Ghazal 299 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
اگر شراب خوری جُرعه‌ای فشان بر خاکاز آن گناه که نَفعی رسد به غیر، چه باک؟
agar sharâb khori jor'e'i feshân bar khâk / az ân gonâh ke naf'i resad be gheyr che bâk
If you drink wine, pour a sip onto the earth. Why fear a sin that brings some good to others?
COUPLET 2
برو به هر چه تو داری بخور، دریغ مخورکه بی‌دریغ زَنَد روزگار تیغِ هَلاک
borow be har che to dâri bokhor, darigh makhor / ke bi-darigh zanad ruzegâr tigh-e halâk
Go, enjoy whatever you have and do not regret it, for time swings the sword of death without sparing anyone.
COUPLET 3
به خاکِ پایِ تو ای سروِ نازپرورِ منکه روزِ واقعه پا وا مَگیرم از سرِ خاک
be khâk-e pâ-ye to ey sarv-e nâzparvar-e man / ke ruz-e vâghe'e pâ vâ magiram az sar-e khâk
By the dust beneath your feet, my pampered cypress: on the day I die, do not take your feet away from my grave.
COUPLET 4
چه دوزخی، چه بهشتی، چه آدمی، چه پَریبه مذهبِ همه کفرِ طریقت است اِمساک
che dowzakhi che beheshti che âdami che pari / be mazhab-e hame kofr-e tarighat ast emsâk
Whether bound for hell or for paradise, human or fairy, in everyone's creed stinginess is a betrayal of the path.
COUPLET 5
مهندسِ فَلَکی، راهِ دِیرِ شش جهتیچنان بِبَست که رَه نیست زیرِ دیرِ مغاک
mohandes-e falaki râh-e deyr-e shesh-jahati / chenân bebast ke rah nist zir-e deyr-e maghâk
The heavenly geometer has closed the roads of this six-sided monastery so tightly that there is no way out from under its deep vault.
COUPLET 6
فریبِ دخترِ رَز طُرفِه می‌زند رَهِ عقلمباد تا به قیامت خراب طارَمِ تاک
farib-e dokhtar-e raz torfe mizanad rah-e aghl / mabâd tâ be ghiyâmat kharâb târom-e tâk
The charm of the daughter of the vine waylays reason marvelously; may the vine's trellis never fall into ruin until Judgment Day.
COUPLET 7
به راهِ میکده، حافظ! خوش از جهان رفتیدعایِ اهلِ دلت باد، مونسِ دلِ پاک
be râh-e meykade Hâfez khosh az jahân rafti / do'â-ye ahl-e delat bâd munes-e del-e pâk
Hafez, you left the world happily on the tavern road; may the prayers of the people of heart keep your pure heart company.
What this fâl tells you
Share what you have: this fal pours the first sip on the ground for others. Tradition reads it as a sign that generosity opens the way, while holding back closes it. Enjoy what is in your hands today without regret, and let some of your good fortune reach those around you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âk (khâk, bâk, halâk, emsâk, maghâk, tâk, pâk).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| agar | if dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| khori | you eat; gham khordan = grieve dictionary | |
| jor'e'i | a sip, a draught dictionary | |
| فشان | feshân | pour, sprinkle! (= befeshân) (بریز) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| naf'i | some benefit dictionary | |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dâri | you have dictionary | |
| bokhor | eat! enjoy! dictionary | |
| darigh | regret; darigh makhor = do not regret it dictionary | |
| مخور | makhor | do not eat; gham makhor = do not grieve (نخور) dictionary |
| zanad | strikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary | |
| ruzegâr | time, days dictionary | |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| پای | pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| واقعه | vâghe'e | event; ruz-e vâghe'e = the day of death dictionary |
| پا | pâ | foot dictionary |
| وا | vâ | open; vâ kardan = to untie, open (باز) |
| مگیرم | magir-am | do not take away (from me) (نگیر) dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| dowzakhi | one bound for hell dictionary | |
| beheshti | of paradise dictionary | |
| مذهب | mazhab | creed, religion dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| کفر | kofr | unbelief dictionary |
| tarighat | the Sufi path dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مهندس | mohandes | geometer, mathematician dictionary |
| falaki | of the heavens dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| shesh | six dictionary | |
| jahati | -sided (shesh-jahati = six-directioned: the world) dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| bebast | locked, shut dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| فریب | farib | deceit, trick dictionary |
| dokhtar | daughter; dokhtar-e raz = daughter of the vine, wine dictionary | |
| می‌زند | mizanad | strikes dictionary |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| rafti | you went dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| delat | your heart dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| پاک | pâk | pure, clean dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 299. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.