Ghazal 419 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
وصال او ز عمر جاودان بهخداوندا مرا آن ده که آن به
vesâl-e u ze omr-e jâvedân beh / khodâvandâ marâ ân deh ke ân beh
Union with the beloved is better than eternal life. Lord, give me whatever is best.
COUPLET 2
به شمشیرم زد و با کَس نگفتمکه راز دوست از دشمن نهان به
be shamshiram zad o bâ kas nagoftam / ke râz-e dust az doshman nahân beh
The beloved struck me with a sword and I told no one, for the friend's secret is best kept hidden from the enemy.
COUPLET 3
به داغ بندگی مردن بر این دربه جان او که از مُلکِ جهان به
be dâgh-e bandegi mordan bar in dar / be jân-e u ke az molk-e jahân beh
To die at this door with the brand of servitude is, I swear by the beloved's life, better than the kingdom of the world.
COUPLET 4
خدا را از طبیبِ من بپرسیدکه آخِر کِی شود این ناتوان به؟
khodâ râ az tabib-e man beporsid / ke âkher key shavad in nâtavân beh
For God's sake, ask my doctor when at last this weak one will get better.
COUPLET 5
گُلی کآن پایمالِ سروِ ما گشتبود خاکش ز خونِ ارغوان به
goli k-ân pâymâl-e sarv-e mâ gasht / bovad khâkash ze khun-e arghavân beh
A rose that was trampled under our cypress: even its dust is better than the blood-red redbud.
COUPLET 6
به خلدم دعوت ای زاهد! مفرماکه این سیب زَنَخ، زآن بوستان به
be kholdam da'vat ey zâhed mafarmâ / ke in sib-e zanakh z-ân bustân beh
Ascetic, do not invite me to paradise: this apple of a chin is better than that garden.
COUPLET 7
دلا! دائم گدای کوی او باشبه حکم آن که دولت جاودان به
delâ dâyem gedâ-ye ku-ye u bâsh / be hokm-e ân ke dowlat jâvedân beh
O heart, always be a beggar in the beloved's street, since good fortune is best when it lasts.
COUPLET 8
جوانا! سَر متاب از پندِ پیرانکه رأی پیر از بختِ جوان به
javânâ sar matâb az pand-e pirân / ke ra'y-e pir az bakht-e javân beh
Young man, do not turn your head from the advice of elders: an old man's judgment is better than young luck.
COUPLET 9
شبی می‌گفت چشمِ کَس ندیده‌ستز مرواریدِ گوشم در جهان به
shabi migoft cheshm-e kas nadide-st / ze morvârid-e gusham dar jahân beh
One night the beloved said: no eye in the world has seen a pearl better than the one in my ear.
COUPLET 10
اگر چه زنده‌رود آب حیات استولی شیرازِ ما از اصفهان به
agar che zende-rud âb-e hayât ast / vali shirâz-e mâ az esfahân beh
Even if the Zayandeh Rud is the water of life, our Shiraz is better than Isfahan.
COUPLET 11
سخن اندر دهانِ دوست شکَّرولیکِن گفتهٔ حافظ از آن به
sokhan andar dahân-e dust shekkar / valiken gofte-ye Hâfez az ân beh
Words in the beloved's mouth are sugar, but Hafez's verse is better still.
What this fâl tells you
This fal asks you to ask for "what is best", not only for what you want. Tradition reads it as a sign to keep your secret, listen to the advice of someone older, and stay loyal to the door you have chosen. Home, too, is better than it seems: value what is yours.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: beh ("better"). qâfiye: -ân (jâvedân, ân, nahân, jahân, nâtavân, arghavân, bustân, jâvedân, javân, jahân, esfahân, ân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| jâvedân | forever (همیشه) | |
| be / beh | to, with, by; at the end of a half-line (the radif): beh = better (بهتر) dictionary | |
| khodâvandâ | O Lord! dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| shamshiram | (struck) me with a sword (shamshir + -am) dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نگفتم | nagoftam | I did not tell dictionary |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| doshman | enemy dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| dâgh | brand, burning mark (like the dark spot in a tulip) dictionary | |
| مردن | mordan | to die, dying dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| tabib | doctor (پزشک) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bepors-id | ask! (plural) dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| ناتوان | nâtavân | weak, helpless dictionary |
| goli | a rose, a flower dictionary | |
| کآن | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| khâkash | its dust dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| kholdam | (invite) me to paradise (khold = eternal garden) (بهشت) | |
| da'vat | invitation dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| مفرما | mafarmâ | do not (do so)! (polite negative imperative) (نکن) dictionary |
| sib | apple dictionary | |
| zanakh | chin; châh-e zanakh = the dimple of the chin (چانه) | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| bustân | garden (here of paradise) dictionary | |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| hokm | command, control dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| javânâ | O young man! dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar tâftan = to turn away, refuse dictionary | |
| پند | pand | advice dictionary |
| پیران | pirân | elders, old men dictionary |
| ra'y | judgment, opinion dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| javân | young dictionary | |
| shabi | one night dictionary | |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| ندیده‌ست | nadide-st | has not seen (= nadide ast) dictionary |
| مروارید | morvârid | pearl dictionary |
| گوشم | gusham | my ear dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| zende-rud | Zende Rud (Zayandeh Rud), the river of Isfahan (زاینده‌رود) | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| hayât | life; âb-e hayât = the water of life dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| shekar | sugar dictionary | |
| ولیکن | valikan | but (ولی) |
| گفتهٔ | gofte | words, what is said 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 419. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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