Ghazal 484 of Hafez (12 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
تو مگر بر لب آبی به هوس بنشینیور نه هر فتنه که بینی همه از خود بینی
to magar bar lab-e âbi be havas beneshini / var na har fetne ke bini hame az khod bini
You should sit for pleasure at the edge of some stream and see your face; otherwise, every turmoil you see, you would know it all comes from yourself.
COUPLET 2
به خدایی که تویی بندهٔ بگزیدهٔ اوکه بر این چاکر دیرینه کسی نگزینی
be khodâyi ke toyi bande-ye bogzide-ye u / ke bar in châker-e dirine kasi nagozini
By the God whose chosen servant you are, do not prefer anyone over this old and faithful servant.
COUPLET 3
گر امانت به سلامت ببرم باکی نیستبی‌دلی سهل بود گر نَبُوَد بی‌دینی
gar amânat be salâmat bebaram bâki nist / bideli sahl bovad gar nabvad bidini
If I can carry the trust safely through, I have no fear; losing my heart is a small thing, as long as I do not lose my faith.
COUPLET 4
ادب و شرم تو را خسرو مه‌رویان کردآفرین بر تو که شایستهٔ صد چندینی
adab o sharm to râ khosrow-e mahruyân kard / âfarin bar to ke shâyeste-ye sad chandini
Courtesy and modesty have made you king of the moon-faced; bravo to you, for you deserve a hundred times as much.
COUPLET 5
عجب از لطف تو ای گل که نشستی با خارظاهراً مصلحت وقت در آن می‌بینی
ajab az lotf-e to ey gol ke neshasti bâ khâr / zâheran maslahat-e vaght dar ân mibini
How wonderful is your kindness, O rose, that you sit with the thorn; it seems you see in that what the moment requires.
COUPLET 6
صبر بر جور رقیبت چه کنم گر نکنم؟عاشقان را نبود چاره به جز مسکینی
sabr bar jowr-e raghibat che konam gar nakonam / âsheghân râ nabvad châre be joz meskini
What can I do if I do not bear your rival's cruelty with patience? Lovers have no remedy but humility.
COUPLET 7
باد صبحی به هوایت ز گلستان برخاستکه تو خوش‌تر ز گل و تازه‌تر از نسرینی
bâd-e sobhi be havâyat ze golestân barkhâst / ke to khoshtar ze gol o tâzetar az nasrini
A morning wind rose from the rose garden longing for you, for you are sweeter than the rose and fresher than the eglantine.
COUPLET 8
شیشه‌بازیِ سِرشکم نگری از چپ و راستگر بر این منظر بینش نفسی بنشینی
shishe-bâzi-ye sereshkam negari az chap o râst / gar bar in manzar-e binesh nafasi beneshini
You would see the glass-juggling of my tears, to the left and to the right, if you sat for a moment at this window of my sight.
COUPLET 9
سخنی بی‌غرض از بندهٔ مخلص بشنوای که منظور بزرگان حقیقت بینی
sokhani bi-gharaz az bande-ye mokhles beshno / ey ke manzur-e bozorgân-e haghighat-bini
Hear an unselfish word from a sincere servant, O you who are favored by the great ones who see the truth.
COUPLET 10
نازنینی چو تو پاکیزه‌دل و پاک‌نهادبهتر آن است که با مردمِ بد ننشینی
nâzanini cho to pâkize-del o pâk-nahâd / behtar ân ast ke bâ mardom-e bad naneshini
For a darling like you, pure in heart and pure in nature, it is better not to sit with bad people.
COUPLET 11
سیل این اشک روان صبر و دل حافظ بردبَلَغَ الطّاقَةَ یا مُقلَةَ عَینی بِیني
seyl-e in ashk-e ravân sabr o del-e Hâfez bord / balagha-t-tâghata yâ moghlata eyni bini
The flood of these flowing tears carried off Hafez's patience and heart. "It has gone beyond endurance; O pupil of my eye, depart!"
COUPLET 12
تو بدین نازکی و سرکشی ای شمع چگللایق بندگی خواجه جلال‌الدینی
to bedin nâzoki o sarkeshi ey sham'-e chegel / lâyegh-e bandegi-ye khâje jalâloddini
With such delicacy and such pride, O candle of Chegel, you are worthy of serving Khaje Jalal al-Din.
What this fâl tells you
This fal praises a pure and gentle nature and advises you to keep good company, since you deserve far more than you may think. Tradition reads it as a sign that patience and humility will carry you through a rival's harshness. Hold on to what has been entrusted to you, keep your faith, and a sincere friend's words will guide you well.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ini (beneshini, bini, nagozini, bidini, chandini, mibini, meskini, nasrini, naneshini, jalâloddini). The second half of beyt 11 is Arabic.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| to | you dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps; here "you should, if only you would" dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هوس | havas | longing, desire dictionary |
| beneshini | you sit dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| فتنه | fetne | turmoil, strife dictionary |
| bini | you see dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| khod | yourself dictionary | |
| khodâyi | a God dictionary | |
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| bogzide | chosen dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چاکر | châker | servant dictionary |
| dirine | long-standing, old dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| nagozini | you do not choose, prefer dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| amânat | trust, something held in trust dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| bebaram | I may take away dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| bidini | faithlessness, losing one's faith dictionary | |
| adab | courtesy, good manners dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sharm | modesty, shyness dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | made dictionary |
| âfarin | bravo, praise dictionary | |
| shâyeste-ye | worthy of dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| chandini | (you are worthy of) so much more (= chandin + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| neshasti | you sat dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khâr | thorn dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| mibini | you see dictionary | |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| raghibat | your rival (in love), your watchful guard dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| نکنم | nakonam | I do not do, I do not make dictionary |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| چاره | châre | remedy, way out dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| sobhi | of the morning dictionary | |
| هوایت | havâyat | longing for you dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| گلستان | golestân | rose garden dictionary |
| barkhâst | rose, got up dictionary | |
| khoshtar | sweeter, more pleasant dictionary | |
| tâzetar | fresher dictionary | |
| sereshkam | my tears dictionary | |
| negari | you see dictionary | |
| چپ | chap | left dictionary |
| râst | right dictionary | |
| منظر | manzar | window, viewing place dictionary |
| nafasi | for one breath, a moment dictionary | |
| sokhani | a saying dictionary | |
| مخلص | mokhles | sincere, devoted dictionary |
| beshno | listen! dictionary | |
| bozorgân | the great dictionary | |
| haghighat | truth dictionary | |
| nâzanini | a darling dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| behtar | better dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | people dictionary |
| bad | bad dictionary | |
| naneshini | you do not sit dictionary | |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| bord | carried off dictionary | |
| balagha | it has reached (Arabic) (رسید) | |
| at-tâghata | the limit of endurance (Arabic) (طاقت) dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| مقلة | moghlata | pupil (of the eye) (Arabic) (مردمک) |
| eyni | of my eye (Arabic) (چشمم) | |
| bini | depart! be apart! (Arabic, said to the pupil of the eye) dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| لایق | lâyegh | worthy of, fit for dictionary |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 484. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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