Ghazal 436 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
آن غالیه‌خط گر سوی ما نامه نوشتیگردون ورق هستی ما درننوشتی
ân ghâliye-khatt gar su-ye mâ nâme neveshti / gardun varagh-e hasti-ye mâ dar nanevesht-i
If that beloved, whose cheek-down is dark as perfume, had written us a letter, the sky would not have rolled up the page of our existence.
COUPLET 2
هر چند که هجران ثمر وصل برآرددهقان جهان! کاش که این تخم نکِشتی
har chand ke hejrân samar-e vasl barârad / dehghân-e jahân, kâsh ke in tokhm nakeshti
Even if separation bears the fruit of union, O farmer of the world, I wish you had never sown this seed.
COUPLET 3
آمرزش نقد است کسی را که در این جایاری‌ست چو حوری و سرایی چو بهشتی
âmorzesh naghd ast kasi râ ke dar in jâ / yâri-st cho huri o sarâyi cho beheshti
Forgiveness is ready cash for anyone who has, here and now, a friend like a houri and a house like paradise.
COUPLET 4
در مصطبهٔ عشق تنعم نتوان کردچون بالش زر نیست، بسازیم به خشتی
dar mastabe-ye eshgh tana'om natavân kard / chon bâlesh-e zar nist, besâzim be kheshti
In the tavern of love there is no room for luxury: if there is no golden pillow, we will make do with a brick.
COUPLET 5
مفروش به باغ ارم و نخوت شدادیک شیشه می و نوش‌لبی و لبِ کِشتی
maforush be bâgh-e eram o nekhvat-e shaddâd / yek shishe mey o nush-labi o lab-e kesht-i
Do not trade, for the Garden of Eram and Shaddad's pride, a bottle of wine, a sweet-lipped beloved, and the edge of a green field.
COUPLET 6
تا کی غم دنیای دنی ای دل دانا؟حیف است ز خوبی که شود عاشق زشتی
tâ key gham-e donyâ-ye dani ey del-e dânâ / heyf ast ze khubi ke shavad âshegh-e zeshti
How long will you grieve over this base world, O wise heart? It is a pity for a beauty to fall in love with something ugly.
COUPLET 7
آلودگی خرقه، خرابی جهان استکو راهروی، اهلِ دلی، پاک‌سرشتی؟
âludegi-ye kherghe kharâbi-ye jahân ast / ku rahravi, ahl-e deli, pâk-sereshti
A stained cloak is the ruin of the world; where is a true wayfarer, a person of heart, someone pure by nature?
COUPLET 8
از دست چرا هِشت سرِ زلف تو حافظ؟تقدیر چنین بود، چه کردی که نهِشتی؟
az dast cherâ hesht sar-e zolf-e to Hâfez / taghdir chenin bud, che kardi ke naheshti
Why did Hafez let the end of your curl slip from his hand? Fate was so; what could he have done to keep hold of it?
What this fâl tells you
A word from the right person would change a great deal, and this fal says it may still come. Tradition reads it as advice to be content with simple joys, a friend, a cup and a green field, rather than chase grandeur. Do not let worldly worries weigh down a wise heart; what slipped away was in the hands of fate.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -eshti (neveshti, nanevesht-i, nakeshti, beheshti, kheshti, kesht-i, zeshti, sereshti, naheshti).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| su-ye | toward dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نامه | nâme | letter dictionary |
| neveshti | had written (conditional) dictionary | |
| گردون | gardun | the turning sky; fortune dictionary |
| ورق | varagh | page, sheet dictionary |
| hasti | existence, being dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| مر | samar | fruit dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| کاش | kâsh | I wish, if only dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| tokhm | seed dictionary | |
| nakeshti | had not sown dictionary | |
| âmorzesh | forgiveness (of sins) dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| یاری‌ست | yâri-st | there is a friend (= yâri ast) dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| beheshti | of paradise dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| bâlesh | pillow, cushion dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| besâzim | we make do dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| kheshti | a brick dictionary | |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! do not trade away dictionary |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| نخوت | nekhvat | arrogance dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| shishe | glass bottle dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| donyâ-ye | the world of dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dânâ | wise dictionary | |
| heyf | pity, shame dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khubi | goodness, beauty dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| zeshti | an ugly one dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| کو | ku | where is? (کجاست) dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| deli | a heart dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| هشت | hesht | let go, left (گذاشت) |
| sar | tip, end; sar-e zolf = the end of a curl dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| taghdir | fate, destiny dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| kardi | you made dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 436. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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