Ghazal 337 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
چرا نه در پِیِ عزمِ دیارِ خود باشمچرا نه خاکِ سرِ کویِ یارِ خود باشم
cherâ na dar pey-e azm-e diyâr-e khod bâsham / cherâ na khâk-e sar-e ku-ye yâr-e khod bâsham
Why should I not set out for my own homeland? Why should I not be the dust at the head of my beloved's street?
COUPLET 2
غمِ غریبی و غربت چو بر نمی‌تابمبه شهرِ خود رَوَم و شهریارِ خود باشم
gham-e gharibi o ghorbat cho bar nemitâbam / be shahr-e khod ravam o shahriyâr-e khod bâsham
Since I cannot bear the sorrow of exile and being a stranger, I will go to my own city and be my own king.
COUPLET 3
ز مَحرمان سراپردهٔ وصال شَوَمز بندگانِ خداوندگارِ خود باشم
ze mahramân-e sarâparde-ye vesâl shavam / ze bandegân-e khodâvandgâr-e khod bâsham
I will become one of the trusted few inside the pavilion of union, and be among the servants of my own lord.
COUPLET 4
چو کار عمر نه پیداست باری آن اولیکه روزِ واقعه پیشِ نگارِ خود باشم
cho kâr-e omr na peydâ-st bâri ân owlâ / ke ruz-e vâghe'e pish-e negâr-e khod bâsham
Since no one can see how life will turn out, it is better, at least, that on the final day I am with my beloved.
COUPLET 5
ز دستِ بختِ گران‌خواب و کارِ بی‌سامانگَرَم بُوَد گِلِه‌ای، رازدارِ خود باشم
ze dast-e bakht-e gerân-khâb o kâr-e bisâmân / garam bovad gele'i râzdâr-e khod bâsham
If I have any complaint about my sleepy fortune and my disordered affairs, I will keep it a secret to myself.
COUPLET 6
همیشه پیشهٔ من عاشقی و رندی بوددگر بکوشم و مشغولِ کارِ خود باشم
hamishe pishe-ye man âsheghi o rendi bud / degar bekusham o mashghul-e kâr-e khod bâsham
Love and the free-spirited life were always my trade; I will work at them again and mind my own business.
COUPLET 7
بُوَد که لطفِ ازل رهنمون شود حافظوگرنه تا به ابد شرمسارِ خود باشم
bovad ke lotf-e azal rahnemun shavad Hâfez / vagarna tâ be abad sharmsâr-e khod bâsham
Hafez, perhaps the grace of eternity will guide me; otherwise I will be ashamed of myself forever.
What this fâl tells you
It may be time to go home: back to your own place, your own people, or your own true work. Tradition reads this fal as advice to stop wandering among strangers and to keep small complaints to yourself. Do what you love, and trust that grace will show you the way.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: khod bâsham ("I would be ... my own"). qâfiye: -âr (diyâr, yâr, shahriyâr, khodâvandgâr, negâr, râzdâr, kâr, sharmsâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| پی | pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| diyâr-e | land of dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| bâsham | I am, I would be; man ke bâsham = who am I? dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| gharibi | exile, being a stranger dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bar | part of bar tâftan "to bear" dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| ravam | I go dictionary | |
| shahriyâr | king, ruler dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| shavam | I (will) become dictionary | |
| bandegân | servants dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| پیداست | peydâ-st | it is clear (= peydâ ast) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| owlâ | better, more fitting (بهتر) | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| واقعه | vâghe'e | the fateful event (death) dictionary |
| پیش | pish | with, in the presence of dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| gele'i | a complaint dictionary | |
| râzdâr | keeper of the secret dictionary | |
| همیشه | hamishe | always dictionary |
| پیشهٔ | pishe | trade, way of life dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| âsheghi | being a lover, love dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| bekusham | I strive, work hard dictionary | |
| مشغول | mashghul | busy with dictionary |
| bovad | may it be; bovad ke = perhaps dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| rahnemun | guide dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| وگرنه | vagarna | otherwise dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| abad | eternity without end dictionary | |
| sharmsâr | ashamed dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 337. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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