Ghazal 343 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
چِل سال بیش رفت که من لاف می‌زنمکز چاکرانِ پیرِ مُغان کمترین منم
chel sâl bish raft ke man lâf mizanam / k-az châkerân-e pir-e moghân kamtarin manam
For more than forty years I have been boasting that I am the lowest of the servants of the elder of the Magi.
COUPLET 2
هرگز به یُمنِ عاطفَتِ پیرِ مِی‌فروشساغر تُهی نشد ز مِیِ صافِ روشنم
hargez be yomn-e âtefat-e pir-e meyforush / sâghar tohi nashod ze mey-e sâf-e rowshanam
Thanks to the kindness of the old wine-seller, my cup has never once been empty of clear, bright wine.
COUPLET 3
از جاهِ عشق و دولتِ رندانِ پاک‌بازپیوسته صدرِ مَصطَبِه‌ها بود مَسکنم
az jâh-e eshgh o dowlat-e rendân-e pâkbâz / peyvaste sadr-e mastabe-hâ bud maskanam
Through the rank that love gives and the good fortune of free spirits who stake everything, my seat was always at the head of the tavern benches.
COUPLET 4
در شأنِ من به دُردکِشی ظنِّ بَد مبرکآلوده گشت جامه، ولی پاک‌دامنم
dar sha'n-e man be dordkeshi zan-e bad mabar / k-âlude gasht jâme vali pâkdâmanam
Do not think badly of me because I drink the dregs: my clothes may be stained, but I am clean at heart.
COUPLET 5
شهبازِ دست پادشهم، این چه حالت است؟کز یاد بُرده‌اند هوایِ نشیمنم
shahbâz-e dast-e pâdshaham in che hâlat ast / k-az yâd borde-and havâ-ye neshimanam
I am the royal falcon on the king's hand; what is going on, that they have forgotten to care about my perch?
COUPLET 6
حیف است بلبلی چو من اکنون در این قفسبا این لسانِ عَذب، که خامُش چو سوسنم
heyf ast bolboli cho man aknun dar in ghafas / bâ in lesân-e azb ke khâmosh cho susanam
It is a pity that a nightingale like me, with such a sweet tongue, now sits in this cage as silent as the lily.
COUPLET 7
آب و هوای فارس عجب سِفله‌پرور استکو همرهی؟ که خیمه از این خاک بَرکَنَم
âb o havâ-ye fârs ajab sefle-parvar ast / ku hamrahi ke kheyme az in khâk barkanam
The water and air of Fars are strangely kind to the worthless; where is a companion, so that I can pull up my tent from this soil?
COUPLET 8
حافظ! به زیرِ خرقه قدح تا به کِی کشی؟در بزمِ خواجه، پرده ز کارَت برافکنم
Hâfez be zir-e kherghe ghadah tâ be key keshi / dar bazm-e khâje parde ze kârat bar afkanam
Hafez, how long will you drink from the cup under your cloak? At the master's feast I will lift the veil from your doings.
COUPLET 9
توران‌شهِ خجسته که در من یَزیدِ فضلشد مِنَّتِ مَواهبِ او طوقِ گردنم
turân-shah-e khojaste ke dar man yazid-e fazl / shod mennat-e mavâheb-e u towgh-e gardanam
Blessed Turanshah, who outbids everyone in generosity: my debt for his gifts has become a collar around my neck.
What this fâl tells you
You have been loyal for a long time, and that loyalty has kept your cup full. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your worth is real even if it is not being noticed right now; if you feel caged or overlooked, it may be time to look for a new place or a good companion. Gratitude toward those who have helped you will open doors.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -anam (manam, rowshanam, maskanam, pâkdâmanam, neshimanam, susanam, barkanam, afkanam, gardanam). Beyt 9 praises Turanshah, a vizier and patron of Hafez; man yazid is an Arabic auction cry.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چل | chel | forty (چهل) |
| sâl | year dictionary | |
| bish | more; bish nist = is no more than dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| لاف | lâf | boast dictionary |
| می‌زنم | mizanam | I strike; lâf zadan = to boast dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| چاکران | châkerân | attendants dictionary |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| کمترین | kamtarin | lowest dictionary |
| منم | manam | I am (the one) dictionary |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| tohi | empty (خالی) dictionary | |
| نشد | nashod | did not become dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| sâf | clear, pure dictionary | |
| rowshanam | bright (+ -am: my cup) dictionary | |
| jâh | rank, high position dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| پیوسته | peyvaste | constantly dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| مسکنم | maskanam | my dwelling, my seat dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| sha'n | matter, regard; dar sha'n-e = about dictionary | |
| zan | suspicion, opinion; zan bordan = to suspect (Arabic) (گمان) dictionary | |
| bad | bad dictionary | |
| مبر | mabar | do not take; zan-e bad bordan = to think ill (of) (نبر) dictionary |
| کآلوده | k-âlude | that stained (= ke âlude) (که آلوده) |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| jâme-ye | garment of (لباس) dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| پاک‌دامنم | pâkdâmanam | I am pure (literally "clean-hemmed") dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| پادشهم | pâdshaham | of the king (+ -am: I am) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| hâlat | state, condition dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| borde-and | they have taken; az yâd bordan = to forget dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| heyf | pity, shame dictionary | |
| bolboli | a nightingale dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| aknun | now (حالا) dictionary | |
| قفس | ghafas | cage dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| لسان | lesân | tongue (Arabic) (زبان) dictionary |
| azb | sweet (Arabic) (شیرین) | |
| khâmosh | silent (خاموش) | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| کو | ku | where is? (کجاست) dictionary |
| kheyme | tent dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| keshi | you drink dictionary | |
| bazm | feast, party dictionary | |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| کارت | kârat | your affairs dictionary |
| khojaste | blessed, auspicious dictionary | |
| من | man | who (Arabic); man yazid = "who bids more?" dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| مواهب | mavâheb | gifts (Arabic plural) dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| گردنم | gardanam | my neck dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 343. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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