Ghazal 304 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
دارایِ جهان نصرتِ دین خسروِ کاملیَحیَی بنِ مُظَفَّر مَلِکِ عالمِ عادل
dârâ-ye jahân nosrat-e din khosrow-e kâmel / yahyâ bon-e mozaffar malek-e âlem-e âdel
Lord of the world, Nosrat al-Din, the perfect king: Yahya son of Mozaffar, the learned and just ruler.
COUPLET 2
ای درگهِ اسلام پناهِ تو گشادهبر رویِ زمین روزنهٔ جان و دَرِ دل
ey dargah-e eslâm-panâh-e to goshâde / bar ru-ye zamin rowzane-ye jân o dar-e del
O you whose court, the refuge of the faith, has opened on the face of the earth a window for the soul and a door for the heart.
COUPLET 3
تعظیمِ تو بر جان و خِرَد واجب و لازماِنعام تو بر کون و مکان فایض و شامل
ta'zim-e to bar jân o kherad vâjeb o lâzem / en'âm-e to bar kown o makân fâyez o shâmel
Honoring you is a duty binding on soul and mind; your bounty overflows and covers all of creation.
COUPLET 4
روزِ ازل از کِلکِ تو یک قطره سیاهیبر رویِ مَه افتاد که شد حلِّ مسائل
ruz-e azal az kelk-e to yek ghatre siyâhi / bar ru-ye mah oftâd ke shod hall-e masâ'el
On the first day of creation one drop of ink from your pen fell on the face of the moon, and it became the answer to every question.
COUPLET 5
خورشید چو آن خالِ سیَه دید، به دل گفتای کاج که من بودَمی آن هندویِ مقبل
khorshid cho ân khâl-e siyah did be del goft / ey kâj ke man budami ân hendu-ye moghbel
When the sun saw that black mole, it said to itself, "If only I were that fortunate dark one!"
COUPLET 6
شاها فلک از بزمِ تو در رقص و سَماع استدستِ طَرَب از دامنِ این زمزمه مَگسِل
shâhâ falak az bazm-e to dar raghs o samâ' ast / dast-e tarab az dâman-e in zamzame magsel
O king, the heavens dance and whirl because of your feast; do not let the hand of joy slip from the hem of this song.
COUPLET 7
مِی نوش و جهان بخش که از زلفِ کمندتشد گردنِ بدخواه گرفتار سَلاسِل
mey nush o jahân bakhsh ke az zolf-e kamandat / shod gardan-e badkhâh gereftâr-e salâsel
Drink wine and give the world away, for your lasso of a curl has caught your ill-wisher's neck in chains.
COUPLET 8
دورِ فلکی یکسَره بر مَنْهَجِ عدل استخوش باش که ظالم نَبَرد راه به منزل
dowr-e falaki yeksare bar manhaj-e adl ast / khosh bâsh ke zâlem nabarad râh be manzel
The turning of the heavens follows the road of justice from start to end; be glad, for the oppressor never finds the way to the journey's end.
COUPLET 9
حافظ قلمِ شاه جهان مُقسِمِ رزق استاز بهرِ معیشت مَکُن اندیشهٔ باطل
Hâfez ghalam-e shâh-e jahân moghsem-e rezgh ast / az bahr-e ma'ishat makon andishe-ye bâtel
Hafez, the pen of the world's king hands out everyone's daily bread; do not waste vain worry on making a living.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a praise poem, full of open doors and generous hands. Tradition reads it as a sign that help may come from someone in a position to give it, and that injustice does not reach its goal. Do not let worry about your livelihood take away your joy; trust that your share is on its way.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -el (kâmel, âdel, del, shâmel, masâ'el, moghbel, magsel, salâsel, manzel, bâtel). A panegyric for Shah Yahya, the Mozaffarid prince of Yazd.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dârâ | owner, lord; also Darius, the ancient king dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| نصرت | nosrat | aid, support dictionary |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| کامل | kâmel | perfect dictionary |
| bon | son of (Arabic ebn) (پسرِ) dictionary | |
| مظفر | mozaffar | victorious (also the name of Shoja's dynasty) dictionary |
| âlem | learned dictionary | |
| âdel | just dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| dargah | threshold, court (درگاه) | |
| eslâm | Islam, the faith dictionary | |
| پناه | panâh | refuge; din-panâh = protector of the faith dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| گشاده | goshâde | open dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| zamin | earth, ground dictionary | |
| rowzane | small window, opening dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ta'zim | honoring, reverence dictionary | |
| kherad | reason, wisdom dictionary | |
| واجب | vâjeb | obligatory, a duty dictionary |
| لازم | lâzem | necessary, binding dictionary |
| مکان | makân | place dictionary |
| shâmel | all-embracing dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| siyâhi | blackness; here a drop of ink dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| oftâd | fell dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| hall | solving dictionary | |
| مسائل | masâ'el | questions, problems dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| siyah | black (سیاه) | |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| کاج | kâj | if only (= kâsh) (کاش) |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| budami | I were (wish form) dictionary | |
| shâhâ | O king! dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| bazm | feast, party dictionary | |
| raghs | dance dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| tarab | joy, merriment dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| zamzame | murmur, humming dictionary | |
| مگسل | magsel | do not break off! do not let go! dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary |
| bakhsh | give! bestow! (= bebakhsh) (ببخش) dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| کمندت | kamandat | your lasso dictionary |
| گردن | gardan | neck dictionary |
| badkhâh | ill-wisher, enemy dictionary | |
| گرفتار | gereftâr | caught, captive dictionary |
| salâsel | chains dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| falaki | of the heavens dictionary | |
| یکسره | yeksare | all at once, entirely dictionary |
| adl | justice dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| zâlem | oppressor dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabarad | does not take; râh bordan = to find one's way dictionary |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| قلم | ghalam | pen dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| bahr | sake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای) | |
| معیشت | ma'ishat | living, livelihood dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| bâtel | vain, futile dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 304. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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