Ghazal 274 of Hafez (7 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
به دورِ لاله، قدح گیر و بی‌ریا می‌باشبه بویِ گُل، نفسی همدمِ صبا می‌باش
be dowr-e lâle ghadah gir o bi-riyâ mibâsh / be bu-ye gol nafasi hamdam-e sabâ mibâsh
In the season of tulips, take up the cup and be free of hypocrisy; for the scent of the rose, be the morning breeze's companion for a while.
COUPLET 2
نگویمت که همه ساله مِی پرستی کنسه ماه مِی خور و نُه ماه پارسا می‌باش
naguyamat ke hame sâle mey-parasti kon / se mâh mey khor o noh mâh pârsâ mibâsh
I do not tell you to worship wine all year round: drink wine for three months, and be pious for nine.
COUPLET 3
چو پیرِ سالِک عشقت به مِی حواله کندبنوش و منتظرِ رحمتِ خدا می‌باش
cho pir-e sâlek eshghat be mey havâle konad / benush o montazer-e rahmat-e khodâ mibâsh
When the master of the path sends your love to wine, drink, and wait for God's mercy.
COUPLET 4
گَرَت هواست که چُون جَم به سِرِّ غیب رسیبیا و همدمِ جامِ جهان‌نما می‌باش
garat havâst ke chon jam be serr-e gheyb rasi / biyâ o hamdam-e jâm-e jahân-namâ mibâsh
If you wish to reach the secret of the unseen like Jamshid, come and be the companion of the world-revealing cup.
COUPLET 5
چو غنچه گر چه فروبستگی‌ست کارِ جهانتو همچو بادِ بهاری گره‌گشا می‌باش
cho ghonche garche forubastegi-st kâr-e jahân / to hamcho bâd-e bahâri gereh-goshâ mibâsh
Though the world's affairs are shut tight like a rosebud, you be like the spring breeze that loosens knots.
COUPLET 6
وفا مجوی ز کس ور سخن نمی‌شنویبه هرزه طالبِ سیمرغ و کیمیا می‌باش
vafâ maju ze kas var sokhan nemishenavi / be harze tâleb-e simorgh o kimiyâ mibâsh
Do not look for loyalty from anyone; and if you will not listen to advice, go on seeking the Simorgh and the elixir in vain.
COUPLET 7
مریدِ طاعتِ بیگانگان مشو حافظولی معاشرِ رندانِ پارسا می‌باش
morid-e tâ'at-e bigânegân masho Hâfez / vali mo'âsher-e rendân-e pârsâ mibâsh
Hafez, do not become a disciple of strangers' devotions; but do keep company with rends who are truly pure.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as a call to balance: enjoy the season of flowers, but keep measure, a time for joy and a time for discipline. When things seem closed and knotted, be the spring breeze that opens them for others. Choose sincere companions over showy ones, and trust in grace.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: mibâsh ("keep being"). qâfiye: -â (riyâ, sabâ, pârsâ, khodâ, namâ, goshâ, kimiyâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| گیر | gir | take! yâd gir = learn! (بگیر) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bi-riyâ | without hypocrisy, sincere dictionary | |
| می‌باش | mibâsh | be! (keep being) (باش) dictionary |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| nafasi | for one breath, a moment dictionary | |
| همدم | hamdam | close friend, companion dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| نگویمت | naguyamat | I do not tell you dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| sâle | year-long; hame sâle = all year dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| parasti | worship (mey-parasti = wine-worship) dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| se | three; do se = two or three dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | month dictionary |
| khor | drink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary | |
| نه | noh | nine dictionary |
| پارسا | pârsâ | pious, God-fearing dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| sâlek | traveller on the spiritual path dictionary | |
| havâle | referred, entrusted dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| benush | drink! dictionary | |
| منتظر | montazer-e | waiting for dictionary |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| هواست | havâ-st | is (full of) air, desire (= havâ ast) dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| serr | secret dictionary | |
| rasi | you reach, arrive (برسی) dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| ghonche | bud, rosebud dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| چه | che | gar che = although dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| bahâri | of spring dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| maju | do not seek! (نجو) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| nemishenavi | you do not listen dictionary | |
| هرزه | harze | vain, idle; be harze = in vain (بیهوده) dictionary |
| tâleb | seeker dictionary | |
| simorgh | the Simorgh, the mythical king of birds dictionary | |
| مرید | morid | disciple dictionary |
| bigânegân | strangers dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| معاشر | mo'âsher-e | companion of dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 274. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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