Ghazal 480 of Hafez (7 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
ای که در کشتن ما هیچ مدارا نکنیسود و سرمایه بسوزی و محابا نکنی
ey ke dar koshtan-e mâ hich modârâ nakoni / sud o sarmâye besuzi o mohâbâ nakoni
O you who show no mercy at all in killing me, you burn up profit and capital alike and fear nothing.
COUPLET 2
دردمندان بلا زهر هلاهل دارندقصد این قوم خطا باشد هان تا نکنی
dardmandân-e balâ zahr-e halâhel dârand / ghasd-e in ghowm khatâ bâshad hân tâ nakoni
Those who suffer affliction carry a deadly poison; to set out against these people is a mistake: beware, do not do it.
COUPLET 3
رنج ما را که توان برد به یک گوشهٔ چشمشرط انصاف نباشد که مداوا نکنی
ranj-e mâ râ ke tavân bord be yek gushe-ye cheshm / shart-e ensâf nabâshad ke modâvâ nakoni
My pain could be taken away with a single sidelong glance; it is not fair that you do not cure it.
COUPLET 4
دیدهٔ ما چو به امید تو دریاست، چرابه تفرج گذری بر لب دریا نکنی؟
dide-ye mâ cho be omid-e to daryâ-st cherâ / be tafarroj gozari bar lab-e daryâ nakoni
Since my eye, hoping for you, has become a sea, why don't you take a pleasure stroll along the seashore?
COUPLET 5
نقل هر جور که از خلق کریمت کردندقول صاحب غرضان است تو آن‌ها نکنی
naghl-e har jowr ke az kholgh-e karimat kardand / ghowl-e sâheb-gharazân ast to ânhâ nakoni
Every tale of cruelty they have told about your generous nature is the word of the ill-intentioned; you would not do such things.
COUPLET 6
بر تو گر جلوه کند شاهد ما ای زاهداز خدا جز می و معشوق تمنا نکنی
bar to gar jelve konad shâhed-e mâ ey zâhed / az khodâ joz mey o ma'shugh tamannâ nakoni
Ascetic, if our beauty showed herself to you, you would ask God for nothing but wine and the beloved.
COUPLET 7
حافظا سجده به ابروی چو محرابش برکه دعایی ز سر صدق جز آن جا نکنی
Hâfezâ sajde be abru-ye cho mehrâbash bar / ke do'â'i ze sar-e sedgh joz ânjâ nakoni
Hafez, bow down before that eyebrow curved like a prayer niche, for nowhere else will you pray from a sincere heart.
What this fâl tells you
This fal asks for gentleness: one kind glance can heal a great deal of pain. Tradition reads it as a sign not to believe the gossip of people with their own motives, and to judge others by their true nature. Turn your sincere prayers toward what you truly love, and be fair to those who are waiting for you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nakoni. qâfiye: -â (modârâ, mohâbâ, tâ, modâvâ, daryâ, ânhâ, tamannâ, ânjâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کشتن | koshtan | killing dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| مدارا | modârâ | tolerance, forbearance dictionary |
| nakoni | you do not do dictionary | |
| sud | profit, gain dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sarmâye | capital, one's whole stock dictionary | |
| besuzi | you burn dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| zahr | poison dictionary | |
| dârand | (they) hold, have dictionary | |
| قصد | ghasd | intent; ghasd kardan = to head for dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| قوم | ghowm | people, group dictionary |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| bâshad | is, would be dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| ranj | pain, suffering dictionary | |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| bord | take away (with tavân: can take away) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| shart | rule, condition dictionary | |
| ensâf | fairness, justice dictionary | |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| مداوا | modâvâ | treatment, cure dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| daryâst | is a sea dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| gozari | a passing by dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| نقل | naghl | report, retelling dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| kholgh | good nature, character (اخلاق) dictionary | |
| کردند | kardand | (they) made dictionary |
| قول | ghowl | word, saying dictionary |
| sâheb | owner, master; one who has dictionary | |
| gharazân | ill intentions; sâheb-gharazân = the ill-intentioned dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ânhâ | those (things) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| abru-ye | eyebrow of dictionary | |
| محرابش | mehrâbash | its/his prayer niche dictionary |
| bar | take! (sajde bar = bow down) (ببر) dictionary | |
| do'â'i | a prayer dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sar | head; ze sar-e sedgh = out of sincerity dictionary | |
| sedgh | sincerity, truth dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| jâ | place; ânjâ = there dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 480. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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