Ghazal 215 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
به کویِ میکده یا رب سحر چه مشغله بود؟که جوشِ شاهد و ساقی و شمع و مشعله بود
be ku-ye meykade yâ rab sahar che mashghale bud / ke jush-e shâhed o sâghi o sham' o mash'ale bud
O Lord, what a commotion there was in the tavern's street at dawn, a throng of beauties, cupbearers, candles and torches.
COUPLET 2
حدیثِ عشق که از حرف و صوت مُستَغنیستبه نالهٔ دف و نی در خروش و ولوله بود
hadis-e eshgh ke az harf o sowt mostaghnist / be nâle-ye daf o ney dar khorush o velvele bud
The tale of love, which needs neither words nor sounds, was roaring and clamoring in the cry of the drum and the reed flute.
COUPLET 3
مباحثی که در آن مجلسِ جنون می‌رفتوَرایِ مدرسه و قال و قیلِ مسأله بود
mabâhesi ke dar ân majles-e jonun miraft / varâ-ye madrese o ghâl o ghil-e mas'ale bud
The discussions going on in that gathering of madness lay beyond the school and its endless "he said, it was said" over legal questions.
COUPLET 4
دل از کرشمهٔ ساقی به شُکر بود ولیز نامساعدیِ بختش اندکی گِلِه بود
del az kereshme-ye sâghi be shokr bud vali / ze nâmosâ'edi-ye bakhtash andaki gele bud
The heart was thankful for the cupbearer's flirtatious glance, but it had a small complaint about its own unhelpful luck.
COUPLET 5
قیاس کردم و آن چشمِ جادوانهٔ مستهزار ساحر چون سامریش در گَله بود
ghiyâs kardam o ân cheshm-e jâduvâne-ye mast / hezâr sâher chon sâmerish dar gale bud
I weighed it up: that drunken, bewitching eye had a thousand sorcerers like the Samaritan in its flock.
COUPLET 6
بگفتمش به لبم بوسه‌ای حوالت کنبه خنده گفت کِی‌ات با من این معامله بود؟
begoftamash be labam buse-i havâlat kon / be khande goft keyat bâ man in mo'âmele bud
I said, "Send a kiss my way, to my lips." Laughing, the beloved said, "Since when did you and I have this kind of deal?"
COUPLET 7
ز اخترم نظری سعد در رَه است که دوشمیان ماه و رخِ یارِ من مُقابله بود
ze akhtaram nazari sa'd dar rah ast ke dush / miyân-e mâh o rokh-e yâr-e man moghâbele bud
A lucky aspect from my star is on its way, for last night the moon and my beloved's face stood facing each other.
COUPLET 8
دهانِ یار که درمانِ دردِ حافظ داشتفغان که وقتِ مُرُوَّت چه تنگ حوصله بود
dahân-e yâr ke darmân-e dard-e Hâfez dâsht / faghân ke vaght-e morovvat che tang-howsele bud
The beloved's mouth held the cure for Hafez's pain; alas, when it was time for kindness, how little patience it had.
What this fâl tells you
Your star is turning in your favor: last night the moon and the beloved's face met. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of good luck on the way and of joyful gatherings ahead. Do not lose yourself in dry arguments; ask for what you want with a smile, and be patient if the answer comes back playful.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bud ("was"). qâfiye: -ele (mashghale, mash'ale, velvele, mas'ale, gele, gale, mo'âmele, moghâbele, howsele).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| jush | boiling; be jush âmad = came to a boil dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| harf | word, phrase dictionary | |
| sowt | sound, voice dictionary | |
| نالهٔ | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khorush | loud cry, song dictionary | |
| mabâhesi | discussions dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| jonun | madness dictionary | |
| می‌رفت | miraft | was going on dictionary |
| مدرسه | madrese | religious school dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| shokr | thanks, gratitude dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bakhtash | its luck dictionary | |
| andaki | a little dictionary | |
| گله | gele | complaint (گلایه) |
| قیاس | ghiyâs | comparison; ghiyâs-e kâr gereftan = to take as a model dictionary |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| sâher | sorcerer dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| گله | gale | flock, herd dictionary |
| begoftamash | I said to him/her dictionary | |
| لبم | labam | my lip dictionary |
| buse-i | a kiss dictionary | |
| havâlat | assignment; havâlat kardan = to send, assign (حواله) | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| کی‌ات | keyat | when (did) you dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| معامله | mo'âmele | dealing, exchange dictionary |
| akhtaram | my star dictionary | |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| مقابله | moghâbele | facing; in astrology, opposition of the moon to a star dictionary |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| darmân | cure, remedy dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| dâsht | had dictionary | |
| فغان | faghân | alas! cry of lament dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| مروت | morovvat | generosity, humane kindness dictionary |
| howsele | patience; tang-howsele = impatient dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 215. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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