Ghazal 486 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
بلبل، ز شاخِ سرو، به گلبانگِ پهلویمی‌خوانْد دوش، درسِ مقاماتِ معنوی
bolbol ze shâkh-e sarv be golbâng-e pahlavi / mikhând dush dars-e maghâmât-e ma'navi
Last night, from a cypress branch, the nightingale was chanting in old Persian song the lesson of the spiritual stations:
COUPLET 2
یعنی بیا، که آتشِ موسی، نمودْ گُلتا از درخت، نکتهٔ توحید بشنوی
ya'ni biyâ ke âtash-e musâ nemud gol / tâ az derakht nokte-ye towhid beshnavi
That is: "Come, for the rose has shown the fire of Moses, so that you may hear from the tree the secret of God's oneness."
COUPLET 3
مرغان باغ، قافیه‌سنجند و بذله‌گویتا خواجه مِی خورَد، به غزل‌های پهلوی
morghân-e bâgh ghâfiye-sanjand o bazle-guy / tâ khâje mey khorad be ghazal-hâ-ye pahlavi
The birds of the garden weigh rhymes and tell witty jokes, so that the master may drink his wine to old Persian ghazals.
COUPLET 4
جمشید، جز حکایتِ جام، از جهان نَبُردزنهار! دل مَبَند، بر اسبابِ دنیوی
jamshid joz hekâyat-e jâm az jahân nabord / zenhâr del maband bar asbâb-e donyavi
Jamshid took nothing from the world but the story of his cup; take care, do not tie your heart to worldly goods.
COUPLET 5
این قصّهٔ عجب شِنو از بختِ واژگونما را بِکُشت یار، به انفاسِ عیسَوی
in ghesse-ye ajab shenow az bakht-e vâzhgun / mâ râ bekosht yâr be anfâs-e isavi
Hear this strange story of upside-down fortune: the beloved killed me with the life-giving breath of Jesus.
COUPLET 6
خوش، وقتِ بوریا و گدایی و خوابِ امنکاین عیش، نیست درخورِ اُورَنگِ خسروی
khosh vaght-e buryâ o gedâyi o khâb-e amn / k-in eysh nist darkhor-e owrang-e khosravi
Happy is the time of the reed mat, of beggary and safe sleep, for such pleasure is not fit for a royal throne.
COUPLET 7
چَشمت، به غَمزه، خانهٔ مردم، خراب کردمَخموریـَت مَباد، که خوش مَست می‌رَوی
cheshmat be ghamze khâne-ye mardom kharâb kard / makhmuri-at mabâd ke khosh mast miravi
With its glances, your eye has ruined people's homes; may you never suffer a hangover, for you walk so sweetly drunk.
COUPLET 8
دهقان سال‌خورده، چه خوش گفت با پسرکای نورِ چشمِ من! به جز از کِشته، نَدرَوی
dehghân-e sâlkhorde che khosh goft bâ pesar / k-ey nur-e cheshm-e man be joz az keshte nadravi
How well the old farmer said to his son: "Light of my eyes, you will reap nothing but what you have sown."
COUPLET 9
ساقی، مگر وظیفهٔ حافظ، زیاده دادکآشفته گَشت، طُرّهٔ دَستارِ مولوی
sâghi magar vazife-ye Hâfez ziyâde dâd / k-âshofte gasht torre-ye dastâr-e molavi
Cupbearer, did you perhaps give Hafez too large a ration, that the tassel of the cleric's turban has come undone?
What this fâl tells you
This fal begins with a nightingale teaching from a cypress branch: there is wisdom to hear in simple, beautiful things. Tradition reads it as a reminder that you reap what you sow, so plant good seeds now. Do not tie your heart to possessions; a simple life with peaceful sleep can be richer than a throne.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -avi (pahlavi, ma'navi, beshnavi, donyavi, isavi, khosravi, miravi, nadravi, molavi). Beyt 2 alludes to the burning bush through which God spoke to Moses.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| shâkh | branch; shâkh-e nabât = a stick of rock candy (also the name tradition gives Hafez's beloved) dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| pahlavi | old Persian, Pahlavi (of song: in the old Persian manner) dictionary | |
| می‌خواند | mikhând | was singing, reciting dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| dars | lesson, study dictionary | |
| مقامات | maghâmât | spiritual stations, stages dictionary |
| ma'navi | spiritual dictionary | |
| ya'ni | that is, I mean dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| نمود | nemud | seemed, appeared (past of nemudan) (به نظر رسید) dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| derakht | tree dictionary | |
| نکتهٔ | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| beshnavi | you hear dictionary | |
| مرغان | morghân-e | birds dictionary |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| khorad | drinks dictionary | |
| ghazal-hâ-ye | the ghazals of dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabord | did not take away dictionary |
| zenhâr | be sure! take care! dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مبند | maband | do not tie! (نبند) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| asbâb | means, things needed dictionary | |
| donyavi | worldly dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| قصهٔ | ghesse | story dictionary |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| shenow | hear! (بشنو) dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bekosht | killed dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| anfâs | breaths; here prayers (نفس‌ها) | |
| isavi | of Jesus (whose breath brought the dead to life) dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| amn | safety, security dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| darkhor | fit for, worthy of (شایسته) | |
| چشمت | cheshmat | your eye dictionary |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | people (also the pupil of the eye, a pun) dictionary |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| miravi | you go dictionary | |
| sâlkhorde | aged, old dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| پسر | pesar | son dictionary |
| k-ey | that, O... (= ke ey) (که ای) | |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| کشته | keshte | what is sown, the crop dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| وظیفهٔ | vazife | allowance, stipend dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ziyâde | too much, extra dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| کآشفته | k-âshofte | that ... disheveled, undone (= ke âshofte) (که آشفته) dictionary |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| dastâr | turban dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 486. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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