Ghazal 246 of Hafez (10 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
عید است و آخِرِ گُل و یاران در انتظارساقی به رویِ شاه ببین ماه و مِی بیار
eyd ast o âkher-e gol o yârân dar entezâr / sâghi be ru-ye shâh bebin mâh o mey biyâr
It is the feast day, the rose season is ending, and the friends are waiting. Cupbearer, see the new moon in the king's face, and bring the wine.
COUPLET 2
دل برگرفته بودم از ایّام گُل، ولیکاری بِکَرد همّت پاکانِ روزه دار
del bargerefte budam az ayyâm-e gol vali / kâri bekard hemmat-e pâkân-e ruze-dâr
I had given up hope of the rose season, but the spiritual strength of the pure, fasting ones has worked its wonder.
COUPLET 3
دل در جهان مَبَند و به مستی سؤال کناز فیض جام و قصهٔ جمشیدِ کامگار
del dar jahân maband o be masti so'âl kon / az feyz-e jâm o ghesse-ye jamshid-e kâmgâr
Do not tie your heart to the world; in your drunkenness, ask about the grace of the cup and the story of Jamshid, who had everything he wished.
COUPLET 4
جز نقدِ جان به دست ندارم شراب کو؟کان نیز بر کرشمهٔ ساقی کُنم نثار
joz naghd-e jân be dast nadâram, sharâb ku? / k-ân niz bar kereshme-ye sâghi konam nesâr
I have nothing in hand but the cash of my life. Where is the wine? I will scatter even that at the feet of the cupbearer's glance.
COUPLET 5
خوش دولتیست خرّم و خوش خسروی کریمیا رب ز چشمْ زخمِ زمانش نگاه دار
khosh dowlati-st khorram o khosh khosravi karim / yâ rab ze cheshm-zakhm-e zamânash negâh dâr
What a fine and joyful reign, what a good and generous king! O Lord, protect him from the evil eye of time.
COUPLET 6
مِی خور به شعرِ بنده که زیبی دگر دهدجامِ مُرَصَّعِ تو بدین دُرِّ شاهوار
mey khor be she'r-e bande ke zibi degar dahad / jâm-e morassa'-e to bedin dorr-e shâhvâr
Drink your wine to the verses of your servant, for these royal pearls add a new beauty to your jeweled cup.
COUPLET 7
گر فوت شد سَحور چه نقصان صَبوح هستاز مِی کنند روزه گشا طالبانِ یار
gar fowt shod sahur che noghsân sabuh hast / az mey konand ruze-goshâ tâlebân-e yâr
If the pre-dawn meal was missed, what is lost? There is the morning wine; those who seek the beloved break their fast with wine.
COUPLET 8
زانجا که پرده پوشیِ عفوِ کریمِ توستبر قلب ما ببخش که نقدیست کم عیار
z-ânjâ ke parde-pushi-ye afv-e karim-e to-st / bar ghalb-e mâ bebakhsh ke naghdi-st kam-ayâr
Since your generous forgiveness covers up faults, forgive our heart, which is like a counterfeit coin of low value.
COUPLET 9
ترسم که روزِ حشر عِنان بر عِنان رَوَدتسبیحِ شیخ و خرقهٔ رندِ شرابخوار
tarsam ke ruz-e hashr enân bar enân ravad / tasbih-e sheykh o kherghe-ye rend-e sharâbkhâr
I fear that on the Day of Judgment the sheikh's prayer beads and the robe of the wine-drinking free spirit will ride side by side, rein to rein.
COUPLET 10
حافظ چو رفت روزه و گل نیز می‌رودناچار باده نوش که از دستْ رفتْ کار
Hâfez cho raft ruze o gol niz miravad / nâchâr bâde nush ke az dast raft kâr
Hafez, since the fast is over and the roses are going too, you have no choice: drink wine, for time is slipping away.
What this fâl tells you
A festive day is close, and the waiting will soon end. Tradition reads this fal as an invitation to celebrate what you have now, before the season passes. Do not tie your heart too tightly to the world, be generous, and trust in forgiveness: your sincere effort counts as much as anyone's outward piety.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âr (entezâr, biyâr, dâr, kâmgâr, nesâr, shâhvâr, yâr, ayâr, sharâbkhâr, kâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| eyd | feast dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| entezâr | waiting dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| bebin | see! look! dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon; here the new moon of the feast dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| budam | I had (given up): past perfect auxiliary dictionary | |
| ayyâm | days, times dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| kâri | a deed; kâri kardan = to work (a wonder) dictionary | |
| bekard | did (= kard) (کرد) dictionary | |
| پاکان | pâkân | the pure ones dictionary |
| ruze | fast, fasting (Ramadan) dictionary | |
| dâr | keeping; ruze-dâr = fasting dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| مبند | maband | do not tie! (نبند) dictionary |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| فیض | feyz | grace, abundance dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| قصهٔ | ghesse | story dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ندارم | nadâram | I do not have; dast az chizi nadâshtan = not to give something up dictionary |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| کان | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| نثار | nesâr-e | scattered as an offering on (فدای) |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| dowlati-st | is a reign, a fortune (= dowlati ast) dictionary | |
| khorram | cheerful dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| zakhm | wound; cheshm-zakhm = the evil eye dictionary | |
| zamânash | time (against him), of time dictionary | |
| نگاه | negâh | look; negâh dâshtan = to keep dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| khor | drink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary | |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| فوت | fowt | lost, missed dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| نقصان | noghsân | loss, deficiency dictionary |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| کنند | konand | (they) do, make dictionary |
| گشا | goshâ | opening; ruze-goshâ = breaking the fast dictionary |
| tâlebân | seekers dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| z-ânjâ | since, because (= az ânjâ) (از آنجا) | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| afv | forgiveness dictionary | |
| tu-st | is (fold upon) fold dictionary | |
| قلب | ghalb | counterfeit (coin); also "heart" (pun) dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bebakhsh | forgive! dictionary | |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| ayâr | degree of purity of a coin; kam-ayâr = low-grade dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| tasbih | praising God; rosary dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
| ناچار | nâchâr | having no choice, helplessly dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drink! (imperative) (بنوش) dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 246. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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