Ghazal 444 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
شهری‌ست پُر ظریفان وز هر طرف نگارییاران! صلای عشق است گر می‌کنید کاری
shahri-st por zarifân v-az har taraf negâri / yârân salâ-ye eshgh ast gar mikonid kâri
It is a city full of charming people, with a beauty on every side. Friends, love is calling: if you mean to act, act now.
COUPLET 2
چشم فلک نبیند زین طُرفه‌تر جوانیدر دست کس نیفتد زین خوب‌تر نگاری
cheshm-e falak nabinad z-in torfe-tar javâni / dar dast-e kas nayoftad z-in khubtar negâri
The eye of heaven will never see a more wondrous young one than this; no one will ever hold a lovelier beauty.
COUPLET 3
هرگز که دیده باشد جسمی ز جان مُرَکَّب؟بر دامنش مبادا زین خاکیان غباری
hargez ke dide bâshad jesmi ze jân morakkab / bar dâmanash mabâdâ z-in khâkiyân ghobâri
Who has ever seen a body made of soul? May no dust from us creatures of earth ever settle on its hem.
COUPLET 4
چون من شکسته‌ای را از پیش خود چه رانی؟کم غایت توقع بوسی‌ست یا کناری
chon man shekaste'i râ az pish-e khod che râni / kam ghâyat-e tavaghgho' busi-st yâ kenâri
Why drive a broken one like me away from you? The least of my hopes is a kiss or an embrace.
COUPLET 5
مِی بی‌غش است دریاب، وقتی خوش است بشتابسال دگر که دارد امّید نوبهاری؟
mey bi-ghash ast dar yâb, vaghti khosh ast beshtâb / sâl-e degar ke dârad omid-e nowbahâri
The wine is pure: seize it. The moment is good: hurry. Who can count on another spring next year?
COUPLET 6
در بوستان حریفان مانند لاله و گلهر یک گرفته جامی بر یادِ رویِ یاری
dar bustân harifân mânand-e lâle o gol / har yek gerefte jâmi bar yâd-e ru-ye yâri
In the garden the companions are like tulips and roses, each holding a cup in memory of someone's face.
COUPLET 7
چون این گره گشایم؟ وین راز چون نمایم؟دردی و سخت دردی، کاری و صعب کاری
chon in gereh goshâyam, v-in râz chon nemâyam / dardi o sakht dardi, kâri o sa'b kâri
How can I untie this knot, how can I reveal this secret? A pain, and a hard pain; a task, and a difficult task.
COUPLET 8
هر تار موی حافظ در دست زلفِ شوخیمشکل توان نشستن در این چنین دیاری
har târ-e mu-ye Hâfez dar dast-e zolf-e shukhi / moshkel tavân neshastan dar in chenin diyâri
Every strand of Hafez's hair is caught in the curl of some playful beauty; it is hard to sit still in a land like this.
What this fâl tells you
Your surroundings are full of good company and opportunity, and this fal says: do not wait. Tradition reads it as a call to seize a good moment while it lasts, since next spring is not promised. A knot you face is hard but not impossible; share a cup with friends and it will loosen.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âri (negâri, kâri, negâri, ghobâri, kenâri, nowbahâri, yâri, kâri, diyâri).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| shahri-st | it is a city (= shahri ast) dictionary | |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| zarifân | charming, witty people dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| می‌کنید | mikonid | you (plural) do dictionary |
| kâri | something; a task; gar mikonid kâri = if you mean to act dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| نبیند | nabinad | does not see dictionary |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| javâni | a young one dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نیفتد | nayoftad | does not fall dictionary |
| khubtar | fairer, more beautiful dictionary | |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| dide | seen; dide bâshad = has seen dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| jesmi | a body dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| مرکب | morakkab | made, composed (of) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مبادا | mabâdâ | may it never be! dictionary |
| khâkiyân | dust-dwellers, humble earthly beings dictionary | |
| ghobâri | a little dust dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| shekaste'i | a broken one dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| râni | you drive away dictionary | |
| کم | kam | least dictionary |
| busi-st | is a kiss (= busi ast) dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| kenâri | an embrace dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dar yâb | seize! grasp! dictionary | |
| vaghti | a time dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| beshtâb | hurry! dictionary | |
| sâl | year dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| bustân | garden dictionary | |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| گرفته | gerefte | taken; khun-gerefte = soaked in blood dictionary |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| yâri | friendship; a friend dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گشایم | goshâyam | I untie, open dictionary |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| نمایم | nemâyam | I reveal, show dictionary |
| dardi | a pain dictionary | |
| sakht | very; hard dictionary | |
| sa'b | hard, difficult (سخت) | |
| mu-ye | hair of dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| shukhi | a playful, mischievous beauty dictionary | |
| مشکل | moshkel | hard, difficult dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| نشستن | neshastan | to sit still, to settle dictionary |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| diyâri | a land dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 444. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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