Ghazal 423 of Hafez (9 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
دوش رفتم به در میکده خواب‌آلودهخرقه تر دامن و سجّاده شراب‌آلوده
dush raftam be dar-e meykade khâb-âlude / kherghe tar-dâman o sajjâde sharâb-âlude
Last night I went to the tavern door heavy with sleep, the hem of my cloak wet and my prayer rug stained with wine.
COUPLET 2
آمد افسوس‌کنان مغبچهٔ باده‌فروشگفت بیدار شو ای رهرو خواب‌آلوده
âmad afsus-konân moghbache-ye bâde-forush / goft bidâr sho ey rahrow-e khâb-âlude
The young Magian wine-seller came, mocking, and said: "Wake up, sleepy traveler!
COUPLET 3
شست و شویی کن و آن‌گه به خرابات خِرامتا نگردد ز تو این دیر خراب آلوده
shost o shuyi kon o ângah be kharâbât khorâm / tâ nagardad ze to in deyr-e kharâb âlude
Wash yourself well, and then walk into the tavern, so that this ruined temple is not defiled by you.
COUPLET 4
به هوای لب شیرین پسران چند کنیجوهر روح به یاقوت مذاب آلوده
be havâ-ye lab-e shirin-pesarân chand koni / jowhar-e ruh be yâghut-e mozâb âlude
How long, longing for the lips of sweet young men, will you stain the essence of your soul with molten ruby?
COUPLET 5
به طهارت گذران منزل پیری و مکنخلعت شیب چو تشریف شباب آلوده
be tahârat gozarân manzel-e piri o makon / khel'at-e sheyb cho tashrif-e shabâb âlude
Pass through the station of old age in purity; do not stain the robe of white hair as you stained the robe of youth.
COUPLET 6
پاک و صافی شو و از چاه طبیعت به در آیکه صفایی ندهد آب تراب‌آلوده
pâk o sâfi sho o az châh-e tabi'at be dar ây / ke safâyi nadahad âb-e torâb-âlude
Be pure and clear, and climb out of the pit of your nature, for muddy water gives no clearness."
COUPLET 7
گفتم ای جان جهان دفتر گل عیبی نیستکه شود فصل بهار از می ناب آلوده
goftam ey jân-e jahân daftar-e gol eybi nist / ke shavad fasl-e bahâr az mey-e nâb âlude
I said: "O soul of the world, it is no fault in the book of the rose if in springtime it is stained with pure wine."
COUPLET 8
آشنایانِ رهِ عشق در این بحر عمیقغرقه گشتند و نگشتند به آب آلوده
âshenâyân-e rah-e eshgh dar in bahr-e amigh / gharghe gashtand o nagashtand be âb âlude
Those who know the way of love drowned in this deep sea, yet were not soiled by its water.
COUPLET 9
گفت حافظ لغز و نکته به یاران مفروشآه از این لطف به انواع عتاب آلوده
goft Hâfez loghaz o nokte be yârân maforush / âh az in lotf be anvâ'-e etâb âlude
He said: "Hafez, don't sell riddles and clever points to your friends." Ah, this kindness laced with every kind of reproach!
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a gentle wake-up call: wash off what weighs on you before you step into something new. Tradition reads it as advice to keep your heart clear and your intentions clean, especially in a new stage of life. Take friendly criticism as care, even when it stings.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: âlude ("stained"). qâfiye: -âb (khâb, sharâb, khâb, kharâb, mozâb, shabâb, torâb, nâb, âb, etâb).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| raftam | I went dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| tar | wet, fresh dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bidâr | awake dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| rahrow | traveler on the path, wayfarer dictionary | |
| shost | washing; shost o shu = a thorough wash (شستشو) dictionary | |
| shuyi | washing; shost o shuyi kon = wash yourself well dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ângah | then, when (آنگاه) | |
| khorâm | stroll!, walk gracefully! (بخرام) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| نگردد | nagardad | does not become dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| âlude | stained, polluted dictionary | |
| havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| پسران | pesarân | boys, young men dictionary |
| چند | chand | how long? how much? dictionary |
| koni | you do, you make dictionary | |
| jowhar | substance, essence dictionary | |
| ruh | soul, spirit dictionary | |
| یاقوت | yâghut | ruby; yâghut-e mozâb = molten ruby, red wine dictionary |
| tahârat | purification dictionary | |
| گذران | gozarân | pass through! (بگذران) dictionary |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| piri | old age dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) | |
| پاک | pâk | pure, clean dictionary |
| sâfi | clear, pure dictionary | |
| چاه | châh | well, pit dictionary |
| tabi'at | nature; one's physical self dictionary | |
| ây | come! (بیا) dictionary | |
| safâyi | a moment of clarity, purity dictionary | |
| ندهد | nadahad | does not give dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| daftar | book, notebook dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| eybi | a fault dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| فصل | fasl | season dictionary |
| bahâr | spring dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| ناب | nâb | pure dictionary |
| âshenâyân | friends dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| amigh | deep dictionary | |
| gharghe | drowned, sunk (غرق) | |
| گشتند | gashtand | became, were dictionary |
| نگشتند | nagashtand | did not become dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (here: do not show off) (نفروش) dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| anvâ' | kinds, all sorts dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 423. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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