Ghazal 451 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.
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COUPLET 1
خوش کرد یاوری فلکت روز داوریتا شکر چون کنی و چه شکرانه آوری
khosh kard yâvari falakat ruz-e dâvari / tâ shokr chon koni o che shokrâne âvari
Heaven gave you fine help on the day of trial; now see how you will give thanks, and what offering of gratitude you will bring.
COUPLET 2
آن کس که اوفتاد خدایش گرفت دستگو بر تو باد تا غم افتادگان خوری
ân kas ke oftâd khodâyash gereft dast / gu bar to bâd tâ gham-e oftâdegân khori
God took the hand of the one who had fallen; tell him: now it falls to you to care for the fallen.
COUPLET 3
در کوی عشق شوکت شاهی نمی‌خرنداقرار بندگی کن و اظهار چاکری
dar ku-ye eshgh showkat-e shâhi nemikharand / eghrâr-e bandegi kon o ezhâr-e châkari
In the street of love no one buys royal grandeur: confess yourself a slave and declare your servitude.
COUPLET 4
ساقی به مژدگانی عیش از درم درآیتا یک دم از دلم غم دنیا به در بری
sâghi be mozhdegâni-ye eysh az daram dar ây / tâ yek dam az delam gham-e donyâ be dar bari
Cupbearer, come in at my door with the good news of joy, so that for a moment you may carry the world's grief out of my heart.
COUPLET 5
در شاه‌راه جاه و بزرگی خطر بسی‌ستآن به کز این گریوه سبک‌بار بگذری
dar shâhrâh-e jâh o bozorgi khatar basi-st / ân beh k-az in garive sabokbâr bogzari
On the highway of rank and greatness there is much danger; better to cross this mountain pass lightly laden.
COUPLET 6
سلطان و فکر لشکر و سودای تاج و گنجدرویش و امن خاطر و کنج قلندری
soltân o fekr-e lashkar o sodâ-ye tâj o ganj / darvish o amn-e khâter o konj-e ghalandari
The sultan, with his thoughts of armies and his craving for crown and treasure; the dervish, with his peace of mind and his qalandar's corner.
COUPLET 7
یک حرف صوفیانه بگویم اجازت است؟ای نور دیده صلح به از جنگ و داوری
yek harf-e sufiyâne beguyam ejâzat ast? / ey nur-e dide solh beh az jang o dâvari
May I say one Sufi word? Light of my eyes, peace is better than fighting and quarrels.
COUPLET 8
نیل مراد بر حسب فکر و همت استاز شاه نذر خیر و ز توفیق یاوری
neyl-e morâd bar hasab-e fekr o hemmat ast / az shâh nazr-e kheyr o ze towfigh yâvari
Reaching your wish depends on your thought and your aspiration: from the king, a vow of goodness; from divine grace, help.
COUPLET 9
حافظ غبار فقر و قناعت ز رخ مشویکاین خاک بهتر از عمل کیمیاگری
Hâfez ghobâr-e faghr o ghanâ'at ze rokh mashuy / k-in khâk behtar az amal-e kimiyâgari
Hafez, do not wash the dust of poverty and contentment from your face: this dust is better than all the work of alchemy.
What this fâl tells you
Help has reached you at an important moment: tradition reads this fal as a call to give thanks by lending a hand to those who have fallen. Choose peace over quarrels and travel light rather than chasing rank. Your wish will be reached in proportion to your effort and good intentions, and contentment is worth more than gold.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ari (dâvari, âvari, khori, châkari, bari, bogzari, ghalandari, yâvari, kimiyâgari).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | did, gave dictionary |
| yâvari | help, support dictionary | |
| فلکت | falakat | heaven ... you (heaven helped you) dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| dâvari | judgment; ruz-e dâvari = Judgment Day dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| shokr | thanks dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| koni | you do, you make dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| âvari | you bring dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| oftâd | fell (افتاد) dictionary | |
| khodâyash | God ... his (God took his hand) dictionary | |
| گرفت | gereft | took; gushe gereft = withdrew dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâd | let it be; gu bar to bâd = let it be your duty dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| khori | you eat; gham khordan = grieve dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| نمی‌خرند | nemikharand | they do not buy dictionary |
| eghrâr | admission, acknowledgment dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ezhâr | stating, expressing dictionary | |
| châkari | servitude dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| daram | my door dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| donyâ | world dictionary | |
| bari | you carry (be dar bari = carry out) dictionary | |
| shâhrâh-e | the highway of dictionary | |
| jâh | rank, high position dictionary | |
| bozorgi | greatness dictionary | |
| khatar | danger dictionary | |
| beh | better (بهتر) | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گریوه | garive | mountain pass, steep slope (گردنه) |
| bogzari | you pass by dictionary | |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| sodâ-ye | passion, longing for dictionary | |
| tâj | crown dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| amn | safety, security dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| کنج | konj | corner dictionary |
| harf | word, phrase dictionary | |
| beguyam | (that) I say dictionary | |
| ejâzat | permission (= ejâze) (اجازه) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| solh | peace dictionary | |
| jang | fight, quarrel dictionary | |
| dâvari | quarrel, litigation dictionary | |
| نیل | neyl | attaining, reaching dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| نذر | nazr | vow, pledge dictionary |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ghobâr | dust; also a fine script, like the down of a cheek dictionary | |
| فقر | faghr | poverty dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| mashuy | do not wash (نشوی) dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| amal | action, practice dictionary | |
| kimiyâgari | alchemy dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 451. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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