Ghazal 368 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
خیز تا از درِ میخانه گُشادی طلبیمبه رَهِ دوست نشینیم و مُرادی طلبیم
khiz tâ az dar-e meykhâne goshâdi talabim / be rah-e dust neshinim o morâdi talabim
Get up, let us look for an opening at the tavern door; let us sit on the beloved's path and ask for our heart's wish.
COUPLET 2
زادِ راهِ حَرمِ وصل نداریم مگربه گدایی ز درِ میکده زادی طلبیم
zâd-e râh-e haram-e vasl nadârim magar / be gedâyi ze dar-e meykade zâdi talabim
We have no provisions for the road to the sanctuary of union, unless we beg some at the tavern door.
COUPLET 3
اشکِ آلودهٔ ما گرچه روان است ولیبه رسالت سویِ او پاک‌نهادی طلبیم
ashk-e âlude-ye mâ garche ravân ast vali / be resâlat su-ye u pâk-nahâdi talabim
Though our stained tears flow freely toward the beloved, we look for someone pure of nature to carry our message.
COUPLET 4
لذتِ داغِ غمت بر دلِ ما باد حراماگر از جورِ غمِ عشقِ تو دادی طلبیم
lezzat-e dâgh-e ghamat bar del-e mâ bâd harâm / agar az jowr-e gham-e eshgh-e to dâdi talabim
May the sweet ache of the scar your sorrow left be forbidden to my heart if I ever seek justice against the cruelty of loving you.
COUPLET 5
نقطهٔ خالِ تو بر لوحِ بصر نَتوان زدمگر از مَردُمَکِ دیده مِدادی طلبیم
noghte-ye khâl-e to bar lowh-e basar natavân zad / magar az mardomak-e dide medâdi talabim
The dot of your beauty spot cannot be drawn on the tablet of sight, unless we take ink from the pupil of the eye.
COUPLET 6
عشوه‌ای از لبِ شیرینِ تو دل خواست به جانبه شکرخنده لَبَت گفت مَزادی طلبیم
eshve'i az lab-e shirin-e to del khâst be jân / be shekar-khande labat goft mazâdi talabim
My heart offered its life for one sweet gesture from your lips; your lips said with a sugary smile, "We want a higher bid."
COUPLET 7
تا بُوَد نسخهٔ عطری دل سودازده رااز خطِ غالیه‌سایِ تو سوادی طلبیم
tâ bovad noskhe-ye atri del-e sowdâzade râ / az khatt-e ghâliye-sâ-ye to savâdi talabim
So that my love-crazed heart may have a fragrant prescription, let us ask for a copy of the musky down on your cheek.
COUPLET 8
چون غمت را نَتَوان یافت مگر در دلِ شادما به امّیدِ غمت خاطرِ شادی طلبیم
chon ghamat râ natavân yâft magar dar del-e shâd / mâ be omid-e ghamat khâter-e shâdi talabim
Since sorrow for you can only be found in a happy heart, we seek a happy heart in the hope of that sorrow.
COUPLET 9
بر درِ مدرسه تا چند نشینی حافظ؟خیز تا از درِ میخانه گُشادی طلبیم
bar dar-e madrese tâ chand neshini Hâfez? / khiz tâ az dar-e meykhâne goshâdi talabim
How long will you sit at the door of the school, Hafez? Get up, let us look for an opening at the tavern door.
What this fâl tells you
This fal says: stop waiting at a door that has not opened for you and try another one. Tradition reads it as encouragement to get up, go where joy and warmth are, and ask plainly for what your heart wants. Find a trustworthy messenger for your words, and keep a cheerful heart, for good things are found by a glad spirit.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: talabim. qâfiye: -âdi (goshâdi, morâdi, zâdi, pâk-nahâdi, dâdi, medâdi, mazâdi, savâdi, shâdi). The first line returns as the last line.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khiz | rise! get up! (برخیز) | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| goshâdi | an opening, relief dictionary | |
| talabim | we should ask for dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| نشینیم | neshinim | let us sit dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| morâdi | a wish, a desire dictionary | |
| zâd | provisions; zâd-e safar = provisions for the journey dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| نداریم | nadârim | we do not have dictionary |
| مگر | magar | unless, except dictionary |
| gedâyi | begging; be gedâyi = by begging dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| zâdi | some provisions dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| âlude | stained, polluted dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| resâlat | carrying a message; be resâlat = as a messenger dictionary | |
| su-ye | toward dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| لذت | lezzat | pleasure dictionary |
| dâgh | brand, burning mark (like the dark spot in a tulip) dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| harâm | forbidden dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dâdi | justice, redress (dâd + -i) dictionary | |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| لوح | lowh | tablet, slate dictionary |
| zad | put; noghte zadan = to draw a dot dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| medâdi | some ink dictionary | |
| eshve'i | a flirtatious gesture dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| khâst | wanted dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| atri | fragrant, of perfume dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| savâdi | a draft copy; also blackness (of the down) dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| shâd | happy; shâd kardan = cheer up dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| shâdi | a happy (mind); khâter-e shâd + -i dictionary | |
| مدرسه | madrese | religious school dictionary |
| چند | chand | how many; tâ chand = how long? dictionary |
| neshini | you sit dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 368. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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