Ghazal 434 of Hafez (8 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
ای دل مباش یک دم خالی ز عشق و مستیوآنگه برو که رستی از نیستی و هستی
ey del mabâsh yek dam khâli ze eshgh o masti / v-ângah borow ke rasti az nisti o hasti
O heart, don't be empty of love and intoxication for a single moment; then go, for you are free of nonbeing and being.
COUPLET 2
گر جان به تن ببینی مشغول کار او شوهر قبله‌ای که بینی بهتر ز خودپرستی
gar jân be tan bebini mashghul-e kâr-e u sho / har ghable'i ke bini behtar ze khodparasti
If you see life in your body, busy yourself with the beloved's work: any direction of prayer you can see is better than worshipping yourself.
COUPLET 3
با ضعف و ناتوانی همچون نسیم خوش باشبیماری اندر این ره بهتر ز تندرستی
bâ za'f o nâtavâni hamchon nasim khosh bâsh / bimâri andar in rah behtar ze tandorosti
In weakness and frailty, be happy like the breeze; on this path sickness is better than health.
COUPLET 4
در مذهب طریقت خامی نشان کفر استآری طریقِ دولت چالاکی است و چستی
dar mazhab-e tarighat khâmi neshân-e kofr ast / âri tarigh-e dowlat châlâki ast o chosti
In the creed of the Sufi path, rawness is a sign of unbelief; yes, the way to good fortune is agility and quickness.
COUPLET 5
تا فضل و عقل بینی بی‌معرفت نشینییک نکته‌ات بگویم خود را مبین که رستی
tâ fazl o aghl bini bi-ma'refat neshini / yek nokte'at beguyam: khod râ mabin ke rasti
As long as you look to learning and reason, you will sit without true knowledge. Let me tell you one point: stop looking at yourself, and you are saved.
COUPLET 6
در آستان جانان از آسمان میندیشکز اوج سربلندی افتی به خاک پستی
dar âstân-e jânân az âsmân mayandish / k-az owj-e sarbolandi ofti be khâk-e pasti
At the beloved's threshold do not think of the heavens, or from the height of pride you will fall into the dust of lowliness.
COUPLET 7
خار ارچه جان بکاهد گل عذر آن بخواهدسهل است تلخی می در جنب ذوق مستی
khâr ar che jân bekâhad gol ozr-e ân bekhâhad / sahl ast talkhi-ye mey dar janb-e zowgh-e masti
Though the thorn wears down the soul, the rose will make amends for it; the bitterness of wine is a small thing beside the joy of drunkenness.
COUPLET 8
صوفی پیاله‌پیما حافظ قرابه‌‌پرهیزای کوته‌آستینان تا کی درازدستی؟
sufi piyâle-peymâ, Hâfez gharâbe-parhiz / ey kutah-âstinân tâ key derâzdasti
The Sufi drinks cup after cup, while Hafez abstains from the flask! O you of short sleeves, how long will you overreach?
What this fâl tells you
This fal asks you to stop measuring everything against yourself. Tradition reads it as advice to be humble at the beloved's door, quick and alert on the path, and patient with small pains, since the thorn comes with the rose. Let go of self-importance and you will feel free.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -asti (masti, hasti, khodparasti, tandorosti, chosti, rasti, pasti, masti, derâzdasti).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مباش | mabâsh | do not be! (نباش) dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| khâli | empty, free dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| وآنگه | v-ângah | and then (و آنگاه) |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| rasti | you are freed, saved dictionary | |
| nisti | nonbeing, nothingness dictionary | |
| hasti | existence, being dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tan | body dictionary | |
| bebini | you see dictionary | |
| مشغول | mashghul | busy with dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| bini | you see dictionary | |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| za'f | weakness dictionary | |
| nâtavâni | frailty, weakness dictionary | |
| همچون | hamchon | like (مثل) |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| bimâri | sickness dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| tandorosti | health dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مذهب | mazhab | creed, religion dictionary |
| tarighat | the Sufi path dictionary | |
| khâmi | rawness, immaturity dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| کفر | kofr | unbelief dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| châlâki | agility, nimbleness dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| neshini | you sit dictionary | |
| نکته‌ات | nokte'at | a point ... to you dictionary |
| beguyam | (that) I say dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| مبین | mabin | do not look (old imperative) (نگاه نکن) dictionary |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| میندیش | mayandish | do not think (of)! (نیندیش) dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| owj | summit, height dictionary | |
| ofti | you fall dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| pasti | lowliness dictionary | |
| khâr | thorn dictionary | |
| ar che | although (= agar che) (اگرچه) | |
| bekâhad | wears down, diminishes dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bekhâhad | asks; ozr khâstan = to apologize, make amends dictionary | |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| talkhi | bitterness dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| janb | side; dar janb-e = beside, compared to dictionary | |
| zowgh-e | taste, delight of 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 434. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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