Ghazal 35 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
برو به کارِ خود ای واعظ این چه فریادست؟مرا فِتاد دل از ره، تو را چه اُفتادست؟
borow be kâr-e khod ey vâ'ez in che faryâd-ast? / marâ fetâd del az rah, to râ che oftâd-ast?
Go about your business, preacher. What is all this shouting? It was my heart that strayed from the road; what has happened to you?
COUPLET 2
میان او که خدا آفریده است از هیچدقیقه‌ای‌ست که هیچ آفریده نَگشادست
miyân-e u ke khodâ âfaride ast az hich / daghighe'i-st ke hich âfaride nagoshâd-ast
That waist, which God created out of nothing, holds a subtle secret that no creature has ever solved.
COUPLET 3
به کام تا نرساند مرا لبش، چون ناینصیحتِ همه عالم به گوشِ من بادست
be kâm tâ naresânad marâ labash chon nây / nasihat-e hame âlam be gush-e man bâd-ast
Until those lips bring me my wish, as they do the reed flute, the advice of the whole world is only wind in my ear.
COUPLET 4
گدایِ کویِ تو از هشت خُلد، مستغنی‌ستاسیرِ عشقِ تو از هر دو عالم آزادست
gedâ-ye ku-ye to az hasht khold mostaghni-st / asir-e eshgh-e to az har do âlam âzâd-ast
The beggar at your lane needs none of the eight paradises; the prisoner of your love is free of both worlds.
COUPLET 5
اگر چه مستیِ عشقم خراب کرد ولیاساسِ هستیِ من زآن خراب، آبادست
agarche masti-ye eshgham kharâb kard vali / asâs-e hasti-ye man z-ân kharâb âbâd-ast
Though the drunkenness of love has ruined me, the foundation of my being is built up out of that ruin.
COUPLET 6
دلا مَنال ز بیداد و جورِ یار که یارتو را نصیب همین کرد و این از آن دادست
delâ manâl ze bidâd o jowr-e yâr ke yâr / to râ nasib hamin kard o in az ân dâd-ast
O heart, do not moan about the friend's cruelty: this is the share the friend gave you, and it is just.
COUPLET 7
برو فَسانه مخوان و فُسون مدم حافظکز این فسانه و افسون مرا بسی یادست
borow fasâne makhân o fosun madam Hâfez / k-az in fasâne o afsun marâ basi yâd-ast
Go, Hafez, stop telling tales and breathing spells: I remember plenty of these tales and spells already.
What this fâl tells you
Do not let critics and preachers shake you from a path your heart has chosen. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that what looks like ruin from the outside may be the very thing that builds you up. Accept your share with peace, and stop listening to stories that only stir you up.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -ast (faryâd-ast, oftâd-ast, bâd-ast). qâfiye: -âd (faryâd, oftâd, goshâd, bâd, âzâd, âbâd, dâd, yâd).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| واعظ | vâ'ez | preacher dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| فریادست | faryâd-ast | is shouting (= faryâd ast) dictionary |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| فتاد | fetâd | fell, landed (افتاد) dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| oftâd-ast | has fallen, turned out (= oftâde ast) (افتاده است) dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist (the beloved's waist, so thin it seems made of nothing) (کمر) dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| daghighe'i-st | is a subtle point (= daghighe'i ast) dictionary | |
| نگشادست | nagoshâd-ast | has not opened, not solved (نگشوده است) dictionary |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| نرساند | naresânad | does not bring dictionary |
| لبش | labash | her lip dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| nây | reed flute dictionary | |
| نصیحت | nasihat | advice dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bâd ast | is (on the) wind (bâd + ast) dictionary | |
| گدای | gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| khold | paradise, eternity (بهشت) | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| âzâd ast | is free dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| مستی | masti | intoxication dictionary |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| asâs | foundation dictionary | |
| هستی | hasti | existence, being dictionary |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| منال | manâl | do not moan! (ننال) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bidâd | injustice, cruelty (ستم) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| نصیب | nasib | share, lot dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dâd-ast | is justice (= dâd ast) dictionary | |
| فسانه | fasâne | tale, story (افسانه) |
| مخوان | makhân | do not recite! do not read! (نخوان) dictionary |
| فسون | fosun | spell, charm (افسون) |
| مدم | madam | do not breathe! (fosun damidan = to cast a spell) (ندم) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| afsun | spell, charm dictionary | |
| یادست | yâd ast | is remembered, I remember dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 35. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.