Ghazal 49 of Hafez (13 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
روضهٔ خُلدِ برین خلوتِ درویشان استمایهٔ مُحتشمی، خدمتِ درویشان است
rowze-ye khold-e barin khalvat-e darvishân ast / mâye-ye mohtashami khedmat-e darvishân ast
The garden of highest paradise is the retreat of the dervishes; the source of all dignity is serving the dervishes.
COUPLET 2
گَنج عُزلت که طِلِسماتِ عجایب داردفتحِ آن در نظرِ رحمتِ درویشان است
ganj-e ozlat ke telesmât-e ajâyeb dârad / fath-e ân dar nazar-e rahmat-e darvishân ast
The treasure of solitude, guarded by wondrous talismans, is opened by the merciful glance of the dervishes.
COUPLET 3
قصرِ فردوس که رضوانش به دَربانی رفتمَنظَری از چمنِ نُزهَتِ درویشان است
ghasr-e ferdows ke rezvânash be darbâni raft / manzari az chaman-e nozhat-e darvishân ast
The palace of paradise, whose gate Rezvan went to guard, is only one view of the dervishes' meadow of delight.
COUPLET 4
آن چه زر می‌شود از پرتو آن، قلبِ سیاهکیمیاییست که در صحبتِ درویشان است
ân che zar mishavad az parto-ye ân ghalb-e siyâh / kimiyâyi-st ke dar sohbat-e darvishân ast
The thing whose light turns a black, false coin into gold is an alchemy found in the company of the dervishes.
COUPLET 5
آن که پیشش بِنَهَد تاجِ تکبر، خورشیدکبریاییست که در حِشمتِ درویشان است
ân ke pishash benehad tâj-e takabbor khorshid / kebriyâyi-st ke dar heshmat-e darvishân ast
That before which the sun lays down its crown of pride is a majesty found in the dignity of the dervishes.
COUPLET 6
دولتی را که نباشد غم از آسیبِ زَوالبی‌تَکَلُف بشنو، دولتِ درویشان است
dowlati râ ke nabâshad gham az âsib-e zavâl / bi-takallof beshno dowlat-e darvishân ast
The fortune that need not fear decline is, hear it plainly, the fortune of the dervishes.
COUPLET 7
خسروان، قبلهٔ حاجاتِ جهانند ولیسببش بندگیِ حضرتِ درویشان است
khosrovân ghemle-ye hâjât-e jahânand vali / sababash bandegi-ye hazrat-e darvishân ast
Kings are where the world turns with its needs, but the reason is their service at the court of the dervishes.
COUPLET 8
رویِ مقصود که شاهان به دعا می‌طَلبندمَظهَرَش آینهٔ طَلعَتِ درویشان است
ru-ye maghsud ke shâhân be do'â mitalaband / mazharash âyene-ye tal'at-e darvishân ast
The face of the goal that kings seek in their prayers shows itself in the mirror of the dervishes' faces.
COUPLET 9
از کران تا به کران، لشکر ظُلم است ولیاز اَزَل تا به اَبَد، فرصتِ درویشان است
az karân tâ be karân lashkar-e zolm ast vali / az azal tâ be abad forsat-e darvishân ast
From one horizon to the other spreads the army of injustice, but from eternity to eternity the time belongs to the dervishes.
COUPLET 10
ای توانگر مَفُروش این همه نِخوَت که تو راسر و زر در کَنَفِ همتِ درویشان است
ey tavângar maforush in hame nekhvat ke to râ / sar o zar dar kanaf-e hemmat-e darvishân ast
O rich man, do not parade such arrogance: your life and your gold are under the shelter of the dervishes' blessing.
COUPLET 11
گنجِ قارون که فرو می‌شود از قَهر هنوزخوانده باشی که هم از غِیرتِ درویشان است
ganj-e ghârun ke foru mishavad az ghahr hanuz / khânde bâshi ke ham az gheyrat-e darvishân ast
The treasure of Qarun, still sinking into the earth under God's wrath, you will have read, sank because of the dervishes' zeal.
COUPLET 12
حافظ ار آبِ حیاتِ اَزَلی می‌خواهیمَنبَعَش خاکِ درِ خلوتِ درویشان است
Hâfez ar âb-e hayât-e azali mikhâhi / manba'ash khâk-e dar-e khalvat-e darvishân ast
Hafez, if you want the eternal water of life, its spring is the dust at the door of the dervishes' retreat.
COUPLET 13
من غلامِ نظرِ آصِفِ عهدم کو راصورتِ خواجگی و سیرتِ درویشان است
man gholâm-e nazar-e âsef-e ahdam k-u râ / surat-e khâjegi o sirat-e darvishân ast
I am the servant of the gaze of the Asaf of my age, who has the outward form of a lord and the character of a dervish.
What this fâl tells you
True wealth lies in humility, contentment and good company. Tradition reads this fal as advice to seek out simple, sincere people and to help them, for blessings come through them. Do not be dazzled by pride or display; what lasts is a kind and humble heart.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: darvishân ast ("is the dervishes'"). qâfiye: -at (khalvat, khedmat, rahmat, nozhat, sohbat, heshmat, dowlat, hazrat, tal'at, forsat, hemmat, gheyrat, sirat).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khold | paradise, eternity (بهشت) | |
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مایهٔ | mâye | source, capital dictionary |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| telesmât | talismans (thought to guard treasures) dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| فتح | fath | conquest, victory dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| قصر | ghasr | palace dictionary |
| فردوس | ferdows | paradise dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| manzari | a view, a lookout dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| می‌شود | mishavad | becomes dictionary |
| پرتو | parto | ray, light dictionary |
| قلب | ghalb | counterfeit (coin); also "heart" (pun) dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| پیشش | pishash | in front of it dictionary |
| benehad | lays down dictionary | |
| tâj | crown dictionary | |
| dowlati | fortune; now-dowlati = new good fortune dictionary | |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| âsib | harm dictionary | |
| zavâl | decline, ending dictionary | |
| beshno | listen! dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| jahânand | (they) are (the qibla) of the world dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| sababash | its cause dictionary | |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| shâhân | kings dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| می‌طلبند | mitalaband | (they) seek dictionary |
| مظهرش | mazharash | its manifestation dictionary |
| âyene | mirror (آیینه) | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| zolm | injustice dictionary | |
| abad | eternity without end dictionary | |
| فرصت | forsat | chance, opportunity dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| tavângar | rich man dictionary | |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (here: do not show off) (نفروش) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| نخوت | nekhvat | arrogance dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| قهر | ghahr | wrath dictionary |
| هنوز | hanuz | still, yet dictionary |
| khânde | read dictionary | |
| bâshi | you (will) have dictionary | |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| gheyrat | jealousy (of love); zeal dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| hayât | life; âb-e hayât = the water of life dictionary | |
| mikhâhi | you want dictionary | |
| منبعش | manba'ash | its source dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| ahdam | of my age dictionary | |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| surat | outward appearance, form dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 49. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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