Ghazal 391 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
خوش‌تر از فکر می و جام چه خواهد بودن؟تا ببینم که سرانجام چه خواهد بودن
khosh-tar az fekr-e mey o jâm che khâhad budan / tâ bebinam ke saranjâm che khâhad budan
What could be sweeter than thoughts of wine and the cup, while I wait to see what the end will be?
COUPLET 2
غم دل چند توان خورد؟ که ایام نماندگو نه دل باش و نه ایام چه خواهد بودن؟
gham-e del chand tavân khord ke ayyâm namând / gu na del bâsh o na ayyâm, che khâhad budan
How long can one nurse the heart's grief? The days do not stay. Say: let there be neither heart nor days; what will it matter?
COUPLET 3
مرغ کم‌حوصله را گو غم خود خور که بر اورحمِ آن کس که نهد دام چه خواهد بودن؟
morgh-e kam-howsele râ gu gham-e khod khor ke bar u / rahm-e ân kas ke nahad dâm che khâhad budan
Tell the impatient bird to see to its own troubles: what mercy can it expect from the one who lays the trap?
COUPLET 4
باده خور غم مخور و پند مقلد منیوشاعتبار سخن عام چه خواهد بودن؟
bâde khor gham makhor o pand-e moghalled manyush / e'tebâr-e sokhan-e âm che khâhad budan
Drink wine, do not grieve, and do not listen to the advice of blind followers: what weight can the talk of the crowd carry?
COUPLET 5
دست‌رنج تو همان به که شود صرف به کامدانی آخر که به ناکام چه خواهد بودن؟
dast-ranj-e to hamân beh ke shavad sarf be kâm / dâni âkher ke be nâkâm che khâhad budan
The fruit of your labor is best spent on what you desire; for you know, in the end, what is left when it goes against your wish.
COUPLET 6
پیر میخانه همی‌خواند معمایی دوشاز خط جام، که فرجام چه خواهد بودن؟
pir-e meykhâne hami khând mo'ammâ'i dush / az khatt-e jâm ke farjâm che khâhad budan
Last night the tavern master was reading a riddle from the lines on the cup: what will the outcome be?
COUPLET 7
بردم از ره دل حافظ به دف و چنگ و غزلتا جزای من بدنام چه خواهد بودن
bordam az rah del-e Hâfez be daf o chang o ghazal / tâ jazâ-ye man-e badnâm che khâhad budan
With drum and harp and ghazal I led Hafez's heart astray; let us see what the penalty for me, the disreputable one, will be.
What this fâl tells you
Stop worrying about how it will all turn out; the outcome is not in your hands, and the days pass either way. Tradition reads this fal as advice to enjoy what you have earned, ignore idle talk, and stay calm about the future. Spend your effort on what truly brings you joy.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: che khâhad budan ("what will be"). qâfiye: -âm (jâm, saranjâm, ayyâm, dâm, âm, kâm, nâkâm, farjâm, badnâm).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khoshtar | sweeter, more pleasant dictionary | |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| budan | being dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| bebinam | I see dictionary | |
| saranjâm | end; nik-saranjâm = with a good end dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| چند | chand | how long? how much? dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| khord | eat; gham khordan = to grieve dictionary | |
| ayyâm | days, times dictionary | |
| نماند | namând | did not remain, ran out dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| khod | one's own, oneself dictionary | |
| khor | drink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| rahm | mercy dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نهد | nahad | lays, puts dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| مخور | makhor | do not eat; gham makhor = do not grieve (نخور) dictionary |
| پند | pand | advice dictionary |
| منیوش | manyush | do not listen! (گوش نکن) |
| e'tebâr | weight, account dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| âm | common people dictionary | |
| dast-ranj | earnings, fruit of one's labor dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| همان | hamân | the same dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| sarf | spending; sarf shodan = to be spent dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| ناکام | nâkâm | unfulfilled; be nâkâm = against one's wish dictionary |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| همی‌خواند | hami-khând | was reading dictionary |
| mo'ammâ'i | a riddle dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| فرجام | farjâm | end, outcome dictionary |
| bordam | I took dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| jazâ-ye | penalty, recompense of dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| badnâm | of bad name, disreputable dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 391. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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