Ghazal 350 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
به عزمِ توبه سحر گفتم استخاره کُنمبهارِ توبه‌شکن می‌رسد چه چاره کُنم؟
be azm-e towbe sahar goftam estekhâre konam / bahâr-e towbe-shekan miresad che châre konam
At dawn, determined to repent, I said I would consult an omen first; but spring, the breaker of vows, is arriving. What can I do?
COUPLET 2
سخن درست بگویم نمی‌توانم دیدکه مِی خورند حریفان و من نِظاره کنم
sokhan dorost beguyam nemitavânam did / ke mey khorand harifân o man nazzâre konam
To tell the truth, I cannot bear to see my companions drinking wine while I just look on.
COUPLET 3
چو غنچه با لبِ خندان به یادِ مجلسِ شاهپیاله گیرم و از شوق، جامه پاره کنم
cho ghonche bâ lab-e khandân be yâd-e majles-e shâh / piyâle giram o az showgh jâme pâre konam
Like the rosebud with its smiling lip, I will take up a cup in memory of the king's gathering and tear my robe with longing.
COUPLET 4
به دورِ لاله دماغِ مرا عِلاج کنیدگر از میانهٔ بزمِ طَرَب کناره کنم
be dowr-e lâle demâgh-e marâ alâj konid / gar az miyâne-ye bazm-e tarab kenâre konam
In the season of tulips, have my head treated if I ever withdraw from the middle of the joyful feast.
COUPLET 5
ز رویِ دوست مرا چون گلِ مراد شِکُفتحوالهٔ سَرِ دشمن به سنگِ خاره کنم
ze ru-ye dust marâ chon gol-e morâd shekoft / havâle-ye sar-e doshman be sang-e khâre konam
Now that the rose of my wish has bloomed from the Friend's face, I will leave the enemy's head to the hard rock.
COUPLET 6
گدایِ میکده‌ام، لیک وقتِ مستی بینکه ناز بر فلک و حکم بر ستاره کنم
gedâ-ye meykade-am lik vaght-e masti bin / ke nâz bar falak o hokm bar setâre konam
I am a beggar of the tavern, but see me when I am drunk: I play proud with the heavens and give orders to the stars.
COUPLET 7
مرا که نیست رَه و رسمِ لقمه‌پرهیزیچرا ملامتِ رندِ شراب‌خواره کنم
marâ ke nist rah o rasm-e loghme-parhizi / cherâ malâmat-e rend-e sharâbkhâre konam
I am not one to be fussy about every morsel I eat; why should I blame a wine-drinking free spirit?
COUPLET 8
به تختِ گُل بنشانم بُتی چو سلطانیز سنبل و سَمَنش، سازِ طوق و یاره کنم
be takht-e gol beneshânam boti cho soltâni / ze sonbol o samanash sâz-e towgh o yâre konam
I will seat an idol on a throne of roses like a sultan, and make a necklace and bracelets for her from hyacinth and jasmine.
COUPLET 9
ز باده خوردن پنهان مَلول شد حافظبه بانگِ بَربَط و نِی، رازَش آشکاره کنم
ze bâde khordan-e penhân malul shod Hâfez / be bâng-e barbat o ney râzash âshkâre konam
Hafez has grown tired of drinking wine in secret; to the sound of lute and flute I will make his secret known.
What this fâl tells you
A season of joy is coming, and it is not the time to hold yourself back from good company. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that a wish is about to bloom; enjoy it openly and generously, without judging others. When your heart is full, even the stars seem to listen.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: konam ("I do"). qâfiye: -âre (estekhâre, châre, nazzâre, pâre, kenâre, khâre, setâre, sharâbkhâre, yâre, âshkâre).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| sahar | dawn dictionary | |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| bahâr | spring dictionary | |
| می‌رسد | miresad | arrives, reaches dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| چاره | châre | remedy, way out dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| dorost | truly; sokhan dorost = to tell the truth dictionary | |
| beguyam | (that) I say dictionary | |
| نمی‌توانم | nemitavânam | I cannot dictionary |
| did | see; nemitavânam did = I cannot bear to see dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| khorand | (they) drink dictionary | |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ghonche | bud, rosebud dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| khandân | smiling, laughing dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| پیاله | piyâle | cup dictionary |
| گیرم | giram | I take (up) dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| jâme-ye | garment of (لباس) dictionary | |
| پاره | pâre | torn; pâre kardan = to tear dictionary |
| dowr | season, time dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| alâj | cure, treatment dictionary | |
| کنید | konid | make! (plural) dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| میانهٔ | miyâne | the middle dictionary |
| bazm | feast, party dictionary | |
| tarab | joy, merriment dictionary | |
| کناره | kenâre | edge; kenâre kardan = to withdraw dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| shekoft | bloomed dictionary | |
| havâle | referred, entrusted dictionary | |
| sar | head dictionary | |
| doshman | enemy dictionary | |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| khâre | granite, hard stone; sang-e khâre = hardest rock (سنگ خارا) | |
| گدای | gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary |
| میکده‌ام | meykade-am | of the tavern (+ -am: I am) dictionary |
| لیک | lik | but (ولی) |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| bin | see! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| hokm | command, control dictionary | |
| setâre | star dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| rasm | custom, way dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| takht | throne dictionary | |
| beneshânam | I seat dictionary | |
| boti | an idol, a beauty dictionary | |
| soltâni | a sultan dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| khordan-e | drinking of dictionary | |
| پنهان | penhân | hidden dictionary |
| ملول | malul | weary, sad dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| bâng | cry, call dictionary | |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| râzash | this secret dictionary | |
| âshkâre | clear, visible (آشکار) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 350. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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