Ghazal 29 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
ما را زِ خیالِ تو چه پروایِ شراب است؟خُم گو سر خود گیر، که خُمخانه خراب است
mâ râ ze khiyâl-e to che parvâ-ye sharâb ast? / khom gu sar-e khod gir ke khomkhâne kharâb ast
With the thought of you, why should I care about wine? Tell the wine jar to go its own way: the tavern is in ruins.
COUPLET 2
گر خَمر بهشت است بریزید که بی دوستهر شَربَتِ عَذبَم که دهی، عینِ عذاب است
gar khamr-e behesht ast berizid ke bi dust / har sharbat-e azbam ke dahi eyn-e azâb ast
Even if it is the wine of paradise, pour it out: without the friend, every sweet drink you give me is pure torment.
COUPLET 3
افسوس که شُد دلبر و در دیدهٔ گریانتحریرِ خیالِ خطِ او نقشِ بر آب است
afsus ke shod delbar o dar dide-ye geryân / tahrir-e khiyâl-e khat-e u naghsh bar âb ast
Alas, my sweetheart is gone, and in my weeping eye the image of that face is a picture drawn on water.
COUPLET 4
بیدار شو ای دیده که ایمن نتوان بودزین سیلِ دمادم که در این منزلِ خواب است
bidâr sho ey dide ke ayman natavân bud / z-in seyl-e damâdam ke dar in manzel-e khâb ast
Wake up, my eye: no one can be safe from the endless flood that runs through this house of sleep.
COUPLET 5
معشوق عیان می‌گذرد بر تو، ولیکناغیار همی‌بیند از آن بسته نقاب است
ma'shugh ayân migozarad bar to valikan / aghyâr hami-binad, az ân baste neghâb ast
The beloved passes openly before you, but sees the strangers watching, and so keeps the veil drawn.
COUPLET 6
گل بر رخِ رنگین تو تا لطفِ عرق دیددر آتشِ شوق از غمِ دل، غرقِ گلاب است
gol bar rokh-e rangin-e to tâ lotf-e aragh did / dar âtash-e showgh az gham-e del ghargh-e golâb ast
Ever since the rose saw the grace of sweat on your bright cheek, it has been drowning in rosewater, burning with longing.
COUPLET 7
سبز است در و دشت بیا تا نگذاریمدست از سرِ آبی که جهان جمله سراب است
sabz ast dar o dasht biyâ tâ nagozârim / dast az sar-e âbi ke jahân jomle sarâb ast
Hill and plain are green. Come, let us not let go of this water, for the whole world is a mirage.
COUPLET 8
در کُنجِ دِماغم مطلب جای نصیحتکـ‌این گوشه پر از زمزمهٔ چنگ و رَباب است
dar konj-e demâgham matalab jâ-ye nasihat / k-in gushe por az zamzame-ye chang o rabâb ast
Do not look for room for advice in the corner of my brain: that corner is full of the murmur of harp and lute.
COUPLET 9
حافظ چه شد ار عاشق و رند است و نظربازبس طُورِ عجب لازمِ ایامِ شباب است
Hâfez che shod ar âshegh o rend ast o nazarbâz? / bas towr-e ajab lâzem-e ayyâm-e shabâb ast
So what if Hafez is a lover, a free spirit and an admirer of beauty? Many strange ways belong to the days of youth.
What this fâl tells you
Nothing tastes sweet without the person who matters to you, and tradition reads this fal as a call to wake up to what is real. Hold on to the true water in your life and do not be fooled by mirages. Be gentle with yourself about your youthful ways; the green season is here to be enjoyed.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ast. qâfiye: -âb (sharâb, kharâb, azâb, âb, khâb, neghâb, golâb, sarâb, rabâb, shabâb).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| پروای | parvâ-ye | care for, concern for dictionary |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| گیر | gir | take! yâd gir = learn! (بگیر) dictionary |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| khamr | wine (Arabic) (شراب) | |
| behesht | paradise; here also "left" (behesht = past of heshtan) dictionary | |
| berizid | pour out! (plural) dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sharbat | syrup, cordial dictionary | |
| dehi | you give dictionary | |
| eyn | the very essence of, pure dictionary | |
| azâb | torment dictionary | |
| afsus | alas dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| گریان | geryân | weeping dictionary |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| bidâr | awake dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| می‌گذرد | migozarad | passes dictionary |
| ولیکن | valikan | but (ولی) |
| aghyâr | strangers, rivals (plural of gheyr) dictionary | |
| همی‌بیند | hami-binad | sees (می‌بیند) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| baste-ye | bound by, captive of dictionary | |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| rangin | colored; stained dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| aragh | sweat dictionary | |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ghargh | drowned, immersed dictionary | |
| گلاب | golâb | rose water dictionary |
| sabz | green dictionary | |
| dasht | plain; dar o dasht = hill and plain, everywhere dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| نگذاریم | nagozârim | we will not let (go) dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| jomle | all (همه) dictionary | |
| sarâb | mirage dictionary | |
| کنج | konj | corner dictionary |
| demâgham | my brain, my head dictionary | |
| مطلب | matalab | do not ask for, do not seek (نخواه) dictionary |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| نصیحت | nasihat | advice dictionary |
| کـ‌این | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| گوشه | gushe | corner dictionary |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| zamzame | murmur, humming dictionary | |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| لازم | lâzem | belonging to, inseparable from dictionary |
| ayyâm | days, times dictionary | |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 29. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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