کجاست؟
in che eyb ast k-az ân eyb khalal khâhad bud? / var bovad niz che shod? mardom-e bi-eyb kojâ-st?
What fault is this that it should cause any damage? And if it does, so what? Where is a person without faults?
What this fâl tells you
A season of strictness is ending and a season of relief and celebration is beginning. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to be sincere rather than showy: do your duties, harm no one, and do not fear the judgment of people who only pretend. No one is perfect, and honesty is worth more than reputation.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âst / -â-st (khâst, peydâ-st, khatâ-st, riyâ-st, govâ-st, ravâ-st, shomâ-st, kojâ-st). Written for the Eid at the end of Ramadan.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ruze | fasting; the fast of Ramadan dictionary | |
| یک‌سو | yek su | aside; yek su shodan = to be over dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| eyd | feast dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| del-hâ | hearts dictionary | |
| barkhâst | rose, got up dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| be jush | to a boil; be jush âmadan = to bubble, ferment dictionary | |
| khâst | wanted dictionary | |
| نوبهٔ | nowbe | turn dictionary |
| bogzasht | passed (گذشت) dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| tarab | joy, merriment dictionary | |
| کردن | kardan | doing; kardan-e sehr = working magic dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| پیداست | peydâ-st | it is clear (= peydâ ast) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| khord | drank dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| khatâ-st | is a mistake, wrong (= khatâ ast) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| riyâyi | any pretense; ru-y o riyâ = show and hypocrisy dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| riyâ-st | is hypocrisy (= riyâ ast) dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| نفاق | nefâgh | hypocrisy dictionary |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| گواست | govâ-st | is witness (= govâ ast) dictionary |
| فرض | farz | religious duty dictionary |
| izad | God dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| bad | bad dictionary | |
| نکنیم | nakonim | we do not do dictionary |
| وان | v-ân | and the one (= va ân) (و آن) dictionary |
| گویند | guyand | (they) say (می‌گویند) dictionary |
| ravâ | permitted, allowed dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| نگوییم | nagu'im | we do not say dictionary |
| ravâst | it is fitting, no wonder (= ravâ ast) dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| khorim | we drink dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| bud | be (khâhad bud = will be) dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| مردم | mardom | pupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary |
| bi-eyb | without faults dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 20. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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