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Hafez Ghazal 202: ⁧بود آیا که در میکده‌ها بگشایند؟⁩

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

Ghazal 202 of Hafez (7 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
بُوَد آیا که درِ میکده‌ها بگشایند؟گره از کارِ فروبستهٔ ما بگشایند؟
bovad âyâ ke dar-e meykade-hâ bogshâyand / gereh az kâr-e forubaste-ye mâ bogshâyand
Could it be that they will open the tavern doors and untie the knot in our tangled affairs?
COUPLET 2
اگر از بهرِ دلِ زاهدِ خودبین بستنددل قوی دار که از بهرِ خدا بگشایند
agar az bahr-e del-e zâhed-e khodbin bastand / del ghavi dâr ke az bahr-e khodâ bogshâyand
If they shut them to please the self-admiring ascetic, take heart: they will open them for the sake of God.
COUPLET 3
به صفایِ دلِ رندانِ صَبوحی‌زدگانبس درِ بسته به مِفْتاحِ دعا بگشایند
be safâ-ye del-e rendân-e sabuhi-zadegân / bas dar-e baste be meftâh-e do'â bogshâyand
By the pure hearts of the free spirits who drink at dawn, many a locked door will be opened with the key of prayer.
COUPLET 4
نامهٔ تَعزیَتِ دختر رَز بِنْویسیدتا همه مُغبَچِگان زلفِ دوتا بگشایند
nâme-ye ta'ziyat-e dokhtar-e raz benevisid / tâ hame moghbachegân zolf-e dotâ bogshâyand
Write a letter of mourning for the daughter of the vine, so that all the young Magi let down their braided locks in grief.
COUPLET 5
گیسوی چنگ بِبُرّید به مرگِ مِیِ نابتا حریفان همه خون از مژه‌ها بگشایند
gisu-ye chang beborrid be marg-e mey-e nâb / tâ harifân hame khun az mozhe-hâ bogshâyand
Cut the harp's tresses, its strings, for the death of pure wine, so that all the companions let blood flow from their lashes.
COUPLET 6
درِ میخانه ببستند خدایا مپسندکه درِ خانهٔ تزویر و ریا بگشایند
dar-e meykhâne bebastand, khodâyâ mapasand / ke dar-e khâne-ye tazvir o riyâ bogshâyand
They have shut the tavern door. O God, do not let them open instead the door of the house of deceit and hypocrisy.
COUPLET 7
حافظ این خرقه که داری تو ببینی فرداکه چه زُنّار ز زیرش به دَغا بگشایند
Hâfez in kherghe ke dâri to bebini fardâ / ke che zonnâr ze zirash be daghâ bogshâyand
Hafez, this Sufi cloak you wear: tomorrow you will see what an unbeliever's belt they pull out from under it, exposing the fraud.

What this fâl tells you

A closed door is not closed forever. Tradition reads this fal as hope that a stuck matter will soon be untied, opened by sincerity and prayer rather than by show. Keep your heart clear and patient, and keep away from pretense.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: bogshâyand ("they open"). qâfiye: -â (meykade-hâ, mâ, khodâ, do'â, dotâ, mozhe-hâ, riyâ, daghâ). Written when the taverns of Shiraz were closed by order.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
bovadis, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary
âyâis it that? (question word) dictionary
darin; door dictionary
میکده‌هاmeykade-hâtaverns dictionary
bogshâyandthey open, they untie (باز کنند) dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
agarif dictionary
bahrsake; az bahr-e = for the sake of (برای)
delheart dictionary
zâhedascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary
khodbinself-admiring, conceited (خودپسند) dictionary
bastandthey closed dictionary
ghavistrong; del ghavi dâr = take heart dictionary
dârkeep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
safâ-yepurity, brightness of dictionary
rendânfree spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary
basmuch, many dictionary
basteclosed, locked dictionary
مفتاحmeftâhkey (Arabic) (کلید) dictionary
do'âprayer, blessing dictionary
نامهٔnâmeletter dictionary
ta'ziyatmourning, condolence (تسلیت)
dokhtardaughter; dokhtar-e raz = daughter of the vine, wine dictionary
razgrapevine (تاک)
benevisidwrite! (plural) dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
همهhameall, whole dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
gisutresses; gisu-ye chang = the harp's strings dictionary
چنگchangharp dictionary
beborridcut! (plural) dictionary
مرگmargdeath dictionary
میmeywine (شراب) dictionary
نابnâbpure dictionary
harifândrinking companions dictionary
khunblood dictionary
مژه‌هاmozhe-hâeyelashes dictionary
میخانهmeykhânetavern dictionary
bebastandthey closed dictionary
khodâyâO God dictionary
مپسندmapasanddo not approve, do not allow (نپسند) dictionary
khânehouse dictionary
tazvirdeceit, hypocrisy dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
riyâhypocrisy, showy piety dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
inthis dictionary
kherghedervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary
dâriyou have, you wear dictionary
toyou dictionary
bebiniyou see dictionary
فرداfardâtomorrow; also the Day of Judgment dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
zirashunder it dictionary
daghâtrickery; be daghâ = by fraud, deceitfully (فریب)

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 202. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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