Ghazal 256 of Hafez (12 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
نصیحتی کُنَمَت بشنو و بهانه مَگیرهر آنچه ناصِحِ مُشْفِق بگویَدَت بپذیر
nasihati konamat beshno o bahâne magir / har ân che nâseh-e moshfegh beguyadat bepazir
Let me give you some advice: listen, and make no excuses. Whatever a kind adviser tells you, accept it.
COUPLET 2
ز وصلِ رویِ جوانان تَمَتُّعی بردارکه در کمینگهِ عمر است مَکرِ عالَمِ پیر
ze vasl-e ru-ye javânân tamatto'i bardâr / ke dar kamingah-e omr ast makr-e âlam-e pir
Take some joy from the company of young faces, for the trickery of this old world lies in ambush for your life.
COUPLET 3
نَعیم هر دو جهان پیش عاشقان بجویکه این متاعِ قلیل است و آن عَطایِ کثیر
na'im-e har do jahân pish-e âsheghân be jovi / ke in matâ'-e ghalil ast o ân atâ-ye kasir
To lovers, the blessings of both worlds are worth no more than a grain of barley: this one is a small possession, and that one a great gift.
COUPLET 4
معاشری خوش و رودی بساز می‌خواهمکه دردِ خویش بگویم به نالهٔ بَم و زیر
mo'âsheri khosh o rudi besâz mikhâham / ke dard-e khish beguyam be nâle-ye bam o zir
I want a pleasant companion and a well-tuned lute, so I can tell my pain through the moaning of the low and high strings.
COUPLET 5
بر آن سَرَم که نَنوشَم مِی و گُنَه نکنماگر موافقِ تدبیرِ من شَوَد تقدیر
bar ân saram ke nanusham mey o gonah nakonam / agar movâfegh-e tadbir-e man shavad taghdir
I mean to drink no wine and commit no sin, if only fate agrees with my plans.
COUPLET 6
چو قسمتِ ازلی بی‌حضورِ ما کردندگر اندکی نه به وِفقِ رضاست خرده مگیر
cho ghesmat-e azali bi hozur-e mâ kardand / gar andaki na be vefgh-e rezâst khorde magir
Since our shares were handed out in eternity without us being present, do not find fault if a little is not to your liking.
COUPLET 7
چو لاله در قَدَحم ریز ساقیا مِی و مُشککه نقشِ خالِ نگارم نمی‌رود ز ضمیر
cho lâle dar ghadaham riz sâghiyâ mey o moshk / ke naghsh-e khâl-e negâram nemiravad ze zamir
Cupbearer, pour wine and musk into my cup as into a tulip, for the image of my beloved's beauty spot will not leave my mind.
COUPLET 8
بیار ساغرِ دُرِّ خوشاب ای ساقیحسود گو کَرَمِ آصفی ببین و بمیر
biyâr sâghar-e dorr-e khoshâb ey sâghi / hasud gu karam-e âsefi bebin o bemir
Bring the cup of pure, shining pearl, O cupbearer; tell the envious: "See the generosity of our Asaf, and die."
COUPLET 9
به عزمِ توبه نهادم قدح ز کف صد بارولی کرشمهٔ ساقی نمی‌کُنَد تقصیر
be azm-e towbe nahâdam ghadah ze kaf sad bâr / vali kereshme-ye sâghi nemikonad taghsir
A hundred times I have set the cup down, resolved to repent; but the cupbearer's glance never gives up.
COUPLET 10
مِی دوساله و محبوبِ چارده سالههمین بس است مرا صُحبتِ صَغیر و کَبیر
mey-e do-sâle o mahbub-e chârde-sâle / hamin bas ast marâ sohbat-e saghir o kabir
Two-year-old wine and a fourteen-year-old beloved: that is enough for me, the company of the small and the great.
COUPLET 11
دل رمیدهٔ ما را که پیش می‌گیرد؟خبر دهید به مجنونِ خسته از زنجیر
del-e ramide-ye mâ râ ke pish migirad? / khabar dahid be majnun-e khaste az zanjir
Who will stop our runaway heart? Go tell the weary Majnun about the chain.
