Ghazal 278 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
شرابِ تلخ می‌خواهم که مردافکن بُوَد زورشکه تا یک دَم بیاسایم ز دنیا و شر و شورش
sharâb-e talkh mikhâham ke mard-afkan bovad zurash / ke tâ yek dam biyâsâyam ze donyâ o shar o shurash
I want bitter wine, strong enough to knock a man down, so that for one moment I can rest from the world, its evil and its uproar.
COUPLET 2
سِماطِ دَهرِ دون‌پرور ندارد شهدِ آسایشمَذاقِ حرص و آز ای دل، بشو از تلخ و از شورَش
semât-e dahr-e dun-parvar nadârad shahd-e âsâyesh / mazâgh-e hers o âz ey del beshu az talkh o az shurash
The table of this world, which pampers the base, has no honey of comfort on it; O heart, wash the palate of greed and craving clean of its bitter and its salty.
COUPLET 3
بیاور مِی که نَتْوان شد ز مکرِ آسمان ایمنبه لَعبِ زهرهٔ چنگیّ و مرّیخِ سلحشورش
biyâvar mey ke natvân shod ze makr-e âsmân ayman / be la'b-e zohre-ye changi o merrikh-e salahshurash
Bring wine, for no one can be safe from the tricks of the sky, from the games of its harp-playing Venus and its warrior Mars.
COUPLET 4
کمندِ صیدِ بهرامی بیفکن، جامِ جم بردارکه من پیمودم این صحرا، نه بهرام است و نه گورش
kamand-e seyd-e bahrâmi biyafkan, jâm-e jam bardâr / ke man peymudam in sahrâ, na bahrâm ast o na gurash
Throw down the lasso of Bahram's hunt and pick up Jamshid's cup; I have crossed this plain, and neither Bahram is here nor his wild ass (nor his grave).
COUPLET 5
بیا تا در مِی صافیت رازِ دَهر بِنْمایمبه شرطِ آن که نَنْمایی به کج‌طبعانِ دل‌کورش
biyâ tâ dar mey-e sâfit râz-e dahr benmâyam / be shart-e ân ke nanmâyi be kaj-tab'ân-e del-kurash
Come, let me show you the secret of time in pure wine, on condition that you do not show it to the crooked, blind-hearted people of this world.
COUPLET 6
نظر کردن به درویشان مُنافیِّ بزرگی نیستسلیمان با چُنان حشمت، نظرها بود با مورش
nazar kardan be darvishân monâfi-ye bozorgi nist / soleymân bâ chenân heshmat nazar-hâ bud bâ murash
Looking kindly on the poor does not go against greatness: Solomon, with all his majesty, still paid attention to his ant.
COUPLET 7
کمانِ ابرویِ جانان نمی‌پیچد سر از حافظولیکن خنده می‌آید، بدین بازویِ بی‌زورش
kamân-e abru-ye jânân nemipichad sar az Hâfez / valikan khande miâyad bedin bâzu-ye bi-zurash
The bow of the beloved's eyebrow does not turn away from Hafez, but it laughs at his weak, powerless arm.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as advice to step back from the noise and greed of the world and find a moment of rest. Kings and hunters pass away, so do not chase what fades. Be kind to the humble, keep your inner secrets among those who understand, and do not lose heart even if your strength feels small.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -ash ("its, his"). qâfiye: -ur (zur, shur, salahshur, gur, kur, mur, bi-zur). Beyt 4 puns on gur "wild ass" and gur "grave": Bahram Gur, the hunter-king, died chasing a wild ass and his grave was never found.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| talkh | bitter dictionary | |
| می‌خواهم | mikhâham | I want dictionary |
| bud | was, had dictionary | |
| zurash | its strength dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| biyâsâyam | I may rest dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| donyâ | world dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dahr | time, the world, fate dictionary | |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| shahd | honey dictionary | |
| âsâyesh | comfort, peace dictionary | |
| hers | greed dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| beshu | wash! (بشوی) dictionary | |
| biyâvar | bring! dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| مکر | makr | deceit, trickery dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| zohre | Venus, the planet of music in old astronomy dictionary | |
| چنگی | changi | harp-playing dictionary |
| salahshurash | its warrior dictionary | |
| کمند | kamand | lasso dictionary |
| seyd | prey; hunting dictionary | |
| bahrâmi | of Bahram (the hunter-king Bahram Gur) dictionary | |
| biyafkan | throw down! (بینداز) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| bardâr | lift! take away! dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| پیمودم | peymudam | I have crossed, I measured dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| sahrâ | open country, fields dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| bahrâm | Bahram Gur, Sasanian king and famous hunter dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| گورش | gurash | his wild ass; also his grave (pun) dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| sâfit | pure (wine) + to you (-t) dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| benamâyam | I will show, I will make dictionary | |
| shart | rule, condition dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| nanmâyi | you will not show dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | look, glance; nazar kardan = to look kindly on dictionary |
| کردن | kardan | doing; kardan-e sehr = working magic dictionary |
| bozorgi | greatness dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| نظرها | nazar-hâ | kind glances, attentions dictionary |
| مورش | murash | his ant dictionary |
| abru-ye | eyebrow of dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| نمی‌پیچد | nemipichad | does not twist; sar pichidan = to turn away, refuse dictionary |
| sar | head; sar pichidan = to turn away dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ولیکن | valikan | but (ولی) |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| می‌آید | miâyad | comes dictionary |
| bedin | at this (= be in) (به این) | |
| bâzu | arm dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 278. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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