Ghazal 269 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
دلا، رَفیقِ سفر بختِ نیکخواهت بسنسیمِ روضهٔ شیراز، پیکِ راهت بس
delâ rafigh-e safar bakht-e nikkhâhat bas / nasim-e rowze-ye shirâz peyk-e râhat bas
O heart, your well-wishing fortune is companion enough for the journey; the breeze from the gardens of Shiraz is messenger enough for your road.
COUPLET 2
دگر ز منزلِ جانان سفر مَکُن درویشکه سِیرِ معنوی و کُنجِ خانقاهت بس
degar ze manzel-e jânân safar makon darvish / ke seyr-e ma'navi o konj-e khânghâhat bas
Dervish, do not travel away from the beloved's home again; your inner journey and the corner of your Sufi lodge are enough for you.
COUPLET 3
وگر کمین بِگُشایَد غمی ز گوشهٔ دلحریمِ درگهِ پیرِ مغان، پناهت بس
va gar kamin bogshâyad ghami ze gushe-ye del / harim-e dargah-e pir-e moghân panâhat bas
And if some sorrow springs out of ambush from a corner of the heart, the sanctuary of the tavern master's door is refuge enough for you.
COUPLET 4
به صَدرِ مِصْطَبه بنشین و ساغرِ مِی نوشکه این قَدَر ز جهان، کسبِ مال و جاهَت بس
be sadr-e mastabe beneshin o sâghar-e mey nush / ke in ghadar ze jahân kasb-e mâl o jâhat bas
Sit at the head of the tavern bench and drink a cup of wine; this much of the world is wealth and rank enough for you.
COUPLET 5
زیادتی مَطَلَب، کار بر خود آسان کنصُراحیِ مِیِ لعل و بُتی چو ماهَت بس
ziyâdati matalab, kâr bar khod âsân kon / sorâhi-ye mey-e la'l o boti cho mâhat bas
Do not ask for more; make things easy for yourself. A flask of ruby wine and a beauty like the moon are enough for you.
COUPLET 6
فلک به مَردمِ نادان دهد زِمامِ مرادتو اهل فضلی و دانش، همین گناهت بس
falak be mardom-e nâdân dahad zemâm-e morâd / to ahl-e fazli o dânesh, hamin gonâhat bas
The heavens hand the reins of fortune to ignorant people; you are a person of merit and learning, and that alone is crime enough.
COUPLET 7
هوایِ مسکن مألوف و عهدِ یارِ قدیمز رهروانِ سفرکرده، عذرخواهت بس
havâ-ye maskan-e ma'luf o ahd-e yâr-e ghadim / ze rahrovân-e safarkarde ozrkhâhat bas
Your longing for a familiar home and your bond with an old friend are excuse enough for you before the travelers who have been on the road.
COUPLET 8
به مِنَّتِ دگران خو مَکُن که در دو جهانرضایِ ایزد و اِنعامِ پادشاهت بس
be mennat-e degarân khu makon ke dar do jahân / rezâ-ye izad o en'âm-e pâdshâhat bas
Do not get used to owing favors to others; in both worlds, God's good pleasure and your king's gifts are enough for you.
COUPLET 9
به هیچ وِردِ دگر نیست حاجت ای حافظدعایِ نیمْ‌شب و درسِ صبحگاهت بس
be hich verd-e degar nist hâjat ey Hâfez / do'â-ye nimshab o dars-e sobhgâhat bas
You need no other litany, Hafez; your midnight prayer and your morning lesson are enough for you.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as advice to stay where you are and stop chasing more. Good fortune is already traveling with you, and home, old friends and your own daily practice are refuge enough. Do not measure yourself by who gets ahead; your knowledge is worth more than it seems.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -at bas ("is enough for you"). qâfiye: -âh (nikkhâh, râh, khânghâh, panâh, jâh, mâh, gonâh, ozrkhâh, pâdshâh, sobhgâh).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| rafigh-e | friend, companion of dictionary | |
| safar | journey dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| bas | enough dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| پیک | peyk-e | messenger of dictionary |
| râhat | your road dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| ma'navi | spiritual, inner dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| کنج | konj | corner dictionary |
| khânghâhat | your Sufi lodge dictionary | |
| وگر | va gar | or if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| کمین | kamin | ambush dictionary |
| bogshâyad | may open, untie (باز کند) dictionary | |
| ghami | of grief dictionary | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| harim | private precinct dictionary | |
| dargah | threshold, court (درگاه) | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| پناهت | panâhat | your refuge dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| beneshin | sit! dictionary | |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| کسب | kasb-e | acquiring of dictionary |
| مال | mâl | property, money dictionary |
| jâhat | your rank, your status dictionary | |
| مطلب | matalab | do not ask for, do not seek (نخواه) dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| khod | oneself, yourself dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| boti | an idol, a beauty dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ماهت | mâhat | your moon dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| مردم | mardom | people dictionary |
| نادان | nâdân | ignorant dictionary |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| zemâm | reins dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| dânesh | knowledge, learning dictionary | |
| گناهت | gonâhat | your sin, your crime dictionary |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| مسکن | maskan | dwelling, home dictionary |
| ahd | bond, promise dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| قدیم | ghadim | old, ancient dictionary |
| rahrovân-e | travelers of dictionary | |
| degarân | others (دیگران) | |
| khu | habit; khu kardan = to get used to dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| izad | God dictionary | |
| پادشاهت | pâdshâhat | your king dictionary |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| dars | lesson, study dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 269. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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