Ghazal 283 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
سحر ز هاتفِ غیبم رسید مژده به گوشکه دورِ شاه‌شجاع است، مِی دلیر بنوش
sahar ze hâtef-e gheybam resid mozhde be gush / ke dowr-e shâh-shojâ' ast, mey dalir benush
At dawn good news reached my ear from the voice of the unseen: "It is the age of Shah Shoja'; drink wine boldly."
COUPLET 2
شد آن که اهلِ نظر بر کناره می‌رفتندهزار گونه سخن در دهان و لب خاموش
shod ân ke ahl-e nazar bar kenâre miraftand / hezâr gune sokhan dar dahân o lab khâmush
Gone are the days when people of insight walked along the edges, with a thousand kinds of words in their mouths and their lips kept shut.
COUPLET 3
به صوتِ چنگ بگوییم آن حکایت‌هاکه از نهفتنِ آن دیگِ سینه می‌زد جوش
be sowt-e chang beguyim ân hekâyat-hâ / ke az nahoftan-e ân dig-e sine mizad jush
To the sound of the harp we will tell those stories that, while they were kept hidden, made the pot of our chest boil over.
COUPLET 4
شرابِ خانگیِ ترسِ محتسب‌خوردهبه رویِ یار بنوشیم و بانگِ نوشانوش
sharâb-e khânegi-ye tars-e mohtaseb-khorde / be ru-ye yâr benushim o bâng-e nushânush
The homemade wine that once lived in fear of the morals officer, we will drink to the beloved's face, with loud cries of "Drink, drink!"
COUPLET 5
ز کویِ میکده دوشش به دوش می‌بُردندامامِ شهر که سجاده می‌کشید به دوش
ze ku-ye meykade dushash be dush mibordand / emâm-e shahr ke sajjâde mikeshid be dush
Last night they carried the city's prayer leader out of the tavern lane on their shoulders, the man who used to carry his prayer rug on his shoulder.
COUPLET 6
دلا! دلالتِ خیرت کنم به راهِ نجاتمکن به فسق مباهات و زهد هم مَفُروش
delâ delâlat-e kheyrat konam be râh-e najât / makon be fesgh mobâhât o zohd ham maforush
O heart, let me guide you kindly to the road of salvation: do not boast of your sins, and do not show off your piety either.
COUPLET 7
محلِ نورِ تَجَلّی‌ست رایِ انور شاهچو قربِ او طلبی در صفایِ نیّت کوش
mahal-e nur-e tajalli-st ra'y-e anvar-e shâh / cho ghorb-e u talabi dar safâ-ye niyyat kush
The king's radiant judgment is where the light of divine manifestation shines; if you seek to be near him, strive for a pure intention.
COUPLET 8
به جز ثنایِ جلالش مساز وِردِ ضمیرکه هست گوشِ دلش محرمِ پیامِ سروش
be joz sanâ-ye jalâlash masâz verd-e zamir / ke hast gush-e delash mahram-e payâm-e sorush
Let nothing but praise of his glory be the litany of your mind, for the ear of his heart is trusted with the angel's message.
COUPLET 9
رموزِ مصلحتِ مُلک خسروان دانندگدایِ گوشه‌نشینی تو حافظا مَخروش
romuz-e maslahat-e molk khosrovân dânand / gedâ-ye gushe-neshini to Hâfezâ, makhrush
Kings know the hidden reasons of state; you, Hafez, are a beggar sitting in a corner: do not raise your voice.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as good news at dawn: a hard, watchful time is ending and you may speak more freely. Celebrate, but with sincerity, neither boasting of faults nor showing off virtue. Approach the people who can help you with a pure intention, and leave matters beyond your reach to those responsible for them.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ush (gush, benush, khâmush, jush, nushânush, dush, maforush, kush, sorush, makhrush). Shah Shoja' ruled Shiraz in Hafez's time and eased the strict rule of his father.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sahar | dawn dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dalir | boldly, bravely dictionary | |
| benush | drink! dictionary | |
| shod | went, passed; shod ân ke = gone are the days when dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کناره | kenâre | edge, end, shore (کنار) dictionary |
| می‌رفتند | miraftand | they were walking, used to go dictionary |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| گونه | gune | kind, sort dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| khâmush | silent, closed dictionary | |
| sowt | sound, voice dictionary | |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| beguyim | we will tell dictionary | |
| hekâyat-hâ | stories, things to tell dictionary | |
| نهفتن | nahoftan-e | hiding, keeping secret dictionary |
| dig | cooking pot dictionary | |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| می‌زد | mizad | was (boiling); jush zadan = to boil over dictionary |
| jush | boiling; be jush âmad = came to a boil dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| khânegi-ye | homemade, domestic dictionary | |
| tars-e | fear of dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| benushim | let us drink dictionary | |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| dushash | last night ... him (dush + -ash) dictionary | |
| dush | shoulder; last night dictionary | |
| می‌بردند | mibordand | they were carrying dictionary |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| می‌کشید | mikeshid | used to carry dictionary |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| delâlat | guidance dictionary | |
| kheyrat | good (guidance) for you dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| فسق | fesgh | sin, immorality dictionary |
| مباهات | mobâhât | boasting, pride dictionary |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (here: do not show off) (نفروش) dictionary |
| محل | mahal | worth, value, place dictionary |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| tajalli-st | is divine manifestation (= tajalli ast) dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| talabi | seeking (salâmat-talabi = seeking well-being) dictionary | |
| safâ-ye | purity, brightness of dictionary | |
| نیت | niyyat | intention dictionary |
| کوش | kush | strive! try! (بکوش) dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| jalâlash | his glory dictionary | |
| مساز | masâz | do not make! (نساز) dictionary |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| zamir | mind, inner self dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| delash | his/her heart dictionary | |
| پیام | payâm | message dictionary |
| sorush | angel, divine messenger dictionary | |
| romuz | mysteries, secret signs dictionary | |
| dânand | (they) know dictionary | |
| گدای | gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary |
| gushe-neshini | you are one who sits in a corner, a recluse dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| مخروش | makhrush | do not cry out! (فریاد نکن) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 283. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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