Ghazal 487 of Hafez (10 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 بی‌خبر بکوش که صاحب‌خبر شویتا راهرو نباشی کی راهبر شوی؟
ey bikhabar bekush ke sâheb-khabar shavi / tâ rahrow nabâshi key rahbar shavi
O unaware one, strive to become one who knows; until you walk the road yourself, how can you become a guide?
COUPLET 2
در مکتب حقایق پیش ادیب عشقهان ای پسر بکوش که روزی پدر شوی
dar maktab-e haghâyegh pish-e adib-e eshgh / hân ey pesar bekush ke ruzi pedar shavi
In the school of truths, before the teacher of love, listen, my son: strive so that one day you become a father.
COUPLET 3
دست از مسِ وجود چو مردان ره بشویتا کیمیای عشق بیابی و زر شوی
dast az mes-e vojud cho mardân-e rah beshuy / tâ kimiyâ-ye eshgh biyâbi o zar shavi
Wash your hands of the copper of selfhood, like the men of the path, so that you find the alchemy of love and turn into gold.
COUPLET 4
خواب و خورت ز مرتبهٔ خویش دور کردآن گه رسی به خویش که بی خواب و خور شوی
khâb o khorat ze martabe-ye khish dur kard / ân gah rasi be khish ke bi khâb o khor shavi
Sleep and food have kept you far from your true rank; you will reach yourself only when you are free of sleep and food.
COUPLET 5
گر نور عشق حق به دل و جانت اوفتدبالله کز آفتاب فلک خوب‌تر شوی
gar nur-e eshgh-e hagh be del o jânat oftad / bellâh k-az âftâb-e falak khubtar shavi
If the light of the love of God falls on your heart and soul, by God, you will become more beautiful than the sun in the sky.
COUPLET 6
یک دم غریق بحر خدا شو گمان مبرکز آب هفت بحر به یک موی تر شوی
yek dam ghariq-e bahr-e khodâ sho gomân mabar / k-az âb-e haft bahr be yek mu tar shavi
Drown for one moment in the sea of God, and do not imagine that the water of the seven seas will wet even one hair of yours.
COUPLET 7
از پای تا سرت همه نور خدا شوددر راه ذوالجلال چو بی پا و سر شوی
az pâ tâ sarat hame nur-e khodâ shavad / dar râh-e zol-jalâl cho bi pâ o sar shavi
From foot to head you will become all the light of God, once on the way of the Glorious you lose both foot and head.
COUPLET 8
وجه خدا اگر شودت منظر نظرزین پس شکی نماند که صاحب‌نظر شوی
vajh-e khodâ agar shavadat manzar-e nazar / z-in pas shakki namânad ke sâheb-nazar shavi
If the face of God becomes what your eyes look upon, from then on there will be no doubt that you will be one who truly sees.
COUPLET 9
بنیاد هستی تو چو زیر و زبر شوددر دل مدار هیچ که زیر و زبر شوی
bonyâd-e hasti-ye to cho zir o zebar shavad / dar del madâr hich ke zir o zebar shavi
When the foundation of your being is turned upside down, have no fear in your heart that you yourself will be overturned.
COUPLET 10
گر در سرت هوای وصال است حافظاباید که خاک درگه اهل هنر شوی
gar dar sarat havâ-ye vesâl ast Hâfezâ / bâyad ke khâk-e dargah-e ahl-e honar shavi
Hafez, if you long for union, you must become the dust at the threshold of people of true merit.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a call to grow: you learn the road by walking it, and you become a guide only after being a traveler. Tradition reads it as encouragement to study with patience and humility, and to let go of small comforts for a larger goal. If you give yourself sincerely to what you love, it can turn your copper into gold.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: shavi. qâfiye: -ar (khabar, rahbar, pedar, zar, khor, khubtar, tar, sar, nazar, zebar, honar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bikhabar | unaware dictionary | |
| bekush | strive! try hard! dictionary | |
| shavi | you become dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| nabâshi | you are not dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مکتب | maktab | school dictionary |
| haghâyegh | truths dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| adib | teacher, master of letters dictionary | |
| پسر | pesar | son, boy dictionary |
| پدر | pedar | father; here a mature master dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| مس | mes | copper dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| مردان | mardân | men, people dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| beshuy | wash! dictionary | |
| kimiyâ-ye | alchemy of (کیمیا) | |
| biyâbi | you find dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| khorat | your eating, your food dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| مرتبهٔ | martabe | rank, station dictionary |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| dur | far dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| گه | gah | time; har gah = whenever (= gâh) (گاه) |
| rasi | you reach, arrive (برسی) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| khor | food, eating dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| hagh | God, the Truth dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| jânat | your soul dictionary | |
| oftad | falls (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| bellâh | by God! (Arabic oath) (به خدا) | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| khubtar | fairer, more beautiful dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| گمان | gomân | thought, suspicion; dar gomân andâkht = made me think dictionary |
| مبر | mabar | do not take; az yâd mabar = do not forget (نبر) dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| هفت | haft | seven; haft keshvar = the seven climes, the whole world dictionary |
| mu-ye | hair of dictionary | |
| tar | wet, fresh dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| sarat | your head; bar sarat = over you, by you dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| پا | pâ | foot dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| وجه | vajh | way, means; face dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| shavadat | becomes for you dictionary | |
| منظر | manzar | face, sight dictionary |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| پس | pas | behind; pas-e parde = behind the curtain dictionary |
| shakki | any doubt dictionary | |
| نماند | namânad | will not remain dictionary |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| hasti | existence, being dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| zebar | top; zir o zebar = upside down (زیر و رو) | |
| مدار | madâr | do not have (old imperative of dâshtan) (نداشته باش) dictionary |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary | |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| dargah | threshold, court (درگاه) | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| هنر | honar | skill, art dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 487. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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