Ghazal 420 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
ناگهان پرده برانداخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟مست از خانه برون تاخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
nâgahân parde bar andâkhte'i, ya'ni che / mast az khâne borun tâkhte'i, ya'ni che
Suddenly you have thrown off the veil: what does it mean? You have rushed drunk out of the house: what does it mean?
COUPLET 2
زلف در دستِ صبا، گوش به فرمان رقیباین چنین با همه درساخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
zolf dar dast-e sabâ, gush be farmân-e raghib / in chenin bâ hame dar-sâkhte'i, ya'ni che
Your curls in the hands of the breeze, your ear obeying the rival: you get along like this with everyone. What does it mean?
COUPLET 3
شاهِ خوبانی و منظورِ گدایان شده‌ایقدرِ این مرتبه نشناخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
shâh-e khubâni o manzur-e gedâyân shode'i / ghadr-e in martabe nashenâkhte'i, ya'ni che
You are king of the beautiful and have become the one the beggars gaze at, yet you have not known the worth of this rank. What does it mean?
COUPLET 4
نه سرِ زلفِ خود اول تو به دستم دادیبازم از پای درانداخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
na sar-e zolf-e khod avval to be dastam dâdi / bâzam az pây darandâkhte'i, ya'ni che
Was it not you who first put the end of your curl in my hand? Now you have thrown me off my feet again. What does it mean?
COUPLET 5
سخنت رمزِ دهان گفت و کمر سِرِّ میانوز میان، تیغ به ما آخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
sokhanat ramz-e dahân goft o kamar serr-e miyân / v-az miyân tigh be mâ âkhte'i, ya'ni che
Your words told the secret of your mouth, and your belt the secret of your waist; yet from your waist you have drawn a sword on us. What does it mean?
COUPLET 6
هر کس از مُهرهٔ مِهر تو به نقشی مشغولعاقبت با همه کج باخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
har kas az mohre-ye mehr-e to be naghshi mashghul / âghebat bâ hame kaj bâkhte'i, ya'ni che
Everyone is busy with some throw in the game of your love; in the end you have played crooked with all of them. What does it mean?
COUPLET 7
حافظا در دلِ تنگت چو فرود آمد یارخانه از غیر نپرداخته‌ای، یعنی چه؟
Hâfezâ dar del-e tangat cho forud âmad yâr / khâne az gheyr napardâkhte'i, ya'ni che
Hafez, when the beloved came to stay in your narrow heart, you did not clear the house of others. What does it mean?
What this fâl tells you
This fal asks you for clarity: something has changed suddenly, and you are right to ask what it means. Tradition reads it as advice to know the worth of your own position and to deal honestly with everyone. If you want someone dear to stay, make room for them by letting go of what crowds your heart.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ya'ni che ("what does it mean?"). qâfiye: -âkhte'i (barandâkhte'i, tâkhte'i, dar-sâkhte'i, nashenâkhte'i, darandâkhte'i, âkhte'i, bâkhte'i, napardâkhte'i).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ناگهان | nâgahân | suddenly dictionary |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| bar andâkhte'i | you have thrown off, lifted (the veil) dictionary | |
| ya'ni | that is, I mean dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| فرمان | farmân | command dictionary |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گدایان | gedâyân | beggars dictionary |
| shode'i | you have become dictionary | |
| قدر | ghadr | worth, value dictionary |
| مرتبه | martabe | rank, station dictionary |
| nashenâkhte'i | you have not known dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| sar | tip, end; sar-e zolf = the end of a curl dictionary | |
| khod | your own dictionary | |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dastam | my hand; az dast raftan = to slip out of one's control dictionary | |
| dâdi | you gave dictionary | |
| bâzam | me again (= bâz marâ) dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| darandâkhte'i | you have thrown down dictionary | |
| sokhanat | your speech, your words dictionary | |
| ramz | secret, mystery dictionary | |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| کمر | kamar | waist; belt; kamar bastan = to get ready to set out dictionary |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| âkhte'i | you have drawn (a sword) dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| مهرهٔ | mohre | game piece (as in backgammon), dice dictionary |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| naghshi | a throw, a move (of dice); a picture dictionary | |
| مشغول | mashghul | busy, occupied dictionary |
| âghebat | end, outcome dictionary | |
| کج | kaj | tilted, crooked dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| tangat | your narrow (heart) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| napardâkhte'i | you have not cleared, emptied dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 420. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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