Ghazal 490 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
در همه دِیر مغان نیست چو من شیداییخرقه جایی گرو باده و دفْتر جایی
dar hame deyr-e moghân nist cho man sheydâyi / kherghe jâyi gerow-e bâde o daftar jâyi
In all the temple of the Magi there is no one as lovesick as I: my robe is pawned for wine in one place, my book in another.
COUPLET 2
دل که آیینه شاهی‌ست غباری دارداز خدا می‌طلبم صحبت روشن‌رایی
del ke âyine-ye shâhi-st ghobâri dârad / az khodâ mitalabam sohbat-e rowshan-râyi
My heart, a mirror fit for a king, has gathered some dust; I ask God for the company of someone with a clear mind.
COUPLET 3
کرده‌ام توبه به دست صنم باده‌فروشکه دگَر مِی نخورم بی رخِ بزم‌آرایی
karde'am towbe be dast-e sanam-e bâde-forush / ke degar mey nakhoram bi rokh-e bazm-ârâyi
I have made a vow at the hand of the idol who sells wine: never again to drink without the face of one who brightens the feast.
COUPLET 4
نرگس اَر لاف زد از شیوه چشمِ تو مَرَنجنروند اهل نظر از پی نابینایی
narges ar lâf zad az shive-ye cheshm-e to maranj / naravand ahl-e nazar az pey-e nâbinâyi
If the narcissus boasted that it has your eye's manner, do not be offended; people of insight do not follow a blind one.
COUPLET 5
شرحِ این قصه مگر شمع بَرآرَد به زبانوَرنَه پروانه ندارد به سخن، پروایی
sharh-e in ghesse magar sham' barârad be zabân / v-arna parvâne nadârad be sokhan parvâyi
Perhaps the candle can put this story into words; otherwise the moth cares nothing for speech.
COUPLET 6
جوی‌ها بسته‌ام از دیده به دامان که مگردر کنارم بنشانند سَهی‌بالایی
juy-hâ baste'am az dide be dâmân ke magar / dar kenâram beneshânand sahi-bâlâyi
I have set streams flowing from my eyes into my lap, in the hope that they will seat some tall, slender one beside me.
COUPLET 7
کشتی باده بیاور که مرا بی رخِ دوستگشت هر گوشه چشم از غمِ دل، دریایی
keshti-ye bâde biyâvar ke marâ bi rokh-e dust / gasht har gushe-ye cheshm az gham-e del daryâyi
Bring the ship of wine, for without the friend's face every corner of my eye has become a sea from my heart's grief.
COUPLET 8
سخن غیر مگو با منِ معشوقه‌پرستکَز وِی و جامِ مِی‌ام نیست به کَس پروایی
sokhan-e gheyr magu bâ man-e ma'shughe-parast / k-az vey o jâm-e mey-am nist be kas parvâyi
Do not speak of anyone else to me, a worshipper of the beloved; apart from that one and my cup of wine, I care for no one.
COUPLET 9
این حدیثم چه خوش آمد که سحرگه می‌گفتبر درِ میکده‌ای، با دَف و نِی، ترسایی
in hadisam che khosh âmad ke sahargah migoft / bar dar-e meykade'i bâ daf o ney tarsâyi
How I liked these words that a Christian was saying at dawn at a tavern door, with drum and flute:
COUPLET 10
«گر مسلمانی از این است که حافظ داردآه اگر از پی امروز بُوَد فردایی»
"gar mosalmâni az in ast ke Hâfez dârad / âh agar az pey-e emruz bovad fardâyi"
"If being a Muslim is what Hafez has, alas if after today there comes a tomorrow!"
What this fâl tells you
This fal comes from a heart that has given everything for love and now longs for clear-minded company. Tradition reads it as advice to seek out a wise, bright friend who can wipe the dust from your heart's mirror. Do not mind those who boast; follow people of real insight, and let the deeper story speak through your actions.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âyi (sheydâyi, jâyi, rowshan-râyi, bazm-ârâyi, nâbinâyi, parvâyi, bâlâyi, daryâyi, tarsâyi, fardâyi). The last beyt is in quotation marks: the words of the Christian at the tavern door, playfully mocking Hafez.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| sheydâyi | a lovesick, love-crazed person dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| jâyi | somewhere dictionary | |
| گرو | gerow | pawn, pledge dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| daftar | book, notebook dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| âyine | mirror dictionary | |
| shâhi-st | is (fit for) a king (= shâhi ast) dictionary | |
| ghobâri | a little dust dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| می‌طلبم | mitalabam | I ask for, I pray for (میخواهم) dictionary |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| کرده‌ام | karde-am | I have done dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| sanam | idol; the beloved (بت) | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| نخورم | nakhoram | I will not drink dictionary |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| لاف | lâf | boast dictionary |
| zad | struck; lâf zadan = to boast dictionary | |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| مرنج | maranj | do not be hurt! (نرنج) dictionary |
| نروند | naravand | they do not go dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary | |
| nâbinâyi | a blind one dictionary | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps, in the hope that dictionary |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| ورنه | v-arna | otherwise (= va agar na) (وگرنه) |
| پروانه | parvâne | moth (drawn to the candle) dictionary |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| parvâyi | any care, any concern dictionary | |
| juy-hâ | streams dictionary | |
| baste-am | I have made (streams) flow, set up dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| کنارم | kenâram | my lap dictionary |
| beneshânand | they seat dictionary | |
| keshti | ship, ark dictionary | |
| biyâvar | bring! dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| گوشه | gushe | corner dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| daryâyi | a sea dictionary | |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| می‌ام | mey-am | wine for me (= mey + -am) dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| sahargah | at dawn (سحرگاه) | |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| meykade'i | a tavern dictionary | |
| ney | reed flute dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| fardâyi | a tomorrow (also: Judgment Day) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 490. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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