Ghazal 284 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
هاتفی از گوشهٔ میخانه دوشگفت ببخشند گنه، مِی بنوش
hâtefi az gushe-ye meykhâne dush / goft bebakhshand gonah, mey benush
Last night a voice from a corner of the tavern said: "Sins are forgiven; drink wine."
COUPLET 2
لطفِ الهی بِکُنَد کارِ خویشمژدهٔ رحمت برساند سروش
lotf-e elâhi bekonad kâr-e khish / mozhde-ye rahmat beresânad sorush
Divine grace will do its work; the angel will bring the good news of mercy.
COUPLET 3
این خِرَدِ خام به میخانه بَرتا مِیِ لعل آوَرَدَش خون به جوش
in kherad-e khâm be meykhâne bar / tâ mey-e la'l âvaradash khun be jush
Take this raw, unripe reason to the tavern, so that ruby wine can bring its blood to the boil.
COUPLET 4
گرچه وصالش نه به کوشش دهندهر قَدَر ای دل که توانی بکوش
garche vesâlash na be kushesh dahand / har ghadar ey del ke tavâni bekush
Though union with the beloved is not given as a reward for effort, O heart, strive as much as you can.
COUPLET 5
لطفِ خدا بیشتر از جرمِ ماستنکتهٔ سربسته چه دانی؟ خموش
lotf-e khodâ bishtar az jorm-e mâ-st / nokte-ye sarbaste che dâni? khamush
God's grace is greater than our sins. What do you know of veiled mysteries? Hush.
COUPLET 6
گوشِ من و حلقهٔ گیسویِ یاررویِ من و خاکِ درِ مِی فروش
gush-e man o halghe-ye gisu-ye yâr / ru-ye man o khâk-e dar-e meyforush
My ear belongs to the ring of the beloved's curls, my face to the dust of the wine seller's door.
COUPLET 7
رندیِ حافظ نه گناهیست صَعببا کَرَمِ پادشه عیب پوش
rendi-ye Hâfez na gonâhi-st sa'b / bâ karam-e pâdshah-e eyb-push
Hafez's free-spirited ways are no grave sin, given the generosity of a king who covers people's faults.
COUPLET 8
داورِ دین، شاه شجاع، آن که کردروحِ قدس حلقهٔ امرش به گوش
dâvar-e din shâh shojâ' ân ke kard / ruh-e ghods halghe-ye amrash be gush
The judge of the faith, Shah Shoja', the one whose command the Holy Spirit wears like a ring in its ear.
COUPLET 9
ای مَلِکُ العَرش مرادش بدهو از خطرِ چشمِ بَدَش دار گوش
ey malekol-arsh morâdash bedeh / v-az khatar-e cheshm-e badash dâr gush
O King of the Heavenly Throne, grant him his wish, and watch over him against the danger of the evil eye.
What this fâl tells you
This is one of the most hopeful fals: tradition reads it as a message that mercy is greater than your mistakes. Do your part and strive as much as you can, then leave the rest to grace. Good news is on its way; do not worry about what is still veiled.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ush (dush, benush, sorush, jush, bekush, khamush, forush, push, gush). The last beyts praise Shah Shoja', ruler of Shiraz.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bebakhshand | they grant dictionary | |
| گنه | gonah | sin (گناه) |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| benush | drink! dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| elâhi | divine dictionary | |
| bekonad | does, will do dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| beresânad | will deliver, bring dictionary | |
| sorush | angel, divine messenger dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| kherad | reason, wisdom dictionary | |
| khâm | raw, immature, inexperienced dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bar | take! carry! (ببر) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| âvaradash | brings its (blood to the boil) dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| jush | boiling; be jush âmad = came to a boil dictionary | |
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| وصالش | vesâlash | union with him/her dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| کوشش | kushesh | effort dictionary |
| dahand | (they) give dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| tavâni | you can dictionary | |
| bekush | strive! dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| bishtar | more dictionary | |
| jorm | crime, fault dictionary | |
| نکتهٔ | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| khamush | silent; hush! (خاموش) dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| فروش | forush | seller (in compounds) dictionary |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| گناهیست | gonâhi-st | is a sin (= gonâhi ast) dictionary |
| sa'b | hard, difficult (سخت) | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| پادشه | pâdshah | king (پادشاه) |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| پوش | push | covering; eyb-push = who covers faults dictionary |
| dâvar | judge (here God) dictionary | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| shojâ' | Shoja' (Shah Shoja', the king) dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | did, put (be gush kard = put in the ear) dictionary |
| ruh | soul, spirit dictionary | |
| قدس | ghods | holiness; âlam-e ghods = the holy world dictionary |
| amrash | his command dictionary | |
| ol-arsh | the Throne (Arabic); malekol-arsh = King of the Throne, God dictionary | |
| مرادش | morâdash | his/her desire dictionary |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| khatar | danger dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| badash | evil (eye) toward him; cheshm-e bad = the evil eye dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush dâshtan = to guard, watch over dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 284. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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