Ghazal 404 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
می‌فکن بر صف رندان نظری بهتر از اینبر در میکده می‌کن گذری بهتر از این
mifekan bar saf-e rendân nazari behtar az in / bar dar-e meykade mikon gozari behtar az in
Cast a kinder glance than this on the ranks of the free spirits; pass by the tavern door more often than this.
COUPLET 2
در حق من لبت این لطف که می‌فرمایدسخت خوب است ولیکن قَدَری بهتر از این
dar hagh-e man labat in lotf ke mifarmâyad / sakht khub ast valikan ghadari behtar az in
The kindness your lip shows me is very good, but a little better than this would be better still.
COUPLET 3
آن که فکرش گره از کار جهان بگْشایدگو در این کار بفرما، نظری بهتر از این؟
ân ke fekrash gereh az kâr-e jahân bogshâyad / gu dar in kâr befarmâ nazari behtar az in
Tell the one whose thinking unties the knots of the world's affairs to give this matter a better look than this.
COUPLET 4
ناصحم گفت که جز غم چه هنر دارد عشقبرو ای خواجهٔ عاقل هنری بهتر از این؟!
nâsehem goft ke joz gham che honar dârad eshgh / borow ey khâje-ye âghel honari behtar az in
My adviser said, "What does love have to offer but grief?" Go away, wise sir: what virtue is better than this?
COUPLET 5
دل بدان رود گرامی چه کنم گر ندهم؟مادر دهر ندارد پسری بهتر از این
del be dân rud-e gerâmi che konam gar nadeham / mâdar-e dahr nadârad pesari behtar az in
What else can I do but give my heart to that precious child? Mother Time has no son better than this.
COUPLET 6
من چو گویم که قَدَح نوش و لب ساقی بوسبشنو از من که نگوید دگری بهتر از این
man cho guyam ke ghadah nush o lab-e sâghi bus / beshno az man ke naguyad degari behtar az in
When I tell you, "Drink the cup and kiss the cupbearer's lip," listen to me: no one will tell you anything better than this.
COUPLET 7
کِلْکِ حافظ شکرین میوه نباتی‌ست، بچینکه در این باغ نبینی ثمری بهتر از این
kelk-e Hâfez shekarin mive nabâti-st bechin / ke dar in bâgh nabini samari behtar az in
Hafez's pen is a sweet plant with sugary fruit: pick from it, for in this garden you will find no fruit better than this.
What this fâl tells you
Things are good, but they can be better, and it is fine to ask for a little more kindness and attention. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to request gently what you hope for and to bring your question to someone wise who can untie the knot. What you have been offered is sweet; enjoy it.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: behtar az in ("better than this"). qâfiye: -ari (nazari, gozari, ghadari, honari, pesari, degari, samari).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| می‌فکن | mifekan | cast! (keep casting) (بیفکن) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| saf | row, rank dictionary | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| می‌کن | mikon | keep doing! (gozar mikon = pass by often) (بکن) dictionary |
| gozari | a passing by dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| می‌فرماید | mifarmâyad | grants, bestows (polite "does") dictionary |
| sakht | very; hard dictionary | |
| khub | good dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ولیکن | valikan | but (ولی) |
| ghadari | a little, somewhat dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| فکرش | fekrash | his thought dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| bogshâyad | may open, untie (باز کند) dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| befarmâ | please tell; command dictionary | |
| ناصحم | nâsehem | my adviser dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| هنر | honar | skill, art dictionary |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary | |
| âghel | wise, rational dictionary | |
| honari | a skill, a virtue dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| rud | dear child, son (archaic) (فرزند) dictionary | |
| gerâmi | dear, precious dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| ندهم | nadaham | I would not give dictionary |
| مادر | mâdar | mother dictionary |
| dahr | time, the world, fate dictionary | |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| pesari | a son dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| گویم | guyam | I say dictionary |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| نوش | nush | drink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| bus | kiss (بوسه) dictionary | |
| beshno | listen! dictionary | |
| نگوید | naguyad | does not say, will not say dictionary |
| digari | another person (= digari) (دیگری) | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| میوه | mive | fruit dictionary |
| نباتی‌ست | nabâti-st | is a plant (nabât = plant; also rock candy, a pun) (گیاهی است) dictionary |
| bechin | pick! dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| nabini | you will not see dictionary | |
| samari | a fruit dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 404. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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