Ghazal 450 of Hafez (11 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
روزگاری‌ست که ما را نگران می‌داریمخلصان را نه به وضع دگران می‌داری
ruzgâri-st ke mâ râ negarân midâri / mokhlesân râ na be vaz'-e degarân midâri
For a long time now you have kept us anxious; you do not treat your devoted friends the way you treat others.
COUPLET 2
گوشهٔ چشمِ رضایی به مَنَتْ باز نشداین چنین عزت صاحب‌نظران می‌داری؟
gushe-ye cheshm-e rezâyi be manat bâz nashod / in chenin ezzat-e sâheb-nazarân midâri?
Not once did the corner of an approving eye of yours open toward me: is this how you honor people of insight?
COUPLET 3
ساعد آن به که بپوشی تو چو از بهرِ نگاردست در خونِ دلِ پُرهنران می‌داری
sâ'ed ân beh ke bepushi to cho az bahr-e negâr / dast dar khun-e del-e porhonarân midâri
Better that you cover your forearm, since, to paint your henna, you dip your hand in the heart's blood of gifted men.
COUPLET 4
نه گل از دستِ غمت رست و نه بلبل در باغهمه را نعره‌زنان جامه‌دران می‌داری
na gol az dast-e ghamat rost o na bolbol dar bâgh / hame râ na're-zanân jâme-darân midâri
Neither the rose nor the nightingale in the garden escaped the grief you cause; you keep them all crying out and tearing their clothes.
COUPLET 5
ای که در دلقِ مُلَمَّع طلبی نقد حضورچشم سری عجب از بی‌خبران می‌داری؟
ey ke dar dalgh-e molamma' talabi naghd-e hozur / cheshm-e serri ajab az bikhabarân midâri
You who look for the true coin of presence inside a gaudy patched cloak: how strange to expect a secret from those who know nothing!
COUPLET 6
چون تویی نرگسِ باغ نظر ای چشم و چراغسر چرا بر من دل‌خسته گران می‌داری؟
chon toyi narges-e bâgh-e nazar ey cheshm o cherâgh / sar cherâ bar man-e delkhaste gerân midâri?
Since you are the narcissus in the garden of sight, light of my eyes, why do you turn your head so proudly from me, weary-hearted?
COUPLET 7
گوهر جام‌جم از کانِ جهانی دگر استتو تمنّا ز گِلِ کوزه‌گران می‌داری
gowhar-e jâm-e jam az kân-e jahâni degar ast / to tamannâ ze gel-e kuzegarân midâri
The jewel of Jamshid's cup comes from the mine of another world, and you hope to find it in the potters' clay.
COUPLET 8
پدر تجربه ای دل تویی آخر ز چه رویطمع مهر و وفا زین پسران می‌داری؟
pedar-e tajrobe ey del toyi âkher ze che ru-y / tama'-e mehr o vafâ z-in pesarân midâri?
O heart, you are the father of experience after all; for what reason do you expect love and loyalty from these boys?
COUPLET 9
کیسهٔ سیم و زرت پاک بباید پرداختاین طمع‌ها که تو از سیم‌بران می‌داری
kise-ye sim o zarat pâk bebâyad pardâkht / in tama'-hâ ke to az simbarân midâri
With all these hopes you place in silver-bodied beauties, you will have to empty your purse of silver and gold completely.
COUPLET 10
گر چه رندیّ و خرابیّ گنهِ ماست، ولیعاشقی گفت که تو بنده بر آن می‌داری
garche rendi o kharâbi gonah-e mâst vali / âsheghi goft ke to bande bar ân midâri
Though roguery and ruin are our sin, a lover said: it is you who drive your servant to them.
COUPLET 11
مگذران روزِ سلامت به ملامت حافظچه توقع ز جهانِ گذران می‌داری؟
magozarân ruz-e salâmat be malâmat Hâfez / che tavaghgho' ze jahân-e gozarân midâri?
Do not spend your days of wellbeing in blame, Hafez: what do you expect from a passing world?
What this fâl tells you
Do not look for the jewel in the wrong mine: tradition reads this fal as advice to seek what you want from its true source, not from people who cannot give it. Your experience is greater than you think, so trust it. Days of wellbeing are precious; do not spend them on complaints and reproach.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: midâri. qâfiye: -arân (negarân, degarân, nazarân, honarân, darân, khabarân, gerân, kuzegarân, pesarân, simbarân, bar ân, gozarân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ruzgâri-st | it has been a long time dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نگران | negarân | anxious, worried dictionary |
| midâri | you keep dictionary | |
| مخلصان | mokhlesân | devoted friends, sincere ones dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| وضع | vaz' | manner, way dictionary |
| degarân | others (دیگران) | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye; cheshm dâshtan = to expect dictionary |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| نشد | nashod | did not become dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| ezzat | respect, honor dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| beh | better (بهتر) | |
| bepushi | you cover dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bahr | sake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای) | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| rost | escaped, was saved (رهید) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| talabi | you seek dictionary | |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| serri | of a secret, hidden (cheshm-e serri = expectation of a secret) dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| bikhabarân | the unaware, the ignorant dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| چراغ | cherâgh | lamp dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| گران | gerân | heavy; sar gerân kardan = act haughty, turn away dictionary |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| کان | kân | mine (of gems) (معدن) |
| jahâni | a whole world dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| پدر | pedar | father dictionary |
| tajrobe | experience, test dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| ru-y | face; ze che ru-y = for what reason dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| پسران | pesarân | boys, young men dictionary |
| کیسهٔ | kise | purse dictionary |
| sim | silver dictionary | |
| zarat | your gold dictionary | |
| پاک | pâk | completely dictionary |
| پرداخت | pardâkht | empty out (pardâkhtan = to clear, to empty) dictionary |
| tama'-hâ | hopes, cravings dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary | |
| گنه | gonah | sin (گناه) |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| âsheghi | a lover dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| مگذران | magozarân | do not spend (time) (نگذران) dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| گذران | gozarân | passing, transient dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 450. 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.