Ghazal 341 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
گر من از سرزنشِ مدَّعیان اندیشمشیوهٔ مستی و رندی نَرَوَد از پیشم
gar man az sarzanesh-e modda'iyân andisham / shive-ye masti o rendi naravad az pisham
If I worried about the reproaches of the pretenders, my drunken, free-spirited way would never move forward.
COUPLET 2
زهدِ رندانِ نوآموخته راهی به دِهیستمن که بدنامِ جهانم چه صلاح اندیشم؟
zohd-e rendân-e nowâmukhte râhi be dehi-st / man ke badnâm-e jahânam che salâh andisham
The piety of novice rogues may at least lead somewhere; but I, the disgrace of the world, what good could I plan?
COUPLET 3
شاهِ شوریده‌سران خوان، منِ بی‌سامان رازان که در کم‌خِرَدی از همه عالم بیشم
shâh-e shuride-sarân khân man-e bisâmân râ / z-ân ke dar kam-kheradi az hame âlam bisham
Call me, in my disorder, the king of the madcaps, for in lack of sense I am ahead of the whole world.
COUPLET 4
بر جَبین نقش کُن از خونِ دلِ من خالیتا بدانند که قربانِ تو کافِرکیشم
bar jabin naghsh kon az khun-e del-e man khâli / tâ bedânand ke ghorbân-e to kâfar-kisham
Paint a mark on your forehead with my heart's blood, so that everyone knows I am an unbeliever sacrificed for you.
COUPLET 5
اعتقادی بِنُما و بِگُذَر بهرِ خداتا در این خرقه ندانی که چه نادَرویشم
e'teghâdi benamâ o begozar bahr-e khodâ / tâ dar in kherghe nadâni ke che nâ-darvisham
Show some trust in me and pass on, for God's sake, so that you never find out what a false dervish I am under this cloak.
COUPLET 6
شعر خونبارِ من ای باد، بِدان یار رسانکه ز مژگانِ سیَه، بر رگِ جان زد نیشم
she'r-e khunbâr-e man ey bâd bedân yâr resân / ke ze mozhgân-e siyah bar rag-e jân zad nisham
Wind, carry my blood-weeping verse to that friend who pierced the vein of my soul with the lancet of black lashes.
COUPLET 7
من اگر باده خورم ور نه چه کارم با کس؟حافظِ رازِ خود و عارفِ وقتِ خویشم
man agar bâde khoram var na che kâram bâ kas / Hâfez-e râz-e khod o âref-e vaght-e khisham
Whether I drink wine or not, what business is it of anyone's? I keep my own secret, and I know my own moment.
What this fâl tells you
Do not let the criticism of others turn you from your own path. Tradition reads this fal as permission to be honest about who you are, without showing off and without pretending. Keep your own counsel, know your own moment, and send your words to the one who matters.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -isham (andisham, pisham, bisham, kâfar-kisham, nâ-darvisham, nisham, khisham). Beyt 7 puns on Hâfez "keeper" of his own secret.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| sarzanesh | scolding, reproach dictionary | |
| مدعیان | modda'iyân | pretenders, false claimants dictionary |
| andisham | I worry; I think of, plan dictionary | |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| نرود | naravad | does not go dictionary |
| پیشم | pisham | forward (+ -am: for me); az pish raftan = to move forward, succeed dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| râhi | a road dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dehi-st | is (a road) to a village; râhi be dehi bordan = to lead somewhere dictionary | |
| badnâm | of bad name, disreputable dictionary | |
| jahânam | of the world (+ -am: I am) dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| khân | call! name! (= bekhân) (بخوان) dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| bisham | I am more, ahead dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| jabin | forehead, brow (پیشانی) | |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| khâli | a mark, a spot (khâl + -i) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| bedânand | (they) know dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| e'teghâdi | some faith, trust dictionary | |
| benamâ | show! (نشان بده) dictionary | |
| bogzar | pass by, give up! dictionary | |
| bahr | sake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای) | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| nadâni | you will not (be able to) dictionary | |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| resân | bring! deliver! (برسان) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مژگان | mozhgân | eyelashes dictionary |
| siyah | black (سیاه) | |
| rag | vein dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| نیشم | nisham | a lancet, a sting (+ -am: me) dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| khoram | I drink dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| کارم | kâram | my affairs, my work dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| hâfez | keeper of; also the pen name Hafez (pun) dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | moment; one's inner state dictionary |
| khisham | my own dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 341. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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