Ghazal 33 of Hafez (10 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
خلوت گُزیده را به تماشا چه حاجت استچون کوی دوست هست به صحرا چه حاجت است
khalvat-gozide râ be tamâshâ che hâjat ast? / chon ku-ye dust hast be sahrâ che hâjat ast?
What need has someone who has chosen solitude for sightseeing? When there is the friend's lane, what need is there for the open country?
COUPLET 2
جانا به حاجتی که تو را هست با خداکآخِر دمی بپرس که ما را چه حاجت است
jânâ be hâjati ke to râ hast bâ khodâ / k-âkher dami bepors ke mâ râ che hâjat ast
My dear, by the need that you yourself have of God, ask just once what it is that we need.
COUPLET 3
ای پادشاهِ حُسن خدا را بسوختیمآخِر سؤال کن که گدا را چه حاجت است
ey pâdshâh-e hosn, khodâ râ besukhtim / âkher so'âl kon ke gedâ râ che hâjat ast
O king of beauty, for God's sake, we are burned up. At least ask what the beggar needs.
COUPLET 4
اربابِ حاجتیم و زبانِ سؤال نیستدر حضرتِ کریم، تمنا چه حاجت است
arbâb-e hâjatim o zabân-e so'âl nist / dar hazrat-e karim tamannâ che hâjat ast?
We are people in need, and we have no tongue to ask. Before the Generous One, what need is there to make a request?
COUPLET 5
محتاج قِصه نیست گَرَت قصدِ خون ماستچون رَخت از آن توست، به یغما چه حاجت است
mohtâj-e ghesse nist garat ghasd-e khun-e mâ-st / chon rakht az ân-e to-st be yaghmâ che hâjat ast?
If you mean to shed my blood, you need no story to excuse it. Since all the goods are yours already, what need is there to plunder?
COUPLET 6
جامِ جهان نماست ضمیرِ منیرِ دوستاظهارِ احتیاج، خود آن جا چه حاجت است
jâm-e jahân-namâ-st zamir-e monir-e dust / ezhâr-e ehtiyâj khod ânjâ che hâjat ast?
The friend's shining mind is a world-revealing cup; what need is there even to state a need there?
COUPLET 7
آن شد که بارِ منتِ مَلّاح بردمیگوهر چو دست داد به دریا چه حاجت است
ân shod ke bâr-e mennat-e mallâh bordami / gowhar cho dast dâd be daryâ che hâjat ast?
Gone are the days when I carried the burden of owing the boatman. Now that the pearl is in my hand, what need do I have of the sea?
COUPLET 8
ای مدعی برو که مرا با تو کار نیستاَحباب حاضرند، به اَعدا چه حاجت است
ey modda'i borow ke marâ bâ to kâr nist / ahbâb hâzer-and be a'dâ che hâjat ast?
Go away, pretender, I have no business with you. My friends are here; what need is there for enemies?
COUPLET 9
ای عاشقِ گدا چو لبِ روح‌بخشِ یارمی‌داندت وظیفه، تقاضا چه حاجت است
ey âshegh-e gedâ cho lab-e ruh-bakhsh-e yâr / midânadat vazife taghâzâ che hâjat ast?
O beggar in love, since your friend's life-giving lips know what your share is, what need is there to ask?
COUPLET 10
حافظ! تو خَتم کن که هنر خود عَیان شودبا مدعی نزاع و مُحاکا چه حاجت است
Hâfez, to khatm kon ke honar khod ayân shavad / bâ modda'i nezâ' o mohâkâ che hâjat ast?
Hafez, finish here: true skill shows itself. What need is there to argue and quarrel with a pretender?
What this fâl tells you
You may not even need to ask: the one you hope will help already knows your heart. Tradition reads this fal as advice to trust, to stay quiet and dignified, and to let your work speak for you rather than arguing with critics. What you were seeking far away may already be in your hands.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: che hâjat ast ("what need is there?"). qâfiye: -â (tamâshâ, sahrâ, mâ, gedâ, tamannâ, yaghmâ, ânjâ, daryâ, a'dâ, taghâzâ, mohâkâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| گزیده | gozide | chosen; khalvat-gozide = one who has chosen solitude dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tamâshâ | watching, looking dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| sahrâ | open country, fields dictionary | |
| jânâ | O dear one (jân + vocative -â) (عزیزم) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| کآخر | k-âkher | that at last (= ke âkher) (که آخر) |
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| bepors | ask! dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| پادشاه | pâdeshâh | king dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| besukhtim | we burned dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| arbâb | lords, masters dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| محتاج | mohtâj | in need dictionary |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| قصد | ghasd | intent; ghasd kardan = to head for dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| rokhat | your face dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| tu-st | is (fold upon) fold dictionary | |
| یغما | yaghmâ | plunder; khân-e yaghmâ = a feast thrown open to be looted dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| نماست | namâ-st | is showing (jahân-namâ = world-revealing) dictionary |
| zamir | mind, inner self dictionary | |
| ezhâr | stating, expressing dictionary | |
| ehtiyâj-e | need of dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| bordami | I used to carry (می‌بردم) dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| modda'i | pretender, critic dictionary | |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| ahbâb | friends, loved ones (دوستان) | |
| hâzer-and | are present dictionary | |
| a'dâ | enemies (Arabic plural) (دشمنان) dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| می‌داندت | midânadat | knows your dictionary |
| وظیفه | vazife | allowance, stipend dictionary |
| taghâzâ | request, asking dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| هنر | honar | skill, art dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| نزاع | nezâ' | quarrel dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 33. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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