Ghazal 244 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
معاشران! گره از زلفِ یار باز کنیدشبی خوش است بدین قصه‌اش دراز کنید
mo'âsherân gereh az zolf-e yâr bâz konid / shabi khosh ast bedin ghesse-ash derâz konid
Friends, untie the knots in the beloved's curls. It is a lovely night: make it long with this story.
COUPLET 2
حضورِ خلوتِ اُنس است و دوستان جمعندوَ اِنْ یَکاد بخوانید و در فَراز کنید
hozur-e khalvat-e ons ast o dustân jam'and / va en yakâd bekhânid o dar farâz konid
This is an intimate gathering and the friends are all together. Recite "va en yakâd" against the evil eye, and close the door.
COUPLET 3
رَباب و چنگ به بانگِ بلند می‌گویند«که گوشِ هوش به پیغامِ اهلِ راز کنید»
rabâb o chang be bâng-e boland miguyand / ke gush-e hush be peyghâm-e ahl-e râz konid
The rebab and the harp are saying aloud: "Lend the ear of your mind to the message of those who know the secret."
COUPLET 4
به جانِ دوست که غم پرده بر شما نَدَرَدگر اعتماد بر الطافِ کارساز کنید
be jân-e dust ke gham parde bar shomâ nadarad / gar e'temâd bar altâf-e kârsâz konid
I swear by the life of the Friend: sorrow will not tear your veil if you trust in the kindness of the One who sets all things right.
COUPLET 5
میانِ عاشق و معشوق فَرق بسیار استچو یار ناز نماید، شما نیاز کنید
miyân-e âshegh o ma'shugh fargh bisyâr ast / cho yâr nâz namâyad shomâ niyâz konid
There is a great difference between lover and beloved: when the beloved plays proud, you must plead humbly.
COUPLET 6
نخست موعظهٔ پیرِ صحبت این حرف استکه «از مُصاحبِ ناجِنس اِحتِراز کنید»
nakhost mow'eze-ye pir-e sohbat in harf ast / ke az mosâheb-e nâjens ehterâz konid
The first lesson of the master of companionship is this: "Keep away from companions who are not your kind."
COUPLET 7
هر آن کسی که در این حلقه نیست زنده به عشقبر او نَمُرده، به فتوای من نماز کنید
har ân kasi ke dar in halghe nist zende be eshgh / bar u namorde be fatvâ-ye man namâz konid
Anyone in this circle who is not alive with love: on my ruling, say the funeral prayer over him before he has even died.
COUPLET 8
وگر طلب کند انعامی از شما حافظحَوالَتَش به لبِ یارِ دل‌نواز کنید
vagar talab konad en'âmi az shomâ Hâfez / havâlatash be lab-e yâr-e delnavâz konid
And if Hafez asks you for a reward, send him to collect it from the lips of the heart-soothing beloved.
What this fâl tells you
A warm gathering of friends and a long, pleasant night are in this fal. Tradition reads it as advice to trust in the One who sets things right, so that worry will not expose or defeat you. Choose your company with care, be humble with the one you love, and keep your circle full of people who are alive with love.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konid ("do!", plural). qâfiye: -âz (bâz, derâz, farâz, râz, kârsâz, niyâz, ehterâz, namâz, delnavâz). The words va en yakâd are Arabic (Quran 68:51), recited against the evil eye.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| معاشران | mo'âsherân | companions, drinking friends dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| bâz | open; bâz kardan = to open, to untie dictionary | |
| کنید | konid | make! (plural) dictionary |
| shabi | one night dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| قصه‌اش | ghesse-ash | its story; with this story (make it long) dictionary |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dustân | friends dictionary | |
| jam'and | are gathered (= jam' hastand) (جمع هستند) dictionary | |
| bekhânid | recite! read! dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| فراز | farâz | closed, shut; dar farâz kardan = to shut the door dictionary |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| boland | loud; be bâng-e boland = aloud dictionary | |
| می‌گویند | miguyand | they say dictionary |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| پیغام | peyghâm | message dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| jân | life; be jân-e dust = by the life of the Friend (an oath) dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| shomâ | you (polite) dictionary | |
| ندرد | nadarad | does not tear dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| e'temâd | trust, reliance dictionary | |
| altâf | kindnesses, favors dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| فرق | fargh | difference dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| نماید | namâyad | shows, displays (= konad) dictionary |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| موعظهٔ | mow'eze | sermon, advice dictionary |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| harf | word, phrase dictionary | |
| مصاحب | mosâheb | companion dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| zende | alive dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| نمرده | namorde | not having died, while still alive dictionary |
| fatvâ | religious ruling, verdict dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| نماز | namâz | prayer (here the funeral prayer) dictionary |
| وگر | va gar | or if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| en'âmi | a reward, a gift dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| havâlatash | his bill of payment; havâle kardan = to refer for payment dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| delnavâz | heart-soothing, charming dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 244. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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