Ghazal 252 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
گر بُوَد عمر، به میخانه رَسَم بارِ دِگَربجز از خدمتِ رندان نکنم کارِ دِگَر
gar bovad omr be meykhâne rasam bâr-e degar / bejoz az khedmat-e rendân nakonam kâr-e degar
If I live, I will reach the tavern once more, and I will do no other work but serving the free spirits.
COUPLET 2
خُرَّم آن روز که با دیدهٔ گریان بِرَوَمتا زنم آب درِ میکده یک بارِ دگر
khorram ân ruz ke bâ dide-ye geryân beravam / tâ zanam âb dar-e meykade yek bâr-e degar
Happy the day when I go with weeping eyes to sprinkle water at the tavern door once again.
COUPLET 3
معرفت نیست در این قوم خدا را سَبَبیتا بَرَم گوهرِ خود را به خریدارِ دگر
ma'refat nist dar in ghowm khodâ râ sababi / tâ baram gowhar-e khod râ be kharidâr-e degar
These people have no understanding. For God's sake, give me some way to take my pearl to another buyer.
COUPLET 4
یار اگر رفت و حقِ صحبتِ دیرین نشناختحاشَ لِلَّه که رَوَم من ز پِیِ یارِ دگر
yâr agar raft o hagh-e sohbat-e dirin nashenâkht / hâsha lellâh ke ravam man ze pey-e yâr-e degar
Even if the beloved left and did not honor our old companionship, God forbid that I should go after another love.
COUPLET 5
گر مساعد شَوَدَم دایرهٔ چرخِ کبودهم به دست آورمش باز به پرگارِ دگر
gar mosâ'ed shavadam dâyere-ye charkh-e kabud / ham be dast âvaramash bâz be pargâr-e degar
If the circle of the blue sky turns in my favor, I will win the beloved back again with a different compass.
COUPLET 6
عافیت می‌طلبد خاطرم ار بگذارندغمزهٔ شوخَش و آن طرهٔ طَرّارِ دگر
âfiyat mitalabad khâteram ar bogzârand / ghamze-ye shukhash o ân torre-ye tarrâr-e degar
My heart longs for peace, if only they would let it be: the beloved's playful glance, and that other thief, the curl.
COUPLET 7
راز سربستهٔ ما بین که به دستان گفتندهر زمان با دف و نی بر سرِ بازارِ دگر
râz-e sar-baste-ye mâ bin ke be dastân goftand / har zamân bâ daf o ney bar sar-e bâzâr-e degar
See how our hidden secret has been told in songs, at every moment, with drum and flute, in one marketplace after another.
COUPLET 8
هر دم از درد بنالم که فلک هر ساعتکُنَدَم قصدِ دلِ ریش به آزارِ دگر
har dam az dard benâlam ke falak har sâ'at / konadam ghasd-e del-e rish be âzâr-e degar
Every moment I moan in pain, for every hour the sky comes after my wounded heart with some new torment.
COUPLET 9
بازگویم نه در این واقعه حافظ تنهاستغرقه گشتند در این بادیه بسیارِ دگر
bâz guyam na dar in vâghe'e Hâfez tanhâst / gharghe gashtand dar in bâdiye bisyâr-e degar
Let me say it again: Hafez is not alone in this. Many others have drowned in this desert.
What this fâl tells you
You may feel unappreciated where you are now, among people who do not see your worth. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to stay loyal to what you love and to return to the place where your heart is at home. Fortune can turn in your favor; you are not alone in your trials, and many have walked this road before you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: degar ("other, again"). qâfiye: -âr (bâr, kâr, kharidâr, yâr, pargâr, tarrâr, bâzâr, âzâr, bisyâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| rasam | I reach, I arrive dictionary | |
| bâr | time; bâr-e degar = once more dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| bejoz | except (جز) | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| نکنم | nakonam | I do not do, I do not make dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| khorram | cheerful dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| گریان | geryân | weeping dictionary |
| beravam | I go dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| zanam | I strike; âb zadan = to sprinkle water (to settle dust, sweep) dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| bâr | time; yek bâr-e degar = once again dictionary | |
| معرفت | ma'refat | knowledge, mystical insight dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| قوم | ghowm | people, group dictionary |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| sababi | a means, a way dictionary | |
| baram | I take, I carry dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| khod | my own dictionary | |
| kharidâr | buyer; one who values dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| نشناخت | nashenâkht | did not recognize, did not honor dictionary |
| hâsha | Arabic: far be it; hâsha lellâh = God forbid! dictionary | |
| ravam | I go dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| پی | pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary |
| مساعد | mosâ'ed | helpful, favorable dictionary |
| shavadam | becomes (for me) dictionary | |
| dâyere-ye | circle of dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| کبود | kabud | dark blue dictionary |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| âvaramash | I bring him/her; be dast âvardan = to win dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| پرگار | pargâr | compass (for drawing circles) dictionary |
| می‌طلبد | mitalabad | seeks, longs for dictionary |
| khâteram | my mind, my heart dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| bogzârand | they let (be), they leave alone dictionary | |
| shukhash | his/her playful (eyes) dictionary | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bin | see! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary | |
| گفتند | goftand | they said dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; bar sar-e bâzâr = in the middle of the marketplace dictionary | |
| bâzâr | bazaar, market dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| benâlam | I moan, I lament dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| sâ'at | hour dictionary | |
| کندم | konadam | does (to me) dictionary |
| قصد | ghasd | intent; ghasd kardan = to head for dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| rish | wounded (زخمی) dictionary | |
| âzâr | hurting, harm dictionary | |
| bâz guyam | let me say again dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| واقعه | vâghe'e | event, affair dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tanhâst | is alone dictionary | |
| gharghe | drowned, sunk (غرق) | |
| گشتند | gashtand | became, were dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 252. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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