Ghazal 489 of Hafez (14 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
ای در رخ تو پیدا انوار پادشاهیدر فکرتِ تو پنهان، صد حکمت الهی
ey dar rokh-e to peydâ anvâr-e pâdshâhi / dar fekrat-e to penhân sad hekmat-e elâhi
O you in whose face the lights of kingship shine, and in whose thought a hundred divine wisdoms lie hidden.
COUPLET 2
کلک تو بارک الله بر ملک و دین گشادهصد چشمه آب حیوان از قطرهٔ سیاهی
kelk-e to bârakallâh bar molk o din goshâde / sad cheshme âb-e heyvân az ghatre-ye siyâhi
Your pen, God bless it, has opened for the kingdom and the faith a hundred springs of the water of life from a drop of ink.
COUPLET 3
بر اهرمن نتابد انوار اسم اعظمملک آن توست و خاتم فرمای هر چه خواهی
bar ahreman natâbad anvâr-e esm-e a'zam / molk ân-e to-st o khâtam farmây har che khâhi
The lights of the Greatest Name do not shine on the demon; the kingdom and the seal ring are yours: command whatever you wish.
COUPLET 4
در حکمت سلیمان هر کس که شک نمایدبر عقل و دانش او خندند مرغ و ماهی
dar hekmat-e soleymân har kas ke shakk namâyad / bar aghl o dânesh-e u khandand morgh o mâhi
Whoever doubts Solomon's wisdom, the birds and the fish laugh at his reason and learning.
COUPLET 5
باز ار چه گاه گاهی بر سر نهد کلاهیمرغان قاف دانند آیین پادشاهی
bâz ar che gâh gâhi bar sar nahad kolâhi / morghân-e ghâf dânand â'in-e pâdshâhi
Though the falcon now and then wears a hood on its head, the birds of Mount Qaf know the ways of kingship.
COUPLET 6
تیغی که آسمانش از فیض خود دهد آبتنها جهان بگیرد بی منّت سپاهی
tighi ke âsemânash az feyz-e khod dahad âb / tanhâ jahân begirad bi mennat-e sepâhi
A sword that heaven tempers with its own grace conquers the world alone, owing nothing to any army.
COUPLET 7
کلک تو خوش نویسد در شأن یار و اغیارتعویذ جان‌فزایی افسون عمرکاهی
kelk-e to khosh nevisad dar sha'n-e yâr o aghyâr / ta'viz-e jân-fazâyi afsun-e omr-kâhi
Your pen writes beautifully about friend and foe: for one a life-giving amulet, for the other a life-shortening spell.
COUPLET 8
ای عنصر تو مخلوق از کیمیای عزّتو ای دولت تو ایمن از وَصمت تباهی
ey onsor-e to makhlugh az kimiyâ-ye ezzat / v-ey dowlat-e to ayman az vasmat-e tabâhi
O you whose essence was made from the alchemy of honor, and whose fortune is safe from the stain of ruin.
COUPLET 9
ساقی بیار آبی از چشمهٔ خراباتتا خرقه‌ها بشوییم از عُجب خانقاهی
sâghi biyâr âbi az cheshme-ye kharâbât / tâ kherghe-hâ beshuyim az ojb-e khâneghâhi
Cupbearer, bring some water from the spring of the tavern, so that we may wash our robes clean of the vanity of the Sufi lodge.
COUPLET 10
عمری‌ست پادشاها کز می تهی‌ست جامماینک زِ بنده دعوی، وَز محتسب گواهی
omri-st pâdshâhâ k-az mey tohi-st jâmam / inak ze bande da'vi v-az mohtaseb gavâhi
For a lifetime, O king, my cup has been empty of wine: here is the claim from your servant, and the morals officer is my witness.
COUPLET 11
گَر پرتوی زِ تیغت، بر کان و معدن افتدیاقوت سرخ‌رو را بخشند رنگ کاهی
gar parto'i ze tighat bar kân o ma'dan oftad / yâghut-e sorkh-ru râ bakhshand rang-e kâhi
If a ray from your sword falls on the quarry and the mine, the red-faced ruby will be given the color of straw.
COUPLET 12
دانم دلت ببخشد بر عجز شب‌نشینانگر حال بنده پرسی از باد صبحگاهی
dânam delat bebakhshad bar ajz-e shab-neshinân / gar hâl-e bande porsi az bâd-e sobhgâhi
I know your heart will take pity on the helplessness of those who sit up through the night, if you ask the morning breeze about your servant's state.
