Ghazal 430 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
به صوتِ بلبل و قمری اگر ننوشی مِیعلاج کِی کُنمت؟ آخَرالدَواءِ الْکَیْ
be sowt-e bolbol o ghomri agar nanushi mey / alâj key konamat? âkhar-od-davâ'e-l-key
If you won't drink wine to the song of the nightingale and the turtledove, how can I cure you? The last remedy is the branding iron.
COUPLET 2
ذخیره‌ای بنهْ ار رنگ و بویِ فصل بهارکه می‌رسند ز پی، رهزنانِ بهمن و دی
zakhire'i beneh az rang o bu-ye fasl-e bahâr / ke miresand ze pey rahzanân-e bahman o dey
Store up something from the color and scent of spring, for the robbers Bahman and Dey are coming close behind.
COUPLET 3
چو گُل نقاب برافکنْد و مرغ زد هوهومَنهْ ز دست پیاله، چه می‌کُنی؟ هِی‌هِی
cho gol neghâb barafkand o morgh zad hu hu / maneh ze dast piyâle, che mikoni? hey hey
Now that the rose has thrown off its veil and the bird calls "hu hu", don't put the cup down. What are you doing? Hey, hey!
COUPLET 4
شُکوهِ سلطنت و حُسن، کِی ثَباتی داد؟ز تختِ جَم سخنی مانده است و افسرِ کَی
shokuh-e saltanat o hosn key sabâti dâd / ze takht-e jam sokhani mânde ast o afsar-e key
When did the glory of kingship and beauty ever last? Of Jamshid's throne and Kay's crown only a story remains.
COUPLET 5
خزینه‌داری میراث‌خوارگان کفر استبه قولِ مطرب و ساقی، به فَتویِ دَف و نِی
khazine-dâri-ye mirâs-khârgân kofr ast / be ghowl-e motreb o sâghi, be fatvâ-ye daf o ney
Hoarding treasure for heirs to devour is unbelief, by the word of the musician and the cupbearer, by the ruling of drum and flute.
COUPLET 6
زمانه هیچ نبَخشد که باز نستانَدمجو ز سفله مروَّت، که شَیئُهُ لا شَی
zamâne hich nabakhshad ke bâz nastânad / maju ze sefle morovvat ke shey'oho lâ shey
Time gives nothing that it does not take back. Do not seek generosity from the mean: their "something" is nothing.
COUPLET 7
نوشته‌اند بر اِیوانِ جَنةُ المَأویٰکه هر که عشوهٔ دُنییِ خرید، وای به وی
nevesteand bar eyvân-e jannato-l-ma'vâ / ke har ke eshve-ye donyi kharid, vây be vey
They have written on the portico of the Garden of Refuge: whoever is taken in by the world's charms, woe to him!
COUPLET 8
سَخا نمانْد، سخن طی کنم، شراب کجاست؟بده به شادیِ روح و روانِ حاتمِ طَی
sakhâ namând, sokhan tey konam, sharâb kojâst / bede be shâdi-ye ruh o ravân-e hâtam-e tey
Generosity is gone; I will cut my words short. Where is the wine? Pour it, to the joy of the soul and spirit of Hatam of Tayy.
COUPLET 9
بخیل، بوی خدا نشنود بیا حافظپیاله گیر و کَرَم وَرز، وَ الضَّمانُ عَلَيّ
bakhil bu-ye khodâ nashnavad, biyâ Hâfez / piyâle gir o karam varz, va-z-zamâno alay
The miser will never catch the scent of God. Come, Hafez, take the cup and be generous; I stand as guarantor.
What this fâl tells you
The season is beautiful but short, and this fal asks you to gather its gifts before winter comes. Tradition reads it as advice to be generous rather than hoard, since nothing that time gives stays forever. Open your hand and enjoy what you have with others.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ey (key, dey, hey, key, ney, shey, vey, tey, alay). Arabic phrases close beyts 1, 6 and 9; tey in beyt 8 is both "folding" and "Tayy".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sowt | sound, voice dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| nanushi | you should not drink dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| alâj | cure, treatment dictionary | |
| کنمت | konamat | I (treat) you dictionary |
| âkhar-od-davâ' | the last remedy (Arabic) (آخرین درمان) | |
| al-key | branding with fire, cauterizing (Arabic) (داغ کردن) | |
| zakhire'i | some provision, a store dictionary | |
| beneh | put aside! store! (بگذار) dictionary | |
| az | from (written ار here; = az) (از) | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| فصل | fasl | season dictionary |
| bahâr | spring dictionary | |
| می‌رسند | miresand | are arriving, coming dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| pey | after; ze pey = close behind dictionary | |
| bahman | Bahman, the eleventh month (late winter) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| منه | maneh | do not put down (نگذار) dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| پیاله | piyâle | cup dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| mikoni | you do dictionary | |
| shokuh | glory, splendor dictionary | |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| sabâti | stability, permanence dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| takht | throne dictionary | |
| sokhani | a saying dictionary | |
| مانده | mânde | remained dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| afsar | crown dictionary | |
| کفر | kofr | unbelief dictionary |
| قول | ghowl | word, saying dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| فتوی | fatvâ | religious ruling (فتوا) |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| نبخشد | nabakhshad | does not give dictionary |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| نستاند | nastânad | does not take back dictionary |
| مجو | maju | do not seek (نجوی) dictionary |
| مروت | morovvat | generosity, humane kindness dictionary |
| shey'oho | its thing, what it has (Arabic) (چیزش) | |
| لا | lâ | no, not (Arabic) (نه) |
| shey | thing (Arabic) (چیز) | |
| نوشته‌اند | nevesteand | (they) have written dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| jannato | garden, paradise (Arabic) (بهشت) | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| eshve | flirting, coaxing; eshve dâdan = to deceive with charm; eshve kharidan = to be taken in dictionary | |
| donyi | this world (old spelling of donyâ) (دنیا) | |
| kharid | bought dictionary | |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| نماند | namând | did not remain, ran out dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| tey | folding, rolling up; tey shodan = to be finished dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| shâdi | joy dictionary | |
| ruh | soul, spirit dictionary | |
| tey | Tayy, the Arab tribe of the generous Hatam dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| نشنود | nashnavad | does not catch (a scent), does not hear dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| گیر | gir | take! yâd gir = learn! (بگیر) dictionary |
| ورز | varz | cultivate! practice! (بورز) dictionary |
| az-zamâno | the guarantee (Arabic) (ضمانت) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 430. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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