Ghazal 273 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
اگر رفیقِ شفیقی، درست پیمان باشحریفِ خانه و گرمابه و گلستان باش
agar rafigh-e shafighi, dorost-peymân bâsh / harif-e khâne o garmâbe o golestân bâsh
If you are a caring friend, be true to your word; be my companion at home, at the bathhouse and in the rose garden.
COUPLET 2
شِکَنجِ زلفِ پریشان به دستِ باد مدهمگو که «خاطرِ عُشّاق گو پریشان باش»
shekanj-e zolf-e parishân be dast-e bâd made / magu ke khâter-e oshshâgh gu parishân bâsh
Do not hand the coils of your loose curls over to the wind; do not say, "Let the lovers' hearts be in turmoil."
COUPLET 3
گَرَت هواست که با خِضْر هم‌نشین باشینهان ز چشمِ سِکَندَر چو آبِ حیوان باش
garat havâst ke bâ khezr hamneshin bâshi / nahân ze cheshm-e sekandar cho âb-e heyvân bâsh
If you want to sit with Khizr, stay hidden from Alexander's eyes, like the water of life.
COUPLET 4
زبورِ عشق نوازی نه کارِ هر مرغی استبیا و نوگُلِ این بلبلِ غزل‌خوان باش
zabur-e eshgh-navâzi na kâr-e har morghi-st / biyâ o nowgol-e in bolbol-e ghazal-khân bâsh
Singing the psalms of love is not for every bird; come and be the fresh rose of this ghazal-singing nightingale.
COUPLET 5
طریقِ خدمت و آیینِ بندگی کردنخدای را که رها کن به ما و سلطان باش
tarigh-e khedmat o â'in-e bandegi kardan / khodây râ ke rahâ kon be mâ o soltân bâsh
For God's sake, leave the ways of service and the rules of servitude to us, and you be the sultan.
COUPLET 6
دگر به صیدِ حرم تیغ برمکش، زنهاروز آن که با دلِ ما کرده‌ای پشیمان باش
degar be seyd-e haram tigh bar makesh, zenhâr / v-az ân ke bâ del-e mâ karde'i pashimân bâsh
Never again draw your sword on the creatures of the sanctuary, take care; and be sorry for what you have done to our heart.
COUPLET 7
تو شمعِ انجمنی، یک‌زبان و یک‌دل شوخیال و کوشش پروانه بین و خندان باش
to sham'-e anjomani, yek-zabân o yek-del sho / khiyâl o kushesh-e parvâne bin o khandân bâsh
You are the candle of the gathering: be one in word and heart. Watch the dreams and efforts of the moth, and keep smiling.
COUPLET 8
کمالِ دل‌بری و حُسن در نظربازی استبه شیوهٔ نظر، از نادرانِ دوران باش
kamâl-e delbari o hosn dar nazarbâzi-st / be shive-ye nazar az nâderân-e dowrân bâsh
The height of charm and beauty lies in the play of loving glances; in the art of seeing, be one of the rare ones of the age.
COUPLET 9
خموش حافظ و از جورِ یار ناله مکنتو را که گفت که در رویِ خوب، حیران باش؟
khamush Hâfez o az jowr-e yâr nâle makon / to râ ke goft ke dar ru-ye khub heyrân bâsh
Hush, Hafez, and do not moan about the beloved's cruelty; who told you to stand dazzled before a beautiful face?
What this fâl tells you
A fal about true friendship. Tradition reads it as advice to be loyal and constant, a companion in ordinary days as well as in the garden, and to keep your heart whole and your word single. Treat those who love you gently, keep a quiet secret where it belongs, and you will shine like a candle among friends.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bâsh ("be!"). qâfiye: -ân (peymân, golestân, parishân, heyvân, khân, soltân, pashimân, khandân, dowrân, heyrân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| agar | if dictionary | |
| rafigh-e | friend, companion of dictionary | |
| shafighi | you are caring, a kind (friend) dictionary | |
| dorost | true, sound; dorost-peymân = true to one's word dictionary | |
| پیمان | peymân | vow, pledge dictionary |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| harif-e | companion of (in drinking) dictionary | |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گرمابه | garmâbe | bathhouse (حمام) dictionary |
| گلستان | golestân | rose garden dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| پریشان | parishân | scattered, disheveled; distressed dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| مده | made | do not give! (نده) dictionary |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| که «خاطر | ke khâter-e | that ... the mind, the heart of dictionary |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| هواست | havâ-st | is (full of) air, desire (= havâ ast) dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| bâshi | you may be dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| sekandar | Alexander the Great (اسکندر) | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| heyvân | life; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary | |
| navâzi | playing, singing (eshgh-navâzi = singing of love) dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| morghi | a bird dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| ghazal-khân | singing a ghazal dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| کردن | kardan | doing; kardan-e sehr = working magic dictionary |
| khodây | God (classical form) (خدا) | |
| rahâ | free; rahâ nakardan = not to leave dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| seyd | prey; hunting dictionary | |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| bar makesh | do not draw (a sword)! (نکش) dictionary | |
| zenhâr | be sure! take care! dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| karde'i | you have done dictionary | |
| پشیمان | pashimân | regretful dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| anjomani | you are (the candle) of the gathering dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| khiyâl | dream, fancy dictionary | |
| کوشش | kushesh | effort dictionary |
| پروانه | parvâne | moth (drawn to the candle) dictionary |
| bin | see! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary | |
| khandân | smiling, laughing dictionary | |
| کمال | kamâl | perfection, height, fullness dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| نادران | nâderân-e | the rare ones of dictionary |
| khamush | silent; hush! (خاموش) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| khub | good dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 273. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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