Ghazal 429 of Hafez (12 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
ساقی بیا که شد قدحِ لاله پر ز میطامات تا به چند و خرافات تا به کی؟
sâghi biyâ ke shod ghadah-e lâle por ze mey / tâmât tâ be chand o khorâfât tâ be key
Cupbearer, come: the tulip's cup is full of wine. How long this showy talk, how long these superstitions?
COUPLET 2
بگذر ز کبر و ناز که دیده‌ست روزگارچینِ قبای قیصر و طرْفِ کلاهِ کی
bogzar ze kebr o nâz ke dide-st ruzegâr / chin-e ghabâ-ye gheysar o tarf-e kolâh-e key
Give up pride and airs: time has already seen the folds of Caesar's robe and the tilt of the crown of Kay.
COUPLET 3
هشیار شو که مرغِ چمن مست گشت، هانبیدار شو که خوابِ عدم در پی است، هی
hoshyâr sho ke morgh-e chaman mast gasht, hân / bidâr sho ke khâb-e adam dar pey ast, hey
Be alert, for the bird of the meadow has gotten drunk, listen! Wake up, for the sleep of nothingness is coming after you, hey!
COUPLET 4
خوش‌نازکانه می‌چمی ای شاخ نوبهار!کآشفتگی مبادت از آشوبِ بادِ دی
khosh-nâzokâne michami ey shâkh-e nowbahâr / k-âshoftegi mabâdat az âshub-e bâd-e dey
How delicately you sway, O branch of early spring; may the storm of the winter wind never throw you into disorder.
COUPLET 5
بر مِهرِ چرخ و شیوهٔ او اعتماد نیستای وای بر کسی که شد ایمن ز مکرِ وی
bar mehr-e charkh o shive-ye u e'temâd nist / ey vây bar kasi ke shod ayman ze makr-e vey
There is no trusting the love of the turning sky or its ways; woe to anyone who feels safe from its tricks.
COUPLET 6
فردا شرابِ کوثر و حور از برای ماستو امروز نیز ساقیِ مه‌روی و جام می
fardâ sharâb-e kowsar o hur az barâ-ye mâst / v-emruz niz sâghi-ye mah-ruy o jâm-e mey
Tomorrow the wine of Kawthar and the houris are ours, and today too a moon-faced cupbearer and a cup of wine.
COUPLET 7
بادِ صبا ز عهدِ صبی یاد می‌دهدجان‌دارویی که غم ببرد درده ای صبی!
bâd-e sabâ ze ahd-e sabi yâd midahad / jân-dâruyi ke gham bebarad dar deh ey sabi
The morning breeze brings back memories of childhood; boy, pour the medicine of the soul that carries sorrow away.
COUPLET 8
حشمت مبین و سلطنتِ گل، که بسپردفراشِ باد هر ورقش را به زیر پی
heshmat mabin o saltanat-e gol ke besparad / farrâsh-e bâd har varaghash râ be zir-e pey
Do not look at the grandeur and reign of the rose, for the wind, like a sweeping servant, will trample every petal underfoot.
COUPLET 9
درده به یاد حاتمِ طی جام یک منیتا نامهٔ سیاه بخیلان کنیم طی
dar deh be yâd-e hâtam-e tey jâm-e yek mani / tâ nâme-ye siyâh-e bakhilân konim tey
Pour a cup as big as a whole "man" in memory of Hatam of Tayy, so we can fold up the black record of the misers.
COUPLET 10
زآن می که داد حُسن و لطافت به ارغوانبیرون فکند لطف مزاج از رخش به خوی
z-ân mey ke dâd hosn o letâfat be arghavân / birun fekand lotf-e mezâj az rokhash be khey
That wine which gave beauty and grace to the redbud: its fine nature broke out on the beloved's face as sweat.
COUPLET 11
مسند به باغ بر که به خدمت چو بندگاناستاده است سرو و کمر بسته است نی
masnad be bâgh bar ke be khedmat cho bandegân / estâde ast sarv o kamar baste ast ney
Take your seat out to the garden, where the cypress stands ready to serve like a servant and the reed has girded its belt.
COUPLET 12
حافظ حدیثِ سحرفریبِ خوشت رسیدتا حدِ مصر و چین و به اطرافِ روم و ری
Hâfez hadis-e sehr-faribe khoshat resid / tâ hadd-e mesr o chin o be atrâf-e rum o rey
Hafez, your lovely, spellbinding words have reached as far as Egypt and China and the lands of Rum and Rey.
What this fâl tells you
Spring is here and this fal asks you to wake up to it, not to waste it on empty talk or pride. Tradition reads it as advice to enjoy the present with generosity, since fortune turns and even kings' crowns pass. Give freely; your good name may travel farther than you imagine.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ey (mey, key, key, hey, dey, vey, mey, sabi, pey, tey, khey, ney, rey). Key in beyt 1 is "when", in beyt 2 the Kayanid king; tey in beyt 9 is both "Tayy" and "folding".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khorâfât | superstitions, nonsense dictionary | |
| bogzar | pass by, give up! dictionary | |
| کبر | kebr | pride, arrogance (تکبر) |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| dide-st | has seen (= dide ast) dictionary | |
| ruzegâr | time, days dictionary | |
| چین | chin | fold, crease dictionary |
| قیصر | gheysar | Caesar, the Byzantine emperor dictionary |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| هشیار | hoshyâr | sober, alert dictionary |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| bidâr | awake dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| adam | nothingness, non-being dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| pey | after (dar pey = following); foot (zir-e pey = underfoot) dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| hey | hey! (a call to wake up) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| shâkh | branch; shâkh-e nabât = a stick of rock candy (also the name tradition gives Hafez's beloved) dictionary | |
| k-âshoftegi | that ... disorder (= ke âshoftegi) dictionary | |
| مبادت | mabâdat | may there not be ... for you dictionary |
| âshub | uproar, turmoil dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| e'temâd | trust, reliance dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| مکر | makr | deceit, trickery dictionary |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| فردا | fardâ | tomorrow dictionary |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| barâ-ye | for dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| ahd | time, era dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| می‌دهد | midahad | gives; neshân midahad = describes dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| bebarad | carries away dictionary | |
| dardeh | pass round, pour! (بده) dictionary | |
| مبین | mabin | do not look (old imperative) (نگاه نکن) dictionary |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| besparad | tramples, treads under (sepordan = to tread) dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ورقش | varaghash | its petals dictionary |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| tey | Tayy, the Arab tribe of the generous Hatam dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| mani | someone like me (chon mani) dictionary | |
| نامهٔ | nâme | letter dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| کنیم | konim | let us do dictionary |
| tey | folding, rolling up; tey shodan = to be finished dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| لطافت | letâfat | delicacy, grace dictionary |
| birun | outside dictionary | |
| فکند | fekand | cast, spread (= afkand) (افکند) dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| مزاج | mezâj | temperament, health dictionary |
| rokhash | his/her face dictionary | |
| مسند | masnad | seat of power, throne dictionary |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| bar | take! carry! (= bebar) (ببر) dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bandegân | servants dictionary | |
| estâde | standing (ایستاده) dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| کمر | kamar | waist; belt; kamar bastan = to get ready to set out dictionary |
| baste | tied, girded dictionary | |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khoshat | your lovely dictionary | |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| hadd | limit, border dictionary | |
| مصر | mesr | Egypt dictionary |
| چین | chin | China dictionary |
| atrâf | regions, lands dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 429. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.