Ghazal 275 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.
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COUPLET 1
صوفی گُلی بچین و مُرَقَّع به خار بخشوین زهدِ خشک را به مِی خوشگوار بخش
sufi goli bechin o moragha' be khâr bakhsh / v-in zohd-e khoshk râ be mey-e khoshgovâr bakhsh
Sufi, pick a rose and give your patched cloak to the thorns; trade this dry piety for smooth, pleasant wine.
COUPLET 2
طامات و شَطح در رَهِ آهنگِ چنگ نِهتسبیح و طَیلَسان به مِی و مِیگُسار بخش
tâmât o shath dar rah-e âhang-e chang neh / tasbih o teylasân be mey o meygosâr bakhsh
Lay your showy talk and ecstatic boasts down in the path of the harp's melody; give your rosary and scholar's shawl away for wine and the wine drinker.
COUPLET 3
زُهدِ گران که شاهد و ساقی نمی‌خرنددر حلقهٔ چمن به نسیمِ بهار بخش
zohd-e gerân ke shâhed o sâghi nemikharand / dar halghe-ye chaman be nasim-e bahâr bakhsh
That heavy piety which neither the beloved nor the cupbearer will buy, give it to the spring breeze in the circle of the meadow.
COUPLET 4
راهم شراب لعل زد ای میرِ عاشقانخونِ مرا به چاهِ زَنَخدانِ یار بخش
râham sharâb-e la'l zad ey mir-e âsheghân / khun-e marâ be châh-e zanakhdân-e yâr bakhsh
Ruby wine has robbed me on the road, O chief of lovers; for the sake of the dimple in the beloved's chin, forgive my blood.
COUPLET 5
یا رب به وقتِ گُل، گُنَهِ بنده عفو کنوین ماجرا به سروِ لبِ جویبار بخش
yâ rab be vaght-e gol gonah-e bande afv kon / v-in mâjarâ be sarv-e lab-e juybâr bakhsh
O Lord, in the season of roses forgive your servant's sin, and let this whole affair go for the sake of the cypress by the stream.
COUPLET 6
ای آن که رَه به مشربِ مقصود بُرده‌ایزین بحر، قطره‌ای به منِ خاکسار بخش
ey ân ke rah be mashrab-e maghsud borde'i / z-in bahr ghatre'i be man-e khâksâr bakhsh
O you who have found the way to the spring of the heart's desire, give one drop of this sea to me, humble as dust.
COUPLET 7
شکرانه را که چشم تو رویِ بتان ندیدما را به عفو و لطفِ خداوندگار بخش
shokrâne râ ke cheshm-e to ru-ye botân nadid / mâ râ be afv o lotf-e khodâvandgâr bakhsh
In thanks that your own eye never looked on the faces of idols, forgive us through the pardon and grace of the Lord.
COUPLET 8
ساقی چو شاه نوش کند بادهٔ صَبوحگو جامِ زر به حافظِ شب زنده دار بخش
sâghi cho shâh nush konad bâde-ye sabuh / gu jâm-e zar be Hâfez-e shab-zende-dâr bakhsh
Cupbearer, when the king drinks his morning wine, tell him to give a golden cup to Hafez, who keeps vigil all night.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as an invitation to let go of heaviness and empty show. Give away what weighs you down and choose what is alive and joyful. Ask with humility and you may receive a drop of the sea you long for; a generous hand may yet reward your sleepless efforts.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bakhsh ("give, grant, forgive"). qâfiye: -âr (khâr, khoshgovâr, meygosâr, bahâr, yâr, juybâr, khâksâr, khodâvandgâr, dâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| goli | a rose, a flower dictionary | |
| bechin | pick! dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| khâr | thorn dictionary | |
| bakhsh | give! grant! forgive (for the sake of)! (ببخش) dictionary | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| khoshk | dry, joyless dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| âhang | melody, tune dictionary | |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| نه | neh | put! lay down! (بگذار) dictionary |
| tasbih | praising God; rosary dictionary | |
| میگسار | meygosâr | wine drinker dictionary |
| گران | gerân | heavy; sar gerân kardan = act haughty, turn away dictionary |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| نمی‌خرند | nemikharand | they do not buy dictionary |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| bahâr | spring dictionary | |
| râham | my road dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| zad | struck; râh zadan = to rob on the road, waylay dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| چاه | châh | well, pit dictionary |
| zanakhdân | chin; "apple of the chin" with a dimple ("well") is a classic image (چانه) | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| گنه | gonah | sin (گناه) |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| afv | forgiveness dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ماجرا | mâjarâ | story, dispute, complaint dictionary |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| مشرب | mashrab | spring, drinking place dictionary |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| borde'i | you have taken; rah bordan = to find the way dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| botân | idols: the beauties dictionary | |
| ندید | nadid | did not see, did not consider dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drinking; nush kardan = to drink dictionary |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| zende | alive dictionary | |
| dâr | keeping; shab-zende-dâr = one who keeps vigil at night dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 275. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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