Ghazal 468 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
که بَرَد به نزد شاهان ز من گدا پیامی؟که به کوی مِی‌فروشان دو هزار جم به جامی
ke barad be nazd-e shâhân ze man-e gedâ payâmi? / ke be ku-ye meyforushân do hezâr jam be jâmi
Who will carry a message from me, a beggar, to the kings: that in the wine-sellers' street two thousand Jamshids go for a single cup?
COUPLET 2
شده‌ام خراب و بدنام و هنوز امیدوارمکه به همت عزیزان برسم به نیک‌نامی
shode-am kharâb o badnâm o hanuz ommidvâram / ke be hemmat-e azizân beresam be niknâmi
I have become ruined and disreputable, and yet I still hope that, by the good will of dear friends, I will reach a good name.
COUPLET 3
تو که کیمیافروشی نظری به قلب ما کنکه بضاعتی نداریم و فکنده‌ایم دامی
to ke kimiyâ-forushi nazari be ghalb-e mâ kon / ke bezâ'ati nadârim o fekande'im dâmi
You who sell alchemy, cast a glance at our counterfeit coin, our heart: we have no goods, and we have only laid out a net.
COUPLET 4
عجب از وفای جانان که عنایتی نفرمودنه به نامه‌ای پیامی نه به خامه‌ای سلامی
ajab az vafâ-ye jânân ke enâyati nafarmud / na be nâme'i payâmi na be khâme'i salâmi
How strange the beloved's faithfulness: not a single kindness shown, no message in a letter, no greeting from a pen.
COUPLET 5
اگر این شراب خام است اگر آن حریف پختهبه هزار بار بهتر ز هزار پخته خامی
agar in sharâb khâm ast agar ân harif pokhte / be hezâr bâr behtar ze hezâr pokhte khâmi
Whether this wine is raw or that companion is ripe, a single raw one is a thousand times better than a thousand ripe ones.
COUPLET 6
ز رهم میفکن ای شیخ به دانه‌های تسبیحکه چو مرغ، زیرک افتد نفتد به هیچ دامی
ze raham mayafkan ey sheykh be dâne-hâ-ye tasbih / ke cho morgh zirak oftad nayoftad be hich dâmi
Do not lead me off my path, sheikh, with the beads of your rosary, for when a bird is clever it falls into no trap.
COUPLET 7
سر خدمت تو دارم بخرم به لطف و مفروشکه چو بنده کمتر افتد به مبارکی غلامی
sar-e khedmat-e to dâram bekharam be lotf o maforush / ke cho bande kamtar oftad be mobâraki gholâmi
I mean to serve you: buy me kindly and do not sell me, for a servant as blessed as this one is rarely found.
COUPLET 8
به کجا برم شکایت؟ به که گویم این حکایت؟که لبت حیات ما بود و نداشتی دوامی
be kojâ baram shekâyat? be ke guyam in hekâyat? / ke labat hayât-e mâ bud o nadâshti davâmi
Where can I take my complaint? To whom can I tell this tale? Your lips were our life, and you did not last.
COUPLET 9
بگشای تیر مژگان و بریز خون حافظکه چنان کشنده‌ای را نکند کس انتقامی
begoshây tir-e mozhgân o beriz khun-e Hâfez / ke chenân koshande'i râ nakonad kas enteghâmi
Let loose the arrows of your lashes and shed Hafez's blood, for no one takes revenge on such a killer.
What this fâl tells you
Even after a hard time, a good name can be won back: tradition reads this fal as hope that the goodwill of friends will lift you up. Do not be led off your own path by outward shows of piety. Speak your message plainly to those who matter, for simple sincerity is worth more than a thousand polished words.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âmi (payâmi, jâmi, niknâmi, dâmi, salâmi, khâmi, gholâmi, davâmi, enteghâmi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| barad | carries, takes dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نزد | nazd | in the view of, near dictionary |
| shâhân | kings dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| payâmi | a message dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary | |
| shode-am | I have become dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| badnâm | of bad name, disreputable dictionary | |
| هنوز | hanuz | still, yet dictionary |
| ommidvâram | I am hopeful dictionary | |
| azizân | dear ones dictionary | |
| beresam | I may reach dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| قلب | ghalb | counterfeit (coin); also "heart" (pun) dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| نداریم | nadârim | we do not have dictionary |
| فکنده‌ایم | fekande'im | we have cast, laid out dictionary |
| dâmi | a net, a trap dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| نفرمود | nafarmud | did not show (enâyat farmudan = to show favor) dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| nâme'i | a letter dictionary | |
| khâme'i | a pen dictionary | |
| salâmi | a greeting dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| khâm | raw, immature, inexperienced dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| harif-e | companion of (in drinking) dictionary | |
| پخته | pokhte | cooked; mature, experienced dictionary |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| khâmi | a raw, inexperienced person dictionary | |
| raham | my way dictionary | |
| میفکن | mayafkan | do not cast! (نیفکن) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| dâne-hâ-ye | beads of dictionary | |
| tasbih | praising God; rosary dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| zirak | clever dictionary | |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| نفتد | nayoftad | does not fall (نیفتد) dictionary |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| sar | head; sar-e ... dâshtan = to intend, to have a mind to dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| bekharam | buy me! dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (نفروش) dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| کمتر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| mobâraki | blessedness, good omen dictionary | |
| gholâmi | a servant dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| baram | I take, I carry dictionary | |
| shekâyat | complaint dictionary | |
| گویم | guyam | I say dictionary |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| hayât | life; âb-e hayât = the water of life dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| nadâshti | you did not have dictionary | |
| davâmi | persistence, lasting dictionary | |
| bogshây | open! untie! (باز کن) dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| مژگان | mozhgân | eyelashes dictionary |
| beriz | shed! pour! dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| enteghâmi | any revenge dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 468. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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