COUPLET 13
جایی که برق عصیان بر آدم صفی زدما را چگونه زیبد دعویِ بی‌گناهی؟
jâyi ke bargh-e esyân bar âdam-e safi zad / mâ râ chegune zibad da'vi-ye bi-gonâhi
Where the lightning of disobedience struck even Adam the Pure, how could it suit us to claim innocence?
COUPLET 14
حافظ چو پادشاهت گهگاه می‌برد نامرنجش ز بخت منما بازآ به عذرخواهی
Hâfez cho pâdshâhat gahgâh mibarad nâm / ranjesh ze bakht manmâ bâz â be ozrkhâhi
Hafez, since the king mentions your name now and then, do not complain about your fortune; come back with an apology.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is full of praise for a wise ruler whose pen and judgment bring life: someone in a high place thinks of you. Tradition reads it as a sign that honest humility and a sincere request will be received kindly. Do not complain about your luck; admit your faults gracefully and come forward, for you have not been forgotten.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âhi (pâdshâhi, elâhi, siyâhi, khâhi, mâhi, kolâhi, sepâhi, kâhi, tabâhi, khâneghâhi, gavâhi, sobhgâhi, gonâhi, ozrkhâhi). A panegyric ghazal addressed to a king, usually taken to be Shah Shoja.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| پیدا | peydâ | visible; peydâ shod = appeared dictionary |
| anvâr | lights dictionary | |
| فکرت | fekrat | your thought dictionary |
| پنهان | penhân | hidden dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| hekmat | wisdom, philosophy dictionary | |
| elâhi | divine dictionary | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| allâh | God; bârakallâh = God bless it! (Arabic) dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| گشاده | goshâde | opened dictionary |
| چشمه | cheshme | spring, fountain dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| heyvân | life; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary | |
| siyâhi | ink, blackness dictionary | |
| نتابد | natâbad | does not shine dictionary |
| esm | name; esm-e a'zam = the Greatest Name of God dictionary | |
| a'zam | greatest dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| to-st | is yours (ân-e to-st) dictionary | |
| khâtam | seal ring dictionary | |
| farmây | grant, be so kind as to (polite imperative) (بفرما) dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| khâhi | you want dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نماید | namâyad | shows; shakk namudan = to doubt dictionary |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| dânesh | knowledge, learning dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| khandand | they laugh dictionary | |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| mâhi | fish dictionary | |
| bâz | falcon, hawk dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| گاه | gâh | sometimes dictionary |
| gâhi | now and then (gâh gâhi = from time to time) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| نهد | nahad | lays, puts dictionary |
| kolâhi | a cap dictionary | |
| مرغان | morghân-e | birds dictionary |
| dânand | (they) know dictionary | |
| tighi | a blade, a sword dictionary | |
| âsemânash | heaven (gives) it dictionary | |
| فیض | feyz | grace, abundance dictionary |
| khod | its own dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| tanhâ | alone; na be tanhâ = not only dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| begirad | takes, conquers dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| sepâhi | an army dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| نویسد | nevisad | writes dictionary |
| sha'n | matter, regard; dar sha'n-e = about dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| aghyâr | strangers, rivals (plural of gheyr) dictionary | |
| afsun | spell, charm dictionary | |
| onsor | essence, element dictionary | |
| مخلوق | makhlugh | created dictionary |
| kimiyâ-ye | alchemy of (کیمیا) | |
| ezzat | respect, honor dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| tabâhi | ruin, corruption dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| kherghe-hâ | Sufi robes dictionary | |
| bashuyim | let us wash dictionary | |
| khâneghâhi | of the Sufi lodge dictionary | |
| omri-st | it has been a lifetime (= omri ast) dictionary | |
| پادشاها | pâdshâhâ | O king dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| tohi-st | is empty (= tohi ast) dictionary | |
| jâmam | my cup dictionary | |
| inak | here is, now dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| da'vi | claim dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| parto'i | a ray, any light dictionary | |
| tighat | your sword dictionary | |
| معدن | ma'dan | mine dictionary |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| یاقوت | yâghut | ruby dictionary |
| bakhshand | they give dictionary | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| kâhi | straw-colored, pale yellow dictionary | |
| dânam | I know dictionary | |
| delat | your heart dictionary | |
| bebakhshad | takes pity (bar = on) dictionary | |
| ajz | weakness, powerlessness dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| porsi | you ask dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| jâyi | somewhere dictionary | |
| bargh | lightning dictionary | |
| âdam | Adam dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| چگونه | chegune | how dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| پادشاهت | pâdshâhat | your king dictionary |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes; nâm bordan = to mention dictionary |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| ranjesh | resentment, taking offense dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| منما | manemâ | do not show! (do not voice) (نشان نده) dictionary |
| bâz â | come back! dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 489. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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