Ghazal 271 of Hafez (8 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
دارم از زلفِ سیاهش گِلِه چندان که مَپُرسکه چُنان ز او شده‌ام بی سر و سامان که مَپُرس
dâram az zolf-e siyâhash gele chandân ke mapors / ke chenân z-u shode-am bi sar o sâmân ke mapors
I have so many complaints about her black curls, don't ask; because of her I have become so lost and unsettled, don't ask.
COUPLET 2
کَس به امّیدِ وفا ترکِ دل و دین مَکُنادکه چُنانم من از این کرده پشیمان که مپرس
kas be omid-e vafâ tark-e del o din makonâd / ke chenânam man az in karde pashimân ke mapors
May no one give up heart and faith hoping for loyalty; I regret having done it so much, don't ask.
COUPLET 3
به یکی جرعه که آزارِ کَسَش در پِی نیستزحمتی می‌کشم از مردمِ نادان که مپرس
be yeki jor'e ke âzâr-e kasash dar pey nist / zahmati mikesham az mardom-e nâdân ke mapors
For a single sip of wine that does no one any harm, I suffer such trouble from ignorant people, don't ask.
COUPLET 4
زاهد از ما به سلامت بگذر کـ‌این مِیِ لعلدل و دین می‌برد از دست بدان سان که مپرس
zâhed az mâ be salâmat bogzar k-in mey-e la'l / del o din mibarad az dast bedân sân ke mapors
Ascetic, pass us by and stay safe, for this ruby wine carries off heart and faith in such a way, don't ask.
COUPLET 5
گفت‌وگوهاست در این راه که جان بُگْدازدهر کسی عربده‌ای این که مبین آن که مپرس
goftogu-hâst dar in râh ke jân bogdâzad / har kasi arbade'i, in ke mabin, ân ke mapors
There is so much talk on this road that it would melt the soul; everyone is shouting something: one says "don't look," another "don't ask."
COUPLET 6
پارسایی و سلامت هَوَسم بود، ولیشیوه‌ای می‌کند آن نرگسِ فَتّان که مپرس
pârsâyi o salâmat havasam bud vali / shive'i mikonad ân narges-e fattân ke mapors
I longed for virtue and a safe life, but that bewitching narcissus eye plays such tricks, don't ask.
COUPLET 7
گفتم از گویِ فلک صورتِ حالی پرسمگفت آن می‌کشم اندر خمِ چوگان که مپرس
goftam az gu-ye falak surat-e hâli porsam / goft ân mikesham andar kham-e chowgân ke mapors
I said I would ask the ball of the heavens how things stand; it said, "What I suffer in the curve of the polo stick, don't ask."
COUPLET 8
گفتمش زلف به خونِ که شکستی؟ گفتاحافظ این قصه دراز است به قرآن که مپرس
goftamash zolf be khun-e ke shekasti? goftâ / Hâfez in ghesse derâz ast, be ghor'ân ke mapors
I asked her, "For whose blood did you twist your curls?" She said, "Hafez, this is a long story; by the Quran, don't ask."
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as a sign that you are tangled up in something, perhaps a love or a hope that has cost you peace. Let the noise of other people's opinions pass you by. Some stories are better left untold; keep your counsel and move gently toward calm.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ke mapors ("don't ask"). qâfiye: -ân (chandân, sâmân, pashimân, nâdân, sân, ân, fattân, chowgân, ghor'ân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| siyâhash | her black (curls) dictionary | |
| گله | gele | complaint (گلایه) |
| چندان | chandân | so much, so many dictionary |
| مپرس | mapors | do not ask! (نپرس) dictionary |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| shode-am | I have become dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| sar | head; bi sar o sâmân = lost, with no home or order dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâmân | order, calm dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| tark | giving up, abandoning dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| مکناد | makonâd | may it not make (نکند) dictionary |
| چنانم | chenânam | I am so (= chenân + am) dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کرده | karde | deed, what one has done dictionary |
| پشیمان | pashimân | regretful dictionary |
| yeki | one (person) dictionary | |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| âzâr | hurting, harm dictionary | |
| کسش | kasash | anyone's ... from it (âzâr-e kasash = harm to anyone from it) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| zahmati | pain, trouble, effort dictionary | |
| می‌کشم | mikesham | I suffer, I endure dictionary |
| مردم | mardom | people dictionary |
| نادان | nâdân | ignorant dictionary |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| bogzar | pass by, give up! dictionary | |
| کـ‌این | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes away dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bogdâzad | melts dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| مبین | mabin | do not look (old imperative) (نگاه نکن) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| pârsâyi | virtue, piety dictionary | |
| هوسم | havasam | my wish dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| shive'i | a trick, a flirtatious way dictionary | |
| می‌کند | mikonad | does, is doing dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| گوی | gu-ye | ball of dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| surat | outward appearance, form dictionary | |
| hâli | state, condition dictionary | |
| پرسم | porsam | I ask dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| چوگان | chowgân | polo stick: image for a curved lock of hair dictionary |
| گفتمش | goftamash | I said to her dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| shekasti | you twisted, broke dictionary | |
| گفتا | goftâ | (he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| قرآن | ghor'ân | the Quran dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 271. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.