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Hafez Ghazal 46: ⁧گل در بر و می در کف و معشوق به کام است⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 46 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
گُل در بَر و مِی در کَف و معشوق به کام استسلطانِ جهانم به چُنین روز، غلام است
gol dar bar o mey dar kaf o ma'shugh be kâm ast / soltân-e jahânam be chenin ruz gholâm ast
Roses in my arms, wine in my hand, and the beloved as I wish: on such a day the sultan of the world is my servant.
COUPLET 2
گو شمع میارید در این جمع که امشبدر مجلسِ ما، ماهِ رخِ دوست، تمام است
gu sham' mayârid dar in jam' ke emshab / dar majles-e mâ mâh-e rokh-e dust tamâm ast
Tell them not to bring candles to this gathering, for tonight the moon of the beloved's face shines full in our company.
COUPLET 3
در مذهبِ ما، باده، حلال است ولیکنبی‌رویِ تو ای سَروِ گُل‌اندام، حرام است
dar mazhab-e mâ bâde halâl ast valikan / bi ru-ye to ey sarv-e gol-andâm harâm ast
In our creed wine is lawful, but without your face, O rose-bodied cypress, it is forbidden.
COUPLET 4
گوشم همه بر قولِ نی و نغمهٔ چنگ استچشمم، همه، بر لعلِ لب و گَردشِ جام است
gusham hame bar ghowl-e ney o naghme-ye chang ast / cheshmam hame bar la'l-e lab o gardesh-e jâm ast
My ears are all for the song of the reed flute and the melody of the harp; my eyes are all on ruby lips and the passing cup.
COUPLET 5
در مجلسِ ما، عِطر میامیز که ما راهر لحظه، زِ گیسو‌یِ تو، خوش‌بوی مشام است
dar majles-e mâ atr mayâmiz ke mâ râ / har lahze ze gisu-ye to khoshbuy mashâm ast
Do not mix perfume into our gathering, for every moment the scent of your hair fills our breath with fragrance.
COUPLET 6
از چاشنیِ قند مگو هیچ و زِ شِکَّرزآن رو که مرا از لبِ شیرینِ تو، کام است
az châshni-ye ghand magu hich o ze shekkar / z-ân ru ke marâ az lab-e shirin-e to kâm ast
Say nothing of the taste of candy or of sugar, for what I crave is your sweet lips.
COUPLET 7
تا گنجِ غمت در دِلِ ویرانه‌، مقیم استهمواره مرا کویِ خرابات، مقام است
tâ ganj-e ghamat dar del-e virâne moghim ast / hamvâre marâ ku-ye kharâbât maghâm ast
As long as the treasure of grief for you lives in my ruined heart, the tavern quarter will always be my home.
COUPLET 8
از ننگ چه گویی که مرا نام ز ننگ است؟وز نام چه پرسی که مرا ننگ ز نام است؟
az nang che gu'i ke marâ nâm ze nang ast / v-az nâm che porsi ke marâ nang ze nâm ast
Why talk of shame, when my good name comes from shame? Why ask about fame, when fame is my shame?
COUPLET 9
مِی‌خواره و سرگشته و رندیم و نظربازوآن کس که چو ما نیست در این شهر، کدام است؟
meykhâre o sargashte o rendim o nazarbâz / v-ân kas ke cho mâ nist dar in shahr kodâm ast
We are wine-drinkers, wanderers, free spirits and admirers of beauty; and who in this city is not like us?
COUPLET 10
با محتسبم، عیب مگویید که او نیزپیوسته، چو ما در طلبِ عیشِ مدام است
bâ mohtasebam eyb magu'id ke u niz / peyvaste cho mâ dar talab-e eysh-e modâm ast
Do not tell the morals officer about my faults, for he too, like us, is always seeking lasting pleasure.
COUPLET 11
حافظ! منشین بی‌مِی و معشوق، زمانیکایَّامِ گُل و یاسمن و عیدِ صیام است
Hâfez manshin bi mey o ma'shugh zamâni / k-ayyâm-e gol o yâsaman o eyd-e siyâm ast
Hafez, do not sit a single moment without wine and the beloved, for these are the days of rose and jasmine and the feast that ends the fast.

What this fâl tells you

This is a time of fullness: what you love is close at hand. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of a happy season, when the presence of one dear person makes everything else unnecessary. Do not worry too much about what others say of you; enjoy the days while they bloom.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: ast. qâfiye: -âm (kâm, gholâm, tamâm, harâm, jâm, mashâm, maghâm, nâm, kodâm, modâm, siyâm).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
darin; door dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
کفkafpalm (of the hand) dictionary
معشوقma'shughbeloved dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
کامkâmwish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary
astis dictionary
soltânsultan dictionary
jahânamof the world (the -am goes with gholâm: "is my servant") dictionary
چنینcheninsuch, so dictionary
ruzday dictionary
gholâmservant dictionary
گوgusay! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
میاریدmayâriddo not bring! (نیاورید) dictionary
inthis dictionary
jam'gathering dictionary
emshabtonight dictionary
مجلسmajlesgathering, feast dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
ماهmâhmoon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
tamâmfull, complete; mâh-e tamâm = full moon dictionary
مذهبmazhabcreed, religion dictionary
bâdewine dictionary
halâllawful dictionary
ولیکنvalikanbut (ولی)
bi ru-yewithout the face of dictionary
toyou dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
sarvcypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary
harâmforbidden dictionary
گوشمgushammy ear dictionary
همهhameall, whole dictionary
قولghowlsong, sung verse dictionary
neyreed flute dictionary
نغمهٔnaghmemelody dictionary
چنگchangharp dictionary
چشممcheshmammy eye dictionary
لعلla'lruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
گردشgardashhis/her dust (the dust of departure) dictionary
jâmcup dictionary
atrperfume dictionary
میامیزmayâmizdo not mix! (نیامیز) dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
لحظهlahzemoment dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
چاشنیchâshnitaste, flavor dictionary
مگوmagudo not say! (نگو) dictionary
هیچhichany; no dictionary
shekarsugar dictionary
z-ânfrom that (= az ân) (از آن)
ruface; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary
مراmarâme; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من)
tâto, until; so that dictionary
گنجganjtreasure dictionary
ghamatyour grief dictionary
delheart dictionary
virâneruined dictionary
مقیمmoghimresident dictionary
کویku-yestreet, quarter (of) (کوچه)
مقامmaghâmplace, station dictionary
ننگnangshame, disgrace; nang o nâm = reputation dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
gu'iyou say dictionary
نامnâmname, fame dictionary
وزv-azand from (= va az) (و از)
porsiyou ask dictionary
می‌خوارهmeykhârewine-drinker dictionary
rendimwe are rends, free spirits dictionary
وآنv-ânand that (= va ân) (و آن)
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
shahrcity dictionary
کدامkodâmwhich dictionary
bâwith dictionary
eybfault, flaw dictionary
مگوییدmagu'iddo not say! (نگویید) dictionary
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
نیزnizalso dictionary
پیوستهpeyvasteconstantly dictionary
talabrequest, search dictionary
eyshpleasure, enjoyment dictionary
مدامmodâmconstant, lasting; also "wine" (pun) dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
منشینmanshindo not sit! (ننشین) dictionary
zamânia moment dictionary
کایامk-ayyâmfor the days of (= ke ayyâm) dictionary
یاسمنyâsamanjasmine dictionary
eydfeast dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 46. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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