Ghazal 381 of Hafez (10 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
گرچه ما بندگان پادشهیمپادشاهان ملک صبحگهیم
garche mâ bandegân-e pâdeshahim / pâdeshâhân-e molk-e sobhgahim
Though we are servants of the king, we are kings of the realm of dawn.
COUPLET 2
گنج در آستین و کیسه تهیجام گیتی‌نما و خاک رهیم
ganj dar âstin o kise tohi / jâm-e giti-namâ o khâk-e rahim
A treasure in our sleeve and an empty purse: we are the world-revealing cup, and the dust of the road.
COUPLET 3
هوشیار حضور و مست غروربحر توحید و غرقهٔ گنهیم
hushyâr-e hozur o mast-e ghorur / bahr-e towhid o gharghe-ye gonahim
Sober in the divine presence and drunk with pride, we are the sea of God's oneness, and yet sunk in sin.
COUPLET 4
شاهد بخت چون کرشمه کندماش آیینه رخ چو مهیم
shâhed-e bakht chon kereshme konad / mâsh âyine-ye rokh cho mahim
When the beauty of Fortune casts her flirting glance, we are the mirror for her moon-like face.
COUPLET 5
شاه بیدار بخت را هر شبما نگهبان افسر و کلهیم
shâh-e bidâr-bakht râ har shab / mâ negahbân-e afsar o kolahim
Every night we stand guard over the crown and cap of the king whose fortune is awake.
COUPLET 6
گو غنیمت شمار صحبت ماکه تو در خواب و ما به دیده گهیم
gu ghanimat shomâr sohbat-e mâ / ke to dar khâb o mâ be dide-gahim
Tell him to treasure our company, for while you are asleep, we keep watch from the watchtower of our eyes.
COUPLET 7
شاه منصور واقف است که ماروی همّت به هر کجا که نهیم
shâh mansur vâghef ast ke mâ / ru-ye hemmat be har kojâ ke nahim
Shah Mansur knows well that wherever we turn the face of our resolve,
COUPLET 8
دشمنان را ز خون کفن سازیمدوستان را قبای فتح دهیم
doshmanân râ ze khun kafan sâzim / dustân râ ghabâ-ye fath dahim
we make shrouds of blood for the enemies and give our friends the robe of victory.
COUPLET 9
رنگ تزویر پیش ما نبودشیر سرخیم و افعی سیهیم
rang-e tazvir pish-e mâ nabvad / shir-e sorkhim o af'i-ye siyahim
The color of deceit has no place with us: we are the red lion and the black serpent.
COUPLET 10
وام حافظ بگو که بازدهندکرده‌ای اعتراف و ما گوهیم
vâm-e Hâfez begu ke bâz dahand / karde'i e'terâf o mâ govahim
Tell them to pay back what is owed to Hafez: you have admitted the debt, and we are the witnesses.
What this fâl tells you
This fal speaks of hidden riches: an empty purse but a treasure in the sleeve, a humble servant who is a king at dawn. Tradition reads it as a sign that your real worth is greater than it looks, and that what is owed to you will be returned. Stay honest and wakeful, and a powerful friend will stand by you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -im ("we are"). qâfiye: -ah (pâdeshah, sobhgah, rah, gonah, mah, kolah, gah, nah, siyah, govah). Beyt 7 names Shah Mansur, the last Muzaffarid ruler of Shiraz; beyts 7-8 run on as one sentence.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bandegân | servants dictionary | |
| پادشهیم | pâdeshahim | (servants of) the king + -im "we are" dictionary |
| پادشاهان | pâdeshâhân | kings dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| âstin | sleeve; jân dar âstin = ready to give one's life dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| کیسه | kise | purse, pouch dictionary |
| tohi | empty (خالی) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| rahim | (dust) of the road + -im "we are" dictionary | |
| هوشیار | hushyâr | sober, alert dictionary |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| ghorur | pride dictionary | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| gharghe | drowned, sunk (غرق) | |
| گنهیم | gonahim | (sunk in) sin + -im "we are" dictionary |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| کرشمه | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| ماش | mâsh | we ... for her (mâ + -ash) dictionary |
| âyine | mirror dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| مهیم | mahim | (like) the moon + -im "we are" dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| bidâr | awake dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| نگهبان | negahbân | guard, keeper dictionary |
| afsar | crown dictionary | |
| کلهیم | kolahim | (of the) cap, the royal hat + -im "we are" dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| ghanimat | godsend; ghanimat dânestan = to treasure dictionary | |
| shomâr | count! consider! (imperative) (بشمار) dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| منصور | mansur | victorious dictionary |
| واقف | vâghef | aware dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| نهیم | nahim | we put, we turn (our face) dictionary |
| doshmanân | enemies dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| کفن | kafan | shroud dictionary |
| sâzim | we make dictionary | |
| dustân | friends dictionary | |
| فتح | fath | conquest, victory dictionary |
| dahim | we give dictionary | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| tazvir | deceit, hypocrisy dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| shir | lion dictionary | |
| sorkhim | red + -im "we are" dictionary | |
| siyahim | black + -im "we are" dictionary | |
| وام | vâm | loan; be vâm dâshtan = to borrow dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| karde'i | you have made; ragham kardan = to write dictionary | |
| e'terâf | admission, confession dictionary | |
| گوهیم | govahim | witnesses + -im "we are" dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 381. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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