Ghazal 37 of Hafez (11 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
بیا که قصرِ اَمَل سخت سست‌بنیادستبیار باده که بنیادِ عمر بر بادست
biyâ ke ghasr-e amal sakht sost-bonyâd ast / biyâr bâde ke bonyâd-e omr bar bâd ast
Come: the palace of hope stands on very weak foundations. Bring wine, for the foundation of life is built on the wind.
COUPLET 2
غلامِ همّتِ آنم که زیرِ چرخِ کبودز هر چه رنگِ تعلّق پذیرد آزادست
gholâm-e hemmat-e ânam ke zir-e charkh-e kabud / ze har che rang-e ta'allogh pazirad âzâd ast
I am the servant of the spirit of anyone who, under the blue wheel of the sky, is free of everything that takes on the color of attachment.
COUPLET 3
چه گویمت که به میخانه دوش مست و خرابسروشِ عالَمِ غیبم چه مژده‌ها دادست
che guyamat ke be meykhâne dush mast o kharâb / sorush-e âlam-e gheybam che mozhde-hâ dâd ast
How can I tell you? Last night in the tavern, drunk and ruined, the angel of the unseen world brought me such good news:
COUPLET 4
که ای بلندنظر شاهبازِ سِدره‌نشیننشیمن تو نه این کُنجِ محنت‌آبادست
ke ey bolandnazar shâhbâz-e sedre-neshin / neshiman-e to na in konj-e mehnat-âbâd ast
"O far-seeing royal falcon, perched on the lote tree of heaven, your nest is not this corner of the house of sorrow.
COUPLET 5
تو را ز کنگرهٔ عرش می‌زنند صفیرندانمت که در این دامگه چه افتادست
to râ ze kongere-ye arsh mizanand safir / nadânamat ke dar in dâmgah che oftâd ast
From the battlements of heaven's throne they are whistling to call you back; I do not know what has happened to you in this place of traps."
COUPLET 6
نصیحتی کنمت یاد گیر و در عمل آرکه این حدیث، ز پیرِ طریقتم یادست
nasihati konamat, yâd gir o dar amal âr / ke in hadis ze pir-e tarighatam yâd ast
Let me give you some advice: learn it and put it into practice. I remember these words from the master of my path.
COUPLET 7
غمِ جهان مخور و پندِ من مَبَر از یادکه این لطیفهٔ عشقم ز رهروی یادست
gham-e jahân makhor o pand-e man mabar az yâd / ke in latife-ye eshgham ze rahrovi yâd ast
Do not grieve over the world, and do not forget my advice: I learned this fine point of love from a traveller on the road.
COUPLET 8
رضا به داده بده وز جبین گره بگشایکه بر من و تو دَرِ اختیار نگشادست
rezâ be dâde bedeh v-az jabin gereh bogshây / ke bar man o to dar-e ekhtiyâr nagshâd ast
Be content with what you have been given, and untie the knot in your brow: the door of choice was never opened to you or me.
COUPLET 9
مجو درستیِ عهد از جهانِ سست‌نهادکه این عجوز، عروسِ هزاردامادست
maju dorosti-ye ahd az jahân-e sost-nahâd / ke in ajuz arus-e hezâr-dâmâd ast
Do not expect a promise kept from this flimsy world: this old woman has been the bride of a thousand grooms.
COUPLET 10
نشان عهد و وفا نیست در تبسّمِ گلبنال بلبل بی‌دل که جای فریادست
neshân-e ahd o vafâ nist dar tabassom-e gol / benâl bolbol-e bidel ke jâ-ye faryâd ast
There is no sign of promise or loyalty in the rose's smile. Lament, lovesick nightingale: there is good reason to cry out.
COUPLET 11
حسد چه می‌بری ای سست‌نظم بر حافظ؟قبولِ خاطر و لطفِ سخن خدادادست
hasad che mibari ey sost-nazm bar Hâfez / ghabul-e khâter o lotf-e sokhan khodâdâd ast
Why do you envy Hafez, you writer of weak verse? Being loved by people and having grace in speech are gifts from God.
What this fâl tells you
Do not tie your happiness to things that cannot last. Tradition reads this fal as advice to let go of worry and attachment, accept what you have been given, and "untie the knot in your brow." You are meant for something higher than the trap you feel caught in.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ast (written joined: -ast). qâfiye: -âd (bonyâd, bâd, âzâd, dâd, âbâd, oftâd, yâd, nagshâd, dâmâd, faryâd, khodâdâd).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| قصر | ghasr | palace dictionary |
| amal | hope, long-held wish (آرزو) | |
| sakht | very; hard dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bâd ast | is (on the) wind (bâd + ast) dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| کبود | kabud | dark blue dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| پذیرد | pazirad | accepts, takes on dictionary |
| âzâd ast | is free dictionary | |
| گویمت | guyamat | I tell you dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| sorush | angel, divine messenger dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| dâd ast | has given (= dâde ast) (داده است) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bolandnazar | far-seeing, high-minded dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کنج | konj | corner dictionary |
| کنگرهٔ | kongere | battlement dictionary |
| arsh | the throne of God, highest heaven dictionary | |
| می‌زنند | mizanand | (they) strike; safir zadan = to whistle dictionary |
| safir | whistle (to call a falcon back) dictionary | |
| ندانمت | nadânamat | I do not know (about) you dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dâmgah | place of traps: this world (دامگاه) | |
| oftâd ast | has happened (= oftâde ast) (افتاده است) dictionary | |
| nasihati | a piece of advice dictionary | |
| کنمت | konamat | I give you (advice) dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| گیر | gir | take! yâd gir = learn! (بگیر) dictionary |
| amal | action, practice dictionary | |
| âr | bring! dar amal âr = put into practice (بیاور) dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| tarighatam | of my spiritual path dictionary | |
| یادست | yâd ast | is remembered, I remember dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| مخور | makhor | do not eat; gham makhor = do not grieve (نخور) dictionary |
| پند | pand | advice dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| مبر | mabar | do not take; az yâd mabar = do not forget (نبر) dictionary |
| لطیفهٔ | latife | subtle point, fine idea (not "joke" here) dictionary |
| rahrovi | a traveller on the path dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| jabin | forehead, brow (پیشانی) | |
| bogshây | open! untie! (باز کن) dictionary | |
| نگشادست | nagshâd ast | has not been opened (باز نشده است) dictionary |
| مجو | maju | do not seek (نجوی) dictionary |
| dorosti | soundness, firmness dictionary | |
| ahd | promise, pledge dictionary | |
| ajuz | old woman (پیرزن) | |
| arus | bride dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| benâl | lament! cry! dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| فریادست | faryâd ast | is (a place for) crying out dictionary |
| mibari | you take away dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| قبول | ghabul | acceptance; ghabul-e khâter = being loved by people dictionary |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 37. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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