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Hafez Ghazal 230: ⁧اگر به بادهٔ مشکین دلم کشد، شاید⁩

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

Ghazal 230 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
اگر به بادهٔ مُشکین دلم کشد، شایدکه بویِ خیر ز زهدِ ریا نمی‌آید
agar be bâde-ye meshkin delam keshad shâyad / ke bu-ye kheyr ze zohd-e riyâ nemiâyad
If my heart is drawn to musky wine, that is only fitting, for no scent of good comes from hypocritical piety.
COUPLET 2
جهانیان همه گر منعِ من کنند از عشقمن آن کنم که خداوندگار فرماید
jahâniyân hame gar man'-e man konand az eshgh / man ân konam ke khodâvandgâr farmâyad
Even if the whole world forbids me to love, I will do what my Lord commands.
COUPLET 3
طمع ز فیضِ کرامت مَبُر که خُلقِ کریمگنه ببخشد و بر عاشقان بِبَخشاید
tama' ze feyz-e kerâmat mabor ke kholgh-e karim / gonah bebakhshad o bar âsheghân bebakhshâyad
Do not give up hope in the grace of generosity, for a generous nature forgives sin and shows mercy to lovers.
COUPLET 4
مقیمِ حلقهٔ ذکر است دل بدان امّیدکه حلقه‌ای ز سرِ زلفِ یار بگشاید
moghim-e halghe-ye zekr ast del bedân omid / ke halghe-i ze sar-e zolf-e yâr bogshâyad
The heart stays in the circle of remembrance, in the hope that it may undo one ring of the beloved's curls.
COUPLET 5
تو را که حُسنِ خداداده هست و حجلهٔ بختچه حاجت است که مَشّاطِه‌ات بیاراید
to râ ke hosn-e khodâdâde hast o hejle-ye bakht / che hâjat ast ke mashshâte-at biyârâyad
You have God-given beauty and the bridal chamber of good fortune; what need is there for a bride's dresser to adorn you?
COUPLET 6
چمن خوش است و هوا دلکَش است و مِی بی‌غَشکنون به جز دلِ خوش هیچ در نمی‌باید
chaman khosh ast o havâ delkash ast o mey bi-ghash / konun be joz del-e khosh hich dar nemibâyad
The meadow is lovely, the air is charming, the wine is pure; now nothing is lacking but a happy heart.
COUPLET 7
جمیله‌ایست عروسِ جهان، ولی هُش دارکه این مُخَدَّره در عقدِ کس نمی‌آید
jamile-ist arus-e jahân vali hosh dâr / ke in mokhaddare dar aghd-e kas nemiâyad
The bride of the world is a beauty, but be careful: this veiled maiden will marry no one.
COUPLET 8
به لابه گفتمش ای ماهرُخ چه باشد اگربه یک شِکَر ز تو دلخسته‌ای بیاساید
be lâbe goftamash ey mâh-rokh che bâshad agar / be yek shekar ze to delkhaste-i biyâsâyad
Pleading, I said, "O moon-faced one, what harm if one heartsick soul found rest through a single sugar from you?"
COUPLET 9
به خنده گفت که حافظ خدای را مَپسَندکه بوسهٔ تو رخِ ماه را بیالاید
be khande goft ke Hâfez khodây râ mapasand / ke buse-ye to rokh-e mâh râ biyâlâyad
Laughing, the beloved said, "Hafez, for God's sake, do not let your kiss stain the face of the moon."

What this fâl tells you

Follow your heart's sincere path, not the opinions of others or a show of piety. Tradition reads this fal as reassurance that generosity and forgiveness are close at hand, and that your natural gifts need no extra decoration. The season is lovely: keep a happy heart, and do not tie your hopes to the passing world.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âyad (shâyad, nemiâyad, farmâyad, bebakhshâyad, bogshâyad, biyârâyad, nemibâyad, biyâsâyad, biyâlâyad).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
agarif dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
bâdewine dictionary
delammy heart dictionary
کشدkeshadpulls, unties dictionary
shâyadit is fitting; it may be dictionary
bu-yescent of (ezafe) dictionary
kheyrgood, good deed dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
riyâhypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary
نمی‌آیدnemiâyaddoes not come; dar nemiâyad = does not enter dictionary
همهhameall, whole dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
منعman'prohibition, forbidding dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
کنندkonand(they) do, make dictionary
ânthat dictionary
کنمkonamI make, I do dictionary
فرمایدfarmâyadcommands dictionary
tama'expectation; greed dictionary
فیضfeyzgrace, abundance dictionary
کرامتkerâmatnobility, generosity dictionary
مبرmabordo not cut; tama' boridan = to give up hope dictionary
kholghgood nature, character (اخلاق) dictionary
گنهgonahsin (گناه)
bebakhshadforgives dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
âsheghânlovers dictionary
مقیمmoghimresident dictionary
halghecircle, ring dictionary
zekrmention; zekr-e jamil = a good name dictionary
astis dictionary
delheart dictionary
bedânto that (point) (= be ân) (به آن)
omidhope dictionary
halghe'ia ring, a curl dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
bogshâyadmay open, untie (باز کند) dictionary
toyou dictionary
hosnbeauty dictionary
هستhastthere is dictionary
hejlebridal chamber dictionary
bakhtfortune, luck dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
hâjatneed (نیاز)
biyârâyadadorns dictionary
چمنchamanmeadow, lawn dictionary
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
هواhavâair, weather dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
کنونkonunnow (اکنون)
jozexcept, besides dictionary
هیچhichany; no dictionary
darin; door dictionary
arusbride dictionary
jahânworld dictionary
valibut dictionary
هشhoshawareness; hosh dâr = be careful (هوش)
dârkeep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary
inthis dictionary
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
گفتمشgoftamashI said to him dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
bâshadmay it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
shekarsugar dictionary
biyâsâyadfinds rest dictionary
khandelaughter dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
khodâyGod (classical form) (خدا)
مپسندmapasanddo not approve, do not allow (نپسند) dictionary
busekiss dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
ماهmâhmoon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary
biyâlâyadstains, soils dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 230. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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