Ghazal 305 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
به وقت گُل شدم از توبهٔ شراب خجِلکه کَس مباد ز کِردارِ ناصَواب خجِل
be vaght-e gol shodam az towbe-ye sharâb khejel / ke kas mabâd ze kerdâr-e nâsavâb khejel
In the season of roses I grew ashamed of having sworn off wine. May no one ever be ashamed of a wrong deed.
COUPLET 2
صلاحِ ما همه دامِ رَه است و من زین بحثنی‌ام ز شاهد و ساقی به هیچ باب خجِل
salâh-e mâ hame dâm-e rah ast o man z-in bahs / ni-am ze shâhed o sâghi be hich bâb khejel
All our piety is a trap on the road, and so in this matter I am in no way ashamed before the beloved or the cupbearer.
COUPLET 3
بوَد که یار نرنجد ز ما به خُلقِ کریمکه از سؤال ملولیم و از جواب خجِل
bovad ke yâr naranjad ze mâ be kholgh-e karim / ke az so'âl malulim o az javâb khejel
Perhaps the beloved, generous by nature, will not take offense at us; we are weary of asking and ashamed to answer.
COUPLET 4
ز خون که رفت شبِ دوش از سراچهٔ چشمشدیم در نظر رَهرُوانِ خواب خجِل
ze khun ke raft shab-e dush az sarâche-ye cheshm / shodim dar nazar-e rahrovân-e khâb khejel
Because of the blood that flowed last night from the little house of my eyes, I was ashamed before the travelers of sleep.
COUPLET 5
رواست نرگسِ مست ار فِکند سر در پیشکه شد ز شیوهٔ آن چشمِ پُر عِتاب خجِل
ravâst narges-e mast ar fekand sar dar pish / ke shod ze shive-ye ân cheshm-e por-etâb khejel
No wonder the drunken narcissus hangs its head: it has been put to shame by the ways of that reproachful eye.
COUPLET 6
تویی که خوب‌تری ز آفتاب و شُکرِ خداکه نیستم ز تو در رویِ آفتاب خجِل
toyi ke khub-tari z-âftâb o shokr-e khodâ / ke nistam ze to dar ru-ye âftâb khejel
You are lovelier than the sun, and thank God, because of you I need not be ashamed to face the sun.
COUPLET 7
حجابِ ظلمت از آن بست آبِ خضر که گشتز شعرِ حافظ و آن طَبعِ همچو آب خجِل
hejâb-e zolmat az ân bast âb-e khezr ke gasht / ze she'r-e Hâfez o ân tab'-e hamcho âb khejel
The water of Khizr hid behind a veil of darkness because it was put to shame by Hafez's poetry and his gift that flows like water.
What this fâl tells you
A vow made at the wrong season can turn into a source of regret. Tradition reads this fal as a sign not to be ashamed of the joys that suit their time, and to approach the one you love with honesty rather than many questions. Your words have more grace than you think.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: khejel ("ashamed"). qâfiye: -âb (sharâb, nâsavâb, bâb, javâb, khâb, etâb, âftâb, âb).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| shodam | I became dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| khejel | ashamed (شرمنده) dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کردار | kerdâr | deed, conduct dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| bahs | debate dictionary | |
| نی‌ام | ni-am | I am not (= nistam) (نیستم) |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| bâb | door; matter dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| نرنجد | naranjad | is not offended dictionary |
| kholgh | good nature, character (اخلاق) dictionary | |
| ملولیم | malulim | we are weary dictionary |
| javâb | answer dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| shodim | we became, were dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| rahrovân-e | travelers of dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| ravâst | it is fitting, no wonder (= ravâ ast) dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| فکند | fekand | cast, spread (= afkand) (افکند) dictionary |
| sar | head dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | front; sar dar pish fekandan = to hang one's head dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| khub-tari | you are lovelier dictionary | |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| shokr | thanks dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| hejâb | veil, curtain dictionary | |
| bast | tied, fastened; shaped (surat bastan) dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tab'-e | nature, temperament dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 305. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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