Ghazal 353 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
من تَرکِ عشقِ شاهد و ساغر نمی‌کنمصد بار توبه کردم و دیگر نمی‌کنم
man tark-e eshgh-e shâhed o sâghar nemikonam / sad bâr towbe kardam o digar nemikonam
I will not give up my love for beauties and the cup; I have repented a hundred times, and I will not do it again.
COUPLET 2
باغِ بهشت و سایهٔ طوبی و قصر و حوربا خاکِ کوی دوست برابر نمی‌کنم
bâgh-e behesht o sâye-ye tubâ o ghasr o hur / bâ khâk-e ku-ye dust barâbar nemikonam
The garden of paradise, the shade of the Tuba tree, its palaces and houris: I would not rank them equal to the dust of the Friend's street.
COUPLET 3
تلقین و درسِ اهل نظر یک اشارت استگفتم کِنایتی و مکرر نمی‌کنم
talghin o dars-e ahl-e nazar yek eshârat ast / goftam kenâyati o mokarrar nemikonam
For people of insight, a single hint is lesson and teaching enough; I have given my hint, and I will not repeat it.
COUPLET 4
هرگز نمی‌شود ز سرِ خود خبر مراتا در میانِ میکده سر بَر نمی‌کنم
hargez nemishavad ze sar-e khod khabar marâ / tâ dar miyân-e meykade sar bar nemikonam
I will never know anything of my own self until I lift my head in the middle of the tavern.
COUPLET 5
ناصِح به طَعن گفت که «رو ترکِ عشق کن»محتاجِ جنگ نیست برادر، نمی‌کنم
nâseh be ta'n goft ke ro tark-e eshgh kon / mohtâj-e jang nist barâdar nemikonam
The adviser sneered, "Go and give up love." No need to fight, brother: I won't.
COUPLET 6
این تقوی‌ام تمام، که با شاهدانِ شهرناز و کرشمه بر سرِ منبر نمی‌کنم
in taghvâ-am tamâm ke bâ shâhedân-e shahr / nâz o kereshme bar sar-e menbar nemikonam
This much piety is enough for me: I do not flirt with the city's beauties from the top of the pulpit.
COUPLET 7
حافظ! جنابِ پیرِ مُغان جایِ دولت استمن تَرکِ خاک‌بوسیِ این در نمی‌کنم
Hâfez jenâb-e pir-e moghân jâ-ye dowlat ast / man tark-e khâkbusi-ye in dar nemikonam
Hafez, the court of the elder of the Magi is the home of good fortune; I will never stop kissing the dust of this door.
What this fâl tells you
Hold on to what you truly love; it is worth more than any promised paradise. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your steady loyalty will bring good fortune. A wise person understands from a hint, so say what you mean once, clearly, and do not waste energy on arguments.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nemikonam ("I do not do"). qâfiye: -ar (sâghar, digar, barâbar, mokarrar, bar, barâdar, menbar, dar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| tark | giving up dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| نمی‌کنم | nemikonam | I do not do dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| bâr | time; sad bâr = a hundred times dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| behesht | paradise dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| قصر | ghasr | palace dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| barâbar | equal; barâbar kardan = to rank as equal dictionary | |
| dars | lesson, study dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| eshârat | a sign, signal (اشاره) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| نمی‌شود | nemishavad | does not become dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sar | head; top; sar-e khod = one's own self dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| khabar | news dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | middle dictionary |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| bar | up; sar bar kardan = to lift one's head dictionary | |
| ناصح | nâseh | adviser dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| ro | go! (= borow) (برو) dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| محتاج | mohtâj | in need dictionary |
| jang | fight, quarrel dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| barâdar | brother dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| taghvâ-am | my piety dictionary | |
| tamâm | enough, complete dictionary | |
| shâhedân | the beauties dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| کرشمه | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| منبر | menbar | pulpit dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| jenâb | threshold, court; presence of a great person (آستانه) dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 353. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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