Ghazal 264 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
خیز و در کاسهٔ زر آبِ طَرَبناک اندازپیشتر زان که شَوَد کاسهٔ سَر خاک انداز
khiz o dar kâse-ye zar âb-e tarabnâk andâz / pishtar z-ân ke shavad kâse-ye sar khâk-andâz
Get up and pour the joyful water into the golden bowl, before the bowl of your skull becomes a dustpan.
COUPLET 2
عاقبت منزلِ ما وادیِ خاموشان استحالیا غُلغُله در گنبدِ افلاک انداز
âghebat manzel-e mâ vâdi-ye khâmushân ast / hâliyâ ghologhole dar gonbad-e aflâk andâz
In the end our home will be the valley of the silent; for now, fill the dome of the heavens with joyful noise.
COUPLET 3
چشمِ آلوده‌نظر، از رخِ جانان دور استبر رخِ او نظر از آینهٔ پاک انداز
cheshm-e âlude-nazar az rokh-e jânân dur ast / bar rokh-e u nazar az âyene-ye pâk andâz
An eye with a soiled gaze is far from the beloved's face; look at that face through a pure mirror.
COUPLET 4
به سرِ سبزِ تو ای سرو که گر خاک شَوَمناز از سَر بِنِه و سایه بر این خاک انداز
be sar-e sabz-e to ey sarv ke gar khâk shavam / nâz az sar beneh o sâye bar in khâk andâz
O cypress, I beg you by your flourishing head: if I turn to dust, put aside your pride and cast your shade over this dust.
COUPLET 5
دلِ ما را که ز مارِ سرِ زلفِ تو بِخَستاز لبِ خود به شفاخانهٔ تریاک انداز
del-e mâ râ ke ze mâr-e sar-e zolf-e to bekhast / az lab-e khod be shafâkhâne-ye taryâk andâz
Our heart, bitten by the snake of your curls, send it from your lips to the hospital of the antidote.
COUPLET 6
مُلکِ این مزرعه دانی که ثباتی ندهدآتشی از جگرِ جام، در املاک انداز
molk-e in mazra'e dâni ke sabâti nadahad / âtashi az jegar-e jâm dar amlâk andâz
You know that owning this field of the world gives no lasting security; take fire from the heart of the cup and throw it into all these estates.
COUPLET 7
غسل در اشک زدم کَاهلِ طریقت گویندپاک شو اول و پس دیده بر آن پاک انداز
ghosl dar ashk zadam k-ahl-e tarighat guyand / pâk sho avval o pas dide bar ân pâk andâz
I bathed in my tears, for the people of the path say: "First become pure, then cast your eyes on the Pure One."
COUPLET 8
یا رب آن زاهدِ خودبین که به جز عیب ندیددودِ آهیش در آیینهٔ اِدراک انداز
yâ rab ân zâhed-e khodbin ke be joz eyb nadid / dud-e âhish dar âyine-ye edrâk andâz
O Lord, that self-admiring ascetic who saw nothing but faults: blow the smoke of a sigh onto the mirror of his understanding.
COUPLET 9
چون گُل از نَکهَتِ او جامه قبا کن حافظوین قبا در رَهِ آن قامتِ چالاک انداز
chon gol az nakhat-e u jâme ghabâ kon Hâfez / v-in ghabâ dar rah-e ân ghâmat-e chalâk andâz
Hafez, like the rose at the beloved's scent, tear your garment open, and throw this robe in the path of that graceful figure.
What this fâl tells you
Life is short, and this fal asks you to fill it with joy while you can. Tradition reads it as advice to look at the world with a clean heart, since a pure gaze sees beauty that others miss. Do not cling to possessions or judge others' faults; cast your shade kindly on those who need it.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: andâz ("throw!", "cast!"). qâfiye: -âk (tarabnâk, khâk, aflâk, pâk, taryâk, amlâk, edrâk, chalâk).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khiz | get up! rise! (برخیز) | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کاسهٔ | kâse | bowl, cup dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| andâz | -shooting (kaj-andâz = shooting crooked) dictionary | |
| پیشتر | pishtar | before, earlier dictionary |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| sar | head; tip (sar-e zolf = the tip of the curl); nâz az sar nehâdan = to put aside pride dictionary | |
| khâk | dust; khâk-andâz = dustpan dictionary | |
| andâz | thrower; khâk-andâz = dustpan dictionary | |
| âghebat | end, outcome dictionary | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| وادی | vâdi | valley; vâdi-ye ayman = the holy valley where Moses saw the fire dictionary |
| khâmushân | the silent ones (the dead); vâdi-ye khâmushân = the graveyard dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| hâliyâ | for now (فعلاً) | |
| گنبد | gonbad | dome dictionary |
| aflâk | the heavens, the spheres dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| dur | far dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| âyene | mirror (آیینه) | |
| پاک | pâk | pure, clean dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sabz | green dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| shavam | I (will) become dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| beneh | put! (with ozr: excuse) (بگذار) dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مار | mâr | snake dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| khod | your own dictionary | |
| taryâk | antidote (theriac); in modern Persian "opium" (پادزهر) dictionary | |
| مزرعه | mazra'e | field, farm dictionary |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| sabâti | stability, permanence dictionary | |
| ندهد | nadahad | does not give dictionary |
| jegar | liver; khun-e jegar = deep grief dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| ghosl | ritual bath dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| zadam | I did; ghosl zadan = to take a ritual bath dictionary | |
| کاهل | k-ahl | for the people (of) (= ke ahl) (که اهل) dictionary |
| tarighat | the Sufi path dictionary | |
| گویند | guyand | (they) say (می‌گویند) dictionary |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| پس | pas | then, afterwards dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| khodbin | self-admiring, conceited (خودپسند) dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| ندید | nadid | did not see, did not consider dictionary |
| dud | smoke dictionary | |
| âyine | mirror dictionary | |
| edrâk | perception, understanding dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| نکهت | nakhat-e | scent of (بوی) |
| jâme | garment dictionary | |
| قبا | ghabâ | open robe; jâme ghabâ kardan = to tear one's garment open (as the rose opens) dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| قبا | ghabâ | robe dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| چالاک | châlâk | nimble, graceful dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 264. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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