Ghazal 346 of Hafez (12 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
من نه آن رندم که تَرکِ شاهد و ساغر کنممحتسب داند که من این کارها کمتر کنم
man na ân rendam ke tark-e shâhed o sâghar konam / mohtaseb dânad ke man in kâr-hâ kamtar konam
I am not the kind of free spirit who gives up beauties and the cup; the morals officer knows I hardly ever do such things.
COUPLET 2
من که عیبِ توبه‌کاران کرده باشم بارهاتوبه از مِی وقتِ گُل دیوانه باشم گر کنم
man ke eyb-e towbe-kârân karde bâsham bâr-hâ / towbe az mey vaght-e gol divâne bâsham gar konam
I have so often found fault with those who repent; I would be mad to repent of wine in the season of roses.
COUPLET 3
عشق دردانه‌ست و من غَوّاص و دریا میکدهسر فروبُردم در آن جا تا کجا سر بَرکُنم
eshgh dordâne-st o man ghavvâs o daryâ meykade / sar forubordam dar ânjâ tâ kojâ sar bar konam
Love is a precious pearl, I am the diver, and the tavern is the sea; I have plunged my head in there, and who knows where I will come up.
COUPLET 4
لاله ساغرگیر و نرگس مست و بر ما نامِ فِسقداوری دارم بسی یا رب، که را داور کنم؟
lâle sâghar-gir o narges mast o bar mâ nâm-e fesgh / dâvari dâram basi yâ rab ke râ dâvar konam
The tulip holds a cup, the narcissus is drunk, and yet we are the ones called sinners! I have many complaints, O Lord: whom shall I make the judge?
COUPLET 5
بازکَش یک دَم عِنان ای تُرکِ شهرآشوبِ منتا ز اشک و چهره راهت پُر زر و گوهر کنم
bâzkesh yek dam enân ey tork-e shahrâshub-e man / tâ ze ashk o chehre râhat por zar o gowhar konam
Rein in your horse for a moment, my Turk who stirs up the whole city, so that I can fill your road with the gold of my face and the pearls of my tears.
COUPLET 6
من که از یاقوت و لَعلِ اشک دارم گنج‌هاکِی نظر در فیضِ خورشیدِ بلنداختر کنم
man ke az yâghut o la'l-e ashk dâram ganj-hâ / key nazar dar feyz-e khorshid-e boland-akhtar konam
I, who have whole treasures of rubies and garnets of tears, why would I look to the bounty of the high-starred sun?
COUPLET 7
چون صبا مجموعهٔ گل را به آبِ لطف شستکج دلم خوان، گر نظر بر صفحهٔ دفتر کنم
chon sabâ majmu'e-ye gol râ be âb-e lotf shost / kaj-delam khân gar nazar bar safhe-ye daftar konam
Now that the breeze has washed the rose's gathered petals with the water of grace, call me crooked-hearted if I look at the page of a book.
COUPLET 8
عهد و پیمانِ فلک را نیست چندان اعتبارعهد با پیمانه بندم، شرط با ساغَر کُنم
ahd o peymân-e falak râ nist chandân e'tebâr / ahd bâ peymâne bandam shart bâ sâghar konam
The vows and promises of the heavens are not worth much; I will make my vow with the wine-measure and my pact with the cup.
COUPLET 9
من که دارم در گدایی گنجِ سلطانی به دستکِی طمع در گردشِ گردونِ دون‌پَرور کنم
man ke dâram dar gedâyi ganj-e soltâni be dast / key tama' dar gardesh-e gardun-e dun-parvar konam
I, who hold a king's treasure in my hand even as a beggar, why would I expect anything from the turning of this base-loving sky?
COUPLET 10
گر چه گَردآلودِ فقرم، شرم باد از همتمگر به آبِ چشمهٔ خورشید دامن تَر کنم
garche gard-âlud-e faghram sharm bâd az hemmatam / gar be âb-e cheshme-ye khorshid dâman tar konam
Though I am covered in the dust of poverty, shame on my pride if I wet even my hem in the water of the sun's spring.
COUPLET 11
عاشقان را گر در آتش می‌پسندد لطفِ دوستتنگ چشمم گر نظر در چشمهٔ کوثر کنم
âsheghân râ gar dar âtash mipasandad lotf-e dust / tang-cheshmam gar nazar dar cheshme-ye kowsar konam
If the Friend's grace sees fit to keep lovers in the fire, I would be small-minded to cast an eye on the spring of Kowsar.
COUPLET 12
دوش لعلش عشوه‌ای می‌داد حافظ را، ولیمن نه آنم کز وی این افسانه‌ها باور کنم
dush la'lash eshve'i midâd Hâfez râ vali / man na ânam k-az vey in afsâne-hâ bâvar konam
Last night those ruby lips were sweet-talking Hafez, but I am not one to believe such stories from them.
What this fâl tells you
You already hold a treasure, even if your pockets feel empty. Tradition reads this fal as a word about self-respect: do not bend to fickle fortune or trade your dignity for small favors. Enjoy the season you are in, follow love with courage, and do not be fooled by pretty words.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konam ("I do"). qâfiye: -ar (sâghar, kamtar, gar, bar, dâvar, gowhar, akhtar, daftar, parvar, tar, kowsar, bâvar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| rendam | I am a rend, a free-spirited rogue dictionary | |
| tark | giving up dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کارها | kâr-hâ | such things dictionary |
| کمتر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| کرده | karde | done; eyb kardan = to find fault dictionary |
| bâsham | I am, I would be; man ke bâsham = who am I? dictionary | |
| bâr-hâ | many times dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| divâne | madman dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| ghavvâs | diver dictionary | |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| sar | head dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| فسق | fesgh | sin, immorality dictionary |
| dâvari | complaint, a case to plead dictionary | |
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| که | ke | whom? (چه کسی) |
| dâvar | judge (here God) dictionary | |
| bâzkesh | pull back! enân bâzkeshidan = to rein in (بازکش) | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| چهره | chehre | face dictionary |
| râhat | your road dictionary | |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| یاقوت | yâghut | ruby dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| گنج‌ها | ganj-hâ | treasures dictionary |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| فیض | feyz | grace, abundance dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| مجموعهٔ | majmu'e | collection; here the rose's gathered petals dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| shost | washed dictionary | |
| کج | kaj | crooked; kaj-del = crooked-hearted dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| khân | call! (= bekhân) (بخوان) dictionary | |
| safhe | page, surface dictionary | |
| daftar | book, notebook dictionary | |
| ahd | vow, pledge dictionary | |
| پیمان | peymân | vow, pledge dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| چندان | chandân | so long, only so much dictionary |
| e'tebâr | weight, account dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| پیمانه | peymâne | cup, measure dictionary |
| bandam | I tie; ahd bastan = to make a vow dictionary | |
| shart | rule, condition dictionary | |
| gedâyi | beggary dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| soltâni | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| گردش | gardesh | turning, revolution dictionary |
| گردون | gardun | the turning sky; fortune dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| فقرم | faghram | poverty (+ -am: I am) dictionary |
| sharm | shame dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| چشمهٔ | cheshme | spring, fountain dictionary |
| tar | wet, fresh dictionary | |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| می‌پسندد | mipasandad | approves, sees fit dictionary |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| چشمم | cheshmam | my eye dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| لعلش | la'lash | his/her ruby (lips) dictionary |
| eshve'i | a flirtatious gesture dictionary | |
| می‌داد | midâd | was giving dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| afsâne-hâ | tales, stories dictionary | |
| bâvar | belief; bâvar kardan = to believe dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 346. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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