Ghazal 48 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
صوفی از پرتو مِی رازِ نهانی دانستگوهرِ هر کس از این لعل، توانی دانست
sufi az parto-ye mey râz-e nahâni dânest / gowhar-e har kas az in la'l tavâni dânest
By the light of wine the Sufi learned the hidden secret; by this ruby you can tell the true worth of anyone.
COUPLET 2
قدر مجموعهٔ گل، مرغِ سَحَر داند و بسکه نه هر کو ورقی خواند، معانی دانست
ghadr-e majmu'e-ye gol morgh-e sahar dânad o bas / ke na har k-u varaghi khând ma'âni dânest
Only the bird of dawn knows the worth of the rose's gathered petals, for not everyone who reads a page understands its meanings.
COUPLET 3
عرضه کردم دو جهان بر دلِ کاراُفتادهبه جز از عشقِ تو باقی همه فانی دانست
arze kardam do jahân bar del-e kâr-oftâde / be joz az eshgh-e to bâghi hame fâni dânest
I showed both worlds to my seasoned heart; apart from love for you, it judged all the rest to be passing.
COUPLET 4
آن شد اکنون که ز اَبنایِ عَوام اندیشممُحتَسِب نیز در این عیشِ نهانی دانست
ân shod aknun ke ze abnâ-ye avâm andisham / mohtaseb niz dar in eysh-e nahâni dânest
Gone is the time when I worried about the common crowd; even the morals officer now knows of this secret pleasure.
COUPLET 5
دل‌بر، آسایش ما مَصلحتِ وقت ندیدور نه از جانبِ ما دل‌نگرانی دانست
delbar âsâyesh-e mâ maslahat-e vaght nadid / var na az jâneb-e mâ delnegarâni dânest
The heart-stealer did not think our comfort suited the moment; otherwise she knew well how anxious we were.
COUPLET 6
سنگ و گِل را کُنَد از یُمنِ نظر لعل و عقیقهر که قَدرِ نفسِ بادِ یمانی دانست
sang o gel râ konad az yomn-e nazar la'l o aghigh / har ke ghadr-e nafas-e bâd-e yamâni dânest
Whoever knows the worth of the breath of the wind from Yemen can, by the blessing of a glance, turn stone and clay into ruby and carnelian.
COUPLET 7
ای که از دفترِ عقل، آیت عشق آموزیترسم این نکته به تَحقیق ندانی دانست
ey ke az daftar-e aghl âyat-e eshgh âmuzi / tarsam in nokte be tahghigh nadâni dânest
You who try to learn the verse of love from the book of reason, I fear you will never truly grasp this point.
COUPLET 8
مِی بیاور که ننازد به گلِ باغِ جهانهر که غارت‌گریِ بادِ خزانی دانست
mey biyâvar ke nanâzad be gol-e bâgh-e jahân / har ke ghâratgari-ye bâd-e khazâni dânest
Bring wine: whoever has known the plundering of the autumn wind takes no pride in the roses of the world's garden.
COUPLET 9
حافظ این گوهرِ مَنظوم که از طَبع اَنگیختزَ اثرِ تربیتِ آصِفِ ثانی دانست
Hâfez in gowhar-e manzum ke az tab' angikht / z-asar-e tarbiyat-e âsef-e sâni dânest
These strung pearls that Hafez drew from his talent, he knew to be the fruit of the care of a second Asaf.
What this fâl tells you
Look past appearances to the true worth of things and people. Tradition reads this fal as advice to learn through experience and love rather than from books alone, and to remember that seasons change, so pride in what is passing makes little sense. Someone's quiet support stands behind your success; remember to thank them.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dânest ("knew"). qâfiye: -âni (nahâni, tavâni, ma'âni, fâni, delnegarâni, yamâni, nadâni, khazâni, sâni). Bâd-e yamâni in beyt 6 is traditionally the breath of grace from Yemen (linked with Oveys Gharani).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| پرتو | parto | ray, light dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| nahâni | hidden, secret dictionary | |
| dânest | knew dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| tavâni | you can dictionary | |
| قدر | ghadr | worth, value dictionary |
| مجموعهٔ | majmu'e | collection; here the rose's gathered petals dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| varaghi | a page, a leaf dictionary | |
| khând | sang, read; called dictionary | |
| ma'âni | meanings dictionary | |
| arze | showing; arze dâshtan = to show, present dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| fâni | passing, mortal dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| aknun | now (حالا) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| avâm | the common people dictionary | |
| andisham | I worry, I give thought dictionary | |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| âsâyesh | comfort, peace dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| ندید | nadid | did not see, did not consider dictionary |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| نفس | nafas | breath dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| daftar | book, notebook dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| âyat | verse (as of the Quran); sign dictionary | |
| âmuzi | you learn dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| tahghigh | certainty; be tahghigh = truly dictionary | |
| nadâni | you will not (be able to) dictionary | |
| biyâvar | bring! dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| ghâratgari | plundering dictionary | |
| khazâni | of autumn dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tab'-e | nature, temperament dictionary | |
| angikht | drew out, produced dictionary | |
| asar | effect, mark dictionary | |
| tarbiyat | patronage, care dictionary | |
| sâni | second; âsef-e sâni = "a second Asaf", a praised vizier dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 48. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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