Ghazal 488 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
سَحرم هاتف میخانه به دولت‌خواهیگفت: باز آی که دیرینهٔ این درگاهی
saharam hâtef-e meykhâne be dowlat-khâhi / goft bâz ây ke dirine-ye in dargâhi
At dawn the voice from the tavern, wishing me well, said: "Come back, for you are an old friend of this court."
COUPLET 2
همچو جَم جرعهٔ ما کَش که ز سِرّ دو جهانپرتو جام جهان‌بین دهدَت آگاهی
hamcho jam jor'e-ye mâ kesh ke ze serr-e do jahân / parto-ye jâm-e jahân-bin dahadat âgâhi
Like Jamshid, drink a sip of ours, so that the light of the world-seeing cup may give you knowledge of the secret of both worlds.
COUPLET 3
بر در میکده، رندان قلندر باشندکه سِتانند و دهند افسر شاهنشاهی
bar dar-e meykade rendân-e ghalandar bâshand / ke setânand o dahand afsar-e shâhanshâhi
At the tavern door stand the wandering free spirits, who take away and give out the crown of kings.
COUPLET 4
خشت، زیر سر و بر تارَک هفت‌اختر پایدست قدرت نگر و منصب صاحب‌جاهی
khesht zir-e sar o bar târak-e haft-akhtar pây / dast-e ghodrat negar o mansab-e sâheb-jâhi
A mud brick under the head and a foot on the crown of the seven planets: see the hand of power and the rank of true dignity.
COUPLET 5
سَر ما و در میخانه که طرف بامشبه فلک بَر شد و دیوار بدین کوتاهی
sar-e mâ o dar-e meykhâne ke tarf-e bâmash / be falak bar shod o divâr bedin kutâhi
My head belongs at the tavern door, whose rooftop rose to the sky, though its wall is so low.
COUPLET 6
قطع این مرحله بی‌همرهی خضر مکنظلمات است، بترس از خطر گمراهی
ghat'-e in marhale bi-hamrahi-ye khezr makon / zolomât ast betars az khatar-e gomrâhi
Do not cross this stage of the road without Khizr as your companion; it is the land of darkness, fear the danger of losing your way.
COUPLET 7
اگرت سلطنت فقر ببخشند، ای دل!کمترین ملک تو از ماه بود تا ماهی
agarat saltanat-e faghr bebakhshand ey del / kamtarin molk-e to az mâh bovad tâ mâhi
O heart, if they grant you the kingdom of poverty, your smallest domain will stretch from the moon down to the fish beneath the earth.
COUPLET 8
تو دم فقر ندانی زدن از دست مدهمسند خواجگی و مجلس تورانشاهی
to dam-e faghr nadâni zadan az dast made / masnad-e khâjegi o majles-e turânshâhi
You do not know how to speak of poverty; do not let go of the seat of lordship and the court of Turanshah.
COUPLET 9
حافظِ خام‌طمع! شرمی از این قصّه بدارعملت چیست که فردوس بَرین می‌خواهی؟
Hâfez-e khâm-tama' sharmi az in ghesse bedâr / amalat chist ke ferdows-e barin mikhâhi
Naive and greedy Hafez, have some shame about this story: what are your deeds, that you want the highest paradise?
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a voice at dawn calling you back to a place where you already belong. Tradition reads it as a sign that true dignity does not depend on wealth, and that a wise guide will help you through a dark stretch of the road. Be humble about what you deserve, and value the good place and support you already have.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âhi (khâhi, dargâhi, âgâhi, shâhanshâhi, jâhi, kutâhi, gomrâhi, mâhi, turânshâhi, mikhâhi). Beyt 8 names Turanshah, the vizier who was Hafez's patron.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| saharam | at dawn, to me (sahar + -am) dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bâz | back, again dictionary | |
| ây | come! (بیا) dictionary | |
| dirine | long-standing, old dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dargâhi | (you are) of this court, of this threshold dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| کش | kesh | drink! (= bekesh) (بنوش) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| پرتو | parto | ray, light dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| dahadat | gives you dictionary | |
| âgâhi | knowledge, awareness dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| bâshand | are, belong dictionary | |
| setânand | they take dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dahand | (they) give dictionary | |
| afsar | crown dictionary | |
| shâhanshâhi | of the king of kings, imperial dictionary | |
| khesht | mud brick dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| قدرت | ghodrat | power dictionary |
| نگر | negar | look! see! (ببین) dictionary |
| منصب | mansab | rank, office dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| bar | up; bar shodan = to rise dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| divâr | wall dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| قطع | ghat' | crossing, covering (a distance) dictionary |
| مرحله | marhale | stage of a journey; here this world dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| betars | fear! be afraid! dictionary | |
| khatar | danger dictionary | |
| gomrâhi | losing the way, going astray dictionary | |
| agarat | if you (have) dictionary | |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| فقر | faghr | poverty dictionary |
| bebakhshand | they grant dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| کمترین | kamtarin | lowest dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| mâhi | fish (the mythical fish that holds up the earth) dictionary | |
| dam | breath; dam zadan az = to speak of, to claim dictionary | |
| nadâni | you do not know (how) dictionary | |
| zadan | to strike; dam zadan = to speak, to claim dictionary | |
| مده | made | do not give! (نده) dictionary |
| مسند | masnad | seat of power, throne dictionary |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sharmi | some shame dictionary | |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| bedâr | hold! ma'zur dâshtan = to excuse dictionary | |
| amalat | your deeds dictionary | |
| فردوس | ferdows | paradise dictionary |
| mikhâhi | you want dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 488. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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