COUPLET 12
حدیثِ توبه در این بزمگه مگو حافظکه ساقیان کمان ابرویَت زَنَند به تیر
hadis-e towbe dar in bazmgah magu Hâfez / ke sâghiyân-e kamân-abruyat zanand be tir
Hafez, do not talk of repentance at this feast, or the cupbearers with bow-shaped brows will shoot you with arrows.
What this fâl tells you
Listen to good advice from someone who cares about you, and do not look for excuses. Tradition reads this fal as a reminder that life is short and that our share was set long ago, so do not complain if something is not quite as you wished. Take joy in good company now, and do not let a passing worry spoil the feast.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ir (magir, bepazir, pir, kasir, zir, taghdir, zamir, bemir, taghsir, kabir, zanjir, tir).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| nasihati | a piece of advice dictionary | |
| کنمت | konamat | I give you (advice) dictionary |
| beshno | listen! dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bahâne | excuse dictionary | |
| مگیر | magir | do not take; do not find (fault) (نگیر) dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ân che | what, whatever dictionary | |
| ناصح | nâseh | adviser dictionary |
| beguyadat | tells you dictionary | |
| bepazir | accept! dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| javânân | young people dictionary | |
| bardâr | lift! take away! dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کمینگه | kamingah | ambush, place of hiding (= kamingâh) (کمینگاه) |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مکر | makr | trickery, deceit dictionary |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | old; âlam-e pir = the old world dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| be jovi | for a grain of barley (worth nothing) dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| قلیل | ghalil | little, small dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| atâ | gift dictionary | |
| mo'âsheri | a companion, a drinking friend dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| rudi | a lute (rud, a string instrument) dictionary | |
| besâz | make do! bear it! (تحمل کن) dictionary | |
| می‌خواهم | mikhâham | I want dictionary |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| beguyam | (that) I say dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نالهٔ | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| bam | the bass string; low note dictionary | |
| zir | the high string (of a lute); bam o zir = low and high notes dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| saram | my head; bar ân saram ke = I am set on, I intend dictionary | |
| ننوشم | nanusham | I do not drink dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| گنه | gonah | sin (گناه) |
| نکنم | nakonam | I do not do, I do not make dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| موافق | movâfegh | in agreement with dictionary |
| tadbir | plan, course of action dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| taghdir | fate, destiny dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| قسمت | ghesmat | fate, share dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| کردند | kardand | (they) made dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| andaki | a little dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| وفق | vefgh | accordance; be vefgh-e = in keeping with dictionary |
| khorde | fault; khorde gereftan = to find fault dictionary | |
| قدحم | ghadaham | my cup dictionary |
| riz | pour! (بریز) dictionary | |
| sâghiyâ | O cupbearer (sâghi + vocative -â) dictionary | |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| نمی‌رود | nemiravad | does not go dictionary |
| zamir | mind, inner self dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| hasud | envious (person) dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| bebin | see! look! dictionary | |
| bemir | die! dictionary | |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| نهادم | nahâdam | I laid, I placed (گذاشتم) dictionary |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| کف | kaf | palm (of the hand) dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| bâr | time; sad bâr = a hundred times dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| نمی‌کند | nemikonad | does not do dictionary |
| taghsir | falling short, holding back dictionary | |
| محبوب | mahbub-e | beloved of dictionary |
| چارده | chârde | fourteen (= chahârdah) (چهارده) |
| sâle | year-long; hame sâle = all year dictionary | |
| bas | enough; hamin bas ast = this is enough dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| saghir | small, young dictionary | |
| کبیر | kabir | great, old dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | front; pish gereftan = to head off, to stop dictionary |
| می‌گیرد | migirad | takes; pish gereftan = to stop, to catch dictionary |
| khabar | news dictionary | |
| dahid | give! (khabar dahid = tell) dictionary | |
| مجنون | majnun | Majnun, the lover driven mad by love for Leyli dictionary |
| khaste | tired, wounded dictionary | |
| zanjir | chain dictionary | |
| bazmgah | banquet hall, place of feasting (= bazmgâh) (بزمگاه) | |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sâghiyân | cupbearers dictionary | |
| abruyat | your brows; kamân-abru = with bow-shaped brows dictionary | |
| zanand | strike; be tir zadan = to shoot with arrows dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 256. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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