Ghazal 240 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
ابرِ آذاری برآمد بادِ نوروزی وزیدوَجهِ مِی می‌خواهم و مُطرب، که می‌گوید رسید؟
abr-e âzâri bar âmad bâd-e nowruzi vazid / vajh-e mey mikhâham o motreb, ke miguyad resid?
The spring cloud of March has risen and the New Year breeze is blowing. I want money for wine and a musician: who says it has arrived?
COUPLET 2
شاهدان در جلوه و من شرمسارِ کیسه‌امبارِ عشق و مُفلسی صَعب است، می‌باید کشید
shâhedân dar jelve o man sharmsâr-e kise'am / bâr-e eshgh o moflesi sa'b ast, mibâyad keshid
The beauties are showing themselves, and I am ashamed of my empty purse. The burden of love and poverty is hard, but it must be borne.
COUPLET 3
قَحطِ جُود است آبروی خود نمی‌باید فروختباده و گُل از بهایِ خرقه می‌باید خرید
ghaht-e jud ast âbru-ye khod nemibâyad forukht / bâde o gol az bahâ-ye kherghe mibâyad kharid
Generosity is scarce these days; one must not sell one's honor. Wine and roses must be bought with the price of the Sufi robe.
COUPLET 4
گوییا خواهد گشود از دولتم کاری که دوشمن همی‌کردم دعا و صبحِ صادق می‌دمید
guyiyâ khâhad goshud az dowlatam kâri ke dush / man hami-kardam do'â o sobh-e sâdegh midamid
It seems my fortune will open some door for me, for last night I was praying just as the true dawn was breaking.
COUPLET 5
با لبی و صد هزاران خنده آمد گل به باغاز کریمی گوییا در گوشه‌ای بویی شنید
bâ labi o sad hezârân khande âmad gol be bâgh / az karimi guyiyâ dar gushe'i buyi shenid
With one mouth and a hundred thousand laughs the rose came into the garden; it seems that somewhere, in some corner, it caught the scent of a generous one.
COUPLET 6
دامنی گر چاک شد در عالمِ رندی چه باکجامه‌ای در نیکنامی نیز می‌باید درید
dâmani gar châk shod dar âlam-e rendi che bâk / jâme'i dar niknâmi niz mibâyad darid
If a hem was torn in the world of free spirits, what does it matter? One must also tear a robe for the sake of good name.
COUPLET 7
این لطایف کز لبِ لَعلِ تو من گفتم، که گفت؟وین تَطاول کز سرِ زلفِ تو من دیدم، که دید؟
in latâyef k-az lab-e la'l-e to man goftam, ke goft? / v-in tatâvol k-az sar-e zolf-e to man didam, ke did?
These subtle sayings I have spoken about your ruby lips: who else ever said them? And this cruelty I have suffered from the tips of your curls: who else ever saw it?
COUPLET 8
عدلِ سلطان گر نپرسد حالِ مظلومانِ عشقگوشه‌گیران را ز آسایش طمع باید بُرید
adl-e soltân gar naporsad hâl-e mazlumân-e eshgh / gushe-girân râ ze âsâyesh tama' bâyad borid
If the sultan's justice does not ask after the wronged victims of love, those who live in quiet corners must give up all hope of peace.
COUPLET 9
تیرِ عاشق‌کُش ندانم بر دلِ حافظ که زداین قَدَر دانم که از شعرِ تَرَش خون می‌چکید
tir-e âsheghkosh nadânam bar del-e Hâfez ke zad / in ghadar dânam ke az she'r-e tarash khun michakid
I do not know who shot the lover-killing arrow into Hafez's heart; this much I know: blood was dripping from his fresh verse.
What this fâl tells you
New Year winds are blowing, and a door may open for you soon, as if in answer to a prayer at dawn. Tradition reads this fal as hope after a lean time: even if your purse is light now, keep your dignity and do not sell your honor. Someone generous may notice you; a fair request to the right person can bring results.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -id (vazid, resid, keshid, kharid, midamid, shenid, darid, did, borid, michakid).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| abr | cloud dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| nowruzi | of Nowruz, the Persian New Year (spring) dictionary | |
| وزید | vazid | blew dictionary |
| وجه | vajh | money, means; vajh-e mey = money for wine dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| می‌خواهم | mikhâham | I want dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| می‌گوید | miguyad | says dictionary |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| shâhedân | the beauties dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| sharmsâr | ashamed dictionary | |
| کیسه‌ام | kise'am | my purse dictionary |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| sa'b | hard, difficult (سخت) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| کشید | keshid | bear, endure (with mibâyad: must be borne) dictionary |
| khod | one's own dictionary | |
| فروخت | forukht | sold dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| bahâ | price dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| kharid | bought dictionary | |
| گوییا | guyiyâ | it seems, as if (= guyâ) (گویا) |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| گشود | goshud | open (with khâhad: will open) dictionary |
| dowlatam | my good fortune dictionary | |
| kâri | some affair, some work dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| همی‌کردم | hami-kardam | I was doing (old continuous) (می‌کردم) dictionary |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| sâdegh | true; sobh-e sâdegh = the true dawn dictionary | |
| می‌دمید | midamid | was breaking (of dawn) dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| labi | one lip, one mouth dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| هزاران | hezârân | thousands dictionary |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| gushe'i | a corner dictionary | |
| buyi | a scent dictionary | |
| shenid | heard, caught (a scent) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| چاک | châk | tear, slit dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| jâme'i | a robe, a garment dictionary | |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| darid | tore dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| لطایف | latâyef | subtle, witty sayings dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| didam | I saw dictionary | |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| adl | justice dictionary | |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| نپرسد | naporsad | does not ask dictionary |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| âsâyesh | comfort, peace dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| borid | cut off; tama' boridan = to give up hope dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| dânam | I know dictionary | |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| tarash | his fresh (verse) dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| می‌چکید | michakid | was dripping dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 240. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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