Ghazal 458 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 آن دم که خراب از می گلگون باشیبی زر و گنج به صد حشمت قارون باشی
ey del ân dam ke kharâb az mey-e golgun bâshi / bi zar o ganj be sad heshmat-e ghârun bâshi
O heart, the moment you are wrecked by rose-colored wine, you will have, without gold or treasure, a hundred times the grandeur of Qarun.
COUPLET 2
در مقامی که صدارت به فقیران بخشندچشم دارم که به جاه از همه افزون باشی
dar maghâmi ke sedârat be faghirân bakhshand / cheshm dâram ke be jâh az hame afzun bâshi
In the place where high office is given to the poor, I hope that you will rank above everyone.
COUPLET 3
در ره منزل لیلی که خطرهاست در آنشرط اول قدم آن است که مجنون باشی
dar rah-e manzel-e leyli ke khatar-hâst dar ân / shart-e avval ghadam ân ast ke majnun bâshi
On the road to Leyli's dwelling, where there are many dangers, the first condition for taking a step is to be Majnun.
COUPLET 4
نقطهٔ عشق نمودم به تو هان سهو مکنور نه چون بنگری از دایره بیرون باشی
noghte-ye eshgh nomudam be to hân sahv makon / var na chon bengari az dâyere birun bâshi
I have shown you the point of love: take care, make no mistake, or else, when you look, you will find yourself outside the circle.
COUPLET 5
کاروان رفت و تو در خواب و بیابان در پیشکی روی؟ ره ز که پرسی؟ چه کنی؟ چون باشی؟
kârevân raft o to dar khâb o biyâbân dar pish / key ravi? rah ze ke porsi? che koni? chon bâshi?
The caravan has gone, you are asleep, and the desert lies ahead: when will you set out? Whom will you ask the way? What will you do? How will you fare?
COUPLET 6
تاج شاهی طلبی، گوهر ذاتی بنمایور خود از تخمهٔ جمشید و فریدون باشی
tâj-e shâhi talabi gowhar-e zâti benmây / var khod az tokhme-ye jamshid o feridun bâshi
If you seek a royal crown, show the jewel of your own nature, even if you come from the line of Jamshid and Fereydun.
COUPLET 7
ساغری نوش کن و جرعه بر افلاک فشانچند و چند از غم ایام جگرخون باشی؟
sâghari nush kon o jor'e bar aflâk feshân / chand o chand az gham-e ayyâm jegarkhun bâshi?
Drink a cup and sprinkle the last drops on the heavens; how long, how long will you stay heartsick over the sorrows of the days?
COUPLET 8
حافظ از فقر مکن ناله که گر شعر این استهیچ خوش‌دل نپسندد که تو محزون باشی
Hâfez az faghr makon nâle ke gar she'r in ast / hich khoshdel napasandad ke to mahzun bâshi
Hafez, do not complain of poverty, for if this is your poetry, no glad-hearted person would accept that you should be sad.
What this fâl tells you
True wealth is in a glad heart, not in gold: tradition reads this fal as a reminder of the riches you already have. Whatever goal you are walking toward, commit to it with your whole heart, and do not sleep while the caravan moves on. Show your own inner worth rather than leaning on name or family, and leave old sorrows behind.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bâshi. qâfiye: -un (golgun, ghârun, afzun, majnun, birun, chon, feridun, jegarkhun, mahzun).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| گلگون | golgun | rose-colored dictionary |
| bâshi | you are, you may be dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| maghâmi | a station dictionary | |
| فقیران | faghirân | the poor dictionary |
| bakhshand | they give dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye; cheshm dâshtan = to hope, to expect dictionary |
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| jâh | rank, high position dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| khatar-hâst | there are dangers (= khatar-hâ ast) dictionary | |
| shart | rule, condition dictionary | |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| قدم | ghadam | step dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مجنون | majnun | Majnun, the lover driven mad by love for Leyli dictionary |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| نمودم | nomudam | I showed dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| sahv | mistake, oversight dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| bengari | you look, you see dictionary | |
| dâyere-ye | circle of dictionary | |
| birun | outside dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | ahead, in front dictionary |
| ravi | you go dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| porsi | you ask dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| koni | you do, you make dictionary | |
| tâj | crown dictionary | |
| talabi | you seek dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| zâti | inborn, of one's own nature dictionary | |
| benmây | show! (نشان بده) dictionary | |
| khod | self; var khod = even if dictionary | |
| sâghari | a cup dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| aflâk | the heavens, the spheres dictionary | |
| فشان | feshân | sprinkle! (بیفشان) dictionary |
| چند | chand | how many; chand o chand = how long, how long dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| ayyâm | days, times dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| فقر | faghr | poverty dictionary |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| khoshdel | glad-hearted dictionary | |
| نپسندد | napasandad | would not approve, would not accept dictionary |
| محزون | mahzun | sad dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 458. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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