Ghazal 355 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
حالیا مصلحتِ وقت در آن می‌بینمکه کشم رَخت به میخانه و خوش بنشینم
hâliyâ maslahat-e vaght dar ân mibinam / ke kesham rakht be meykhâne o khosh beneshinam
For now, I think the wise course is to carry my belongings to the tavern and settle there contentedly.
COUPLET 2
جامِ مِی گیرم و از اهلِ ریا دور شَوَمیعنی از اهلِ جهان پاکدلی بُگزینم
jâm-e mey giram o az ahl-e riyâ dur shavam / ya'ni az ahl-e jahân pâkdeli bogzinam
I will take up a cup of wine and keep away from the hypocrites; that is, out of all the world's people I will choose one pure heart.
COUPLET 3
جز صُراحی و کتابم نَبُوَد یار و ندیمتا حریفانِ دَغا را به جهان کم بینم
joz sorâhi o ketâbam nabovad yâr o nadim / tâ harifân-e daghâ râ be jahân kam binam
I will have no friend or companion but the wine flask and my book, so that I see as little as possible of the world's cheating companions.
COUPLET 4
سر به آزادگی از خَلق برآرم چون سَروگر دهد دست که دامن ز جهان دَرچینم
sar be âzâdegi az khalgh barâram chon sarv / gar dahad dast ke dâman ze jahân dar chinam
Like the cypress, I will raise my head free above the crowd, if only I can gather my hem away from the world.
COUPLET 5
بس که در خرقهٔ آلوده زدم لافِ صَلاحشرمسار از رخِ ساقی و مِیِ رنگینم
bas ke dar kherghe-ye âlude zadam lâf-e salâh / sharmsâr az rokh-e sâghi o mey-e ranginam
I boasted so often of virtue in my stained cloak that I am ashamed before the cupbearer's face and the red wine.
COUPLET 6
سینهٔ تَنگِ من و بارِ غمِ او، هیهاتمردِ این بارِ گران نیست دلِ مسکینم
sine-ye tang-e man o bâr-e gham-e u heyhât / mard-e in bâr-e gerân nist del-e meskinam
My narrow chest and the weight of grief for the beloved: alas, my poor heart is not strong enough for so heavy a load.
COUPLET 7
من اگر رندِ خراباتم و گر زاهدِ شهراین مَتاعم که همی‌بینی و کمتر زینم
man agar rend-e kharâbâtam o gar zâhed-e shahr / in matâ'am ke hami bini o kamtar z-inam
Whether I am a rogue of the tavern or the town's ascetic, I am just the goods you see, and less than that.
COUPLET 8
بندهٔ آصفِ عهدم دلم از راه مَبَرکه اگر دَم زَنَم از چرخ بخواهد کینم
bande-ye âsef-e ahdam delam az râh mabar / ke agar dam zanam az charkh bekhâhad kinam
I am the servant of the Asaf of our age; do not lead my heart astray, for if I say a word, he will take revenge for me on the turning sky.
COUPLET 9
بر دلم گرد ستم‌هاست خدایا مپسندکه مکدر شود آیینه مهرآیینم
bar delam gard-e setam-hâ-st khodâyâ mapasand / ke mokadder shavad âyine-ye mehr-âyinam
The dust of injustice lies on my heart; O God, do not let the mirror of my loving nature grow clouded.
What this fâl tells you
For now, the wise thing is to step back from noise and false friends and to spend time with good books and a few sincere people. Tradition reads this fal as permission to rest and keep your heart clear. A protector stands behind you, and the dust on your heart will be wiped away.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -inam (beneshinam, bogzinam, binam, darchinam, ranginam, meskinam, z-inam, kinam, âyinam). In beyt 8, Asaf (Solomon's wise vizier) stands for a minister of Hafez's time.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| hâliyâ | for now (فعلاً) | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| می‌بینم | mibinam | I see dictionary |
| کشم | kesham | I carry; rakht keshidan = to move one's belongings dictionary |
| rakht | belongings, baggage dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| beneshinam | I sit, settle dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| گیرم | giram | I catch, I take dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| riyâ | hypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary | |
| dur | far, away dictionary | |
| shavam | I (will) become dictionary | |
| ya'ni | that is, I mean dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| begozinam | I choose dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| کتابم | ketâbam | my book dictionary |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| ندیم | nadim | boon companion, courtier dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| daghâ | trickery; be daghâ = by fraud, deceitfully (فریب) | |
| کم | kam | little, less dictionary |
| binam | I see (ببینم) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| âzâdegi | freedom, nobility of spirit dictionary | |
| khalgh | people dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| dahad | gives; dast dahad = becomes possible dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| âlude | stained, polluted dictionary | |
| zadam | I struck; lâf zadan = to boast dictionary | |
| لاف | lâf | boast dictionary |
| sharmsâr | ashamed dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| ranginam | colored, red (+ -am: I am ashamed before) dictionary | |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| مرد | mard | man dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گران | gerân | heavy; sar gerân kardan = act haughty, turn away dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مسکینم | meskinam | my poor dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| hami bini | you see dictionary | |
| کمتر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| z-inam | than this (+ -am: I am) (از این) | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| ahdam | of the age (+ -am: I am the servant of) dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| مبر | mabar | do not take; az râh bordan = to lead astray (نبر) dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| zanam | I strike; dam zadan = to speak dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| bekhâhad | will demand; kin khâstan = to take revenge dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| گرد | gard | dust dictionary |
| setam-hâ-st | there is (the dust) of injustices (= setam-hâ ast) dictionary | |
| khodâyâ | O God! dictionary | |
| مپسند | mapasand | do not approve, do not allow (نپسند) dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| âyine | mirror dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 355. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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