Ghazal 288 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
کنارِ آب و پایِ بید و طبعِ شعر و یاری خوشمعاشر دلبری شیرین و ساقی گُلعِذاری خوش
kenâr-e âb o pâ-ye bid o tab'-e she'r o yâri khosh / mo'âsher delbari shirin o sâghi gol'ezâri khosh
The water's edge, the foot of a willow, a gift for poetry and a good friend; a sweet beauty for company and a lovely rose-cheeked cupbearer.
COUPLET 2
الا ای دولتی طالع، که قدرِ وقت می‌دانیگوارا بادَت این عِشرت که داری روزگاری خوش
alâ ey dowlati tâle' ke ghadr-e vaght midâni / govârâ bâdat in eshrat ke dâri ruzegâri khosh
O you of the lucky star, who know the value of time: may this pleasure do you good, for you are having a happy time.
COUPLET 3
هر آن کس را که در خاطر ز عشقِ دلبری باریستسِپندی گو بر آتش نِه، که دارد کار و باری خوش
har ân kas râ ke dar khâter ze eshgh-e delbari bâri-st / sepandi gu bar âtash neh ke dârad kâr o bâri khosh
Whoever carries in their heart the weight of love for a beauty, tell them to throw wild rue on the fire, for things are going well for them.
COUPLET 4
عروسِ طَبع را زیور ز فکرِ بِکر می‌بندمبُوَد کز دستِ ایّامَم به دست اُفتَد نگاری خوش
arus-e tab' râ zivar ze fekr-e bekr mibandam / bovad k-az dast-e ayyâmam be dast oftad negâri khosh
I adorn the bride of my talent with the jewels of fresh, untouched thought, hoping that from the hands of time a lovely beauty may fall into mine.
COUPLET 5
شبِ صحبت غنیمت دان و دادِ خوشدلی بِسْتانکه مهتابی دل افروز است و طَرْفِ لاله زاری خوش
shab-e sohbat ghanimat dân o dâd-e khoshdeli bestân / ke mahtâbi del-afruz ast o taraf-e lâlezâri khosh
Treasure the night of good company and take your full share of happiness, for the moonlight is heart-warming and the edge of the tulip field is lovely.
COUPLET 6
مِیی در کاسهٔ چشم است ساقی را بِنامیزدکه مستی می‌کند با عقل و می‌بخشد خُماری خوش
meyi dar kâse-ye cheshm ast sâghi râ benâmizad / ke masti mikonad bâ aghl o mibakhshad khomâri khosh
There is a wine in the cupbearer's eye (God keep it from harm!) that makes reason drunk and leaves a sweet, languid afterglow.
COUPLET 7
به غفلت عمر شُد حافظ، بیا با ما به میخانهکه شنگولانِ خوش باشت، بیاموزند کاری خوش
be gheflat omr shod Hâfez, biyâ bâ mâ be meykhâne / ke shangulân-e khosh-bâshat biyâmuzand kâri khosh
Hafez, your life has slipped by in heedlessness; come with us to the tavern, where the merry, easygoing crowd will teach you something worthwhile.
What this fâl tells you
A bright, happy fal. Tradition reads it as an invitation to enjoy the good things around you now: a beautiful place, a gift you can use, a friend beside you. You are luckier than you know, so value this time, protect it from envy, and spend it with cheerful people who bring out the best in you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: khosh ("pleasant, lovely"). qâfiye: -âri (yâri, gol'ezâri, ruzegâri, bâri, negâri, lâlezâri, khomâri, kâri). Burning wild rue (sepand) is a Persian custom to ward off the evil eye.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| کنار | kenâr | bank, side dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| پای | pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary |
| bid | willow dictionary | |
| tab'-e | nature, temperament dictionary | |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| yâri | friendship; a friend dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| معاشر | mo'âsher | companion dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| dowlati | fortune; now-dowlati = new good fortune dictionary | |
| tâle' | horoscope, fate, fortune (بخت) dictionary | |
| قدر | ghadr | value, worth dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| midâni | you know dictionary | |
| گوارا | govârâ | wholesome, pleasant to take; govârâ bâd = may it do you good (نوش جان) dictionary |
| bâdat | may it be for you dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dâri | you have dictionary | |
| ruzegâri | a time, a period of life dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bâri-st | there is a burden (= bâri ast) dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| نه | neh | put! (بگذار) dictionary |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| bâri | load; kâr o bâri = affairs, business dictionary | |
| arus | bride dictionary | |
| zivar | ornament, jewelry dictionary | |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| bekr | virgin, fresh, original dictionary | |
| می‌بندم | mibandam | I fasten, I put on (adorn) dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ayyâmam | time's ... to me (az dast-e ayyâmam = from the hands of time to me) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| ghanimat | godsend; ghanimat dânestan = to treasure dictionary | |
| dân | know! consider! (بدان) dictionary | |
| dâd | justice; dâd-e khoshdeli setândan = to take one's full share of joy dictionary | |
| bestân | take! get! (بگیر) dictionary | |
| mahtâbi | a moonlight dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| afruz | brightening; del-afruz = heart-brightening dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| zâri | -zâr (field) + i: lâle zâri = a tulip field dictionary | |
| meyi | a wine dictionary | |
| کاسهٔ | kâse | bowl, cup dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| benâmizad | God bless it! (said to ward off the evil eye) (ماشاءالله) | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| می‌کند | mikonad | does, is doing dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| می‌بخشد | mibakhshad | gives, grants dictionary |
| gheflat | heedlessness dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| shod | went by, passed dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| shangulân-e | the merry ones dictionary | |
| biyâmuzand | may teach dictionary | |
| kâri | a deed, what (it) did dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 288. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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