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Hafez Ghazal 495: ⁧می خواه و گل‌افشان کن، از دهر چه می‌جویی؟⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 495 of Hafez (8 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
مِی خواه و گُل‌افشان کن، از دَهر چه می‌جویی؟این گفت سحرگه گُل «بلبل! تو چه می‌گویی؟»
mey khâh o gol-afshân kon az dahr che mijuyi / in goft sahargah gol bolbol to che miguyi
"Ask for wine and scatter roses; what else are you looking for from the world?" So said the rose at dawn. "Nightingale, what do you say?"
COUPLET 2
مسند به گلستان بَر، تا شاهد و ساقی رالب گیری و رخ بوسی، مِی نوشی و گُل بویی
masnad be golestân bar tâ shâhed o sâghi râ / lab giri o rokh busi mey nushi o gol buyi
Carry your seat to the rose garden, so that you may take the lips of the beauty and kiss the cupbearer's face, drink wine and smell the rose.
COUPLET 3
شمشاد، خرامان کُن وآهنگِ گلستان کُنتا سرو بیآموزد از قدِّ تو، دل‌جویی
shemshâd kharâmân kon v-âhang-e golestân kon / tâ sarv biyâmuzad az ghadd-e to delju'i
Let your boxwood figure stroll, set out for the rose garden, so that the cypress may learn from your stature how to win hearts.
COUPLET 4
تا غنچهٔ خندانت، دولت به که خواهد دادای شاخِ گُلِ رعنا! از بهرِ که می‌رویی؟
tâ ghonche-ye khandânat dowlat be ke khâhad dâd / ey shâkh-e gol-e ra'nâ az bahr-e ke miruyi
To whom will your smiling bud bring good fortune? O branch of the graceful rose, for whose sake are you growing?
COUPLET 5
امروز که بازارت، پرجوش خریدار استدریاب و بِنه گنجی از مایهٔ نیکویی
emruz ke bâzârat por-jush-e kharidâr ast / daryâb o beneh ganji az mâye-ye nikuyi
Today, while your market is crowded with buyers, seize the chance and lay up a treasure from the capital of goodness.
COUPLET 6
چون شمع، نکورویی در رهگذرِ باد استطرْفِ هنری بربند از شمعِ نکورویی
chon sham' nekuruyi dar rahgozar-e bâd ast / tarf-e honari barband az sham'-e nekuruyi
Like a candle, beauty stands in the path of the wind; gain some virtue from the candle of your beauty while it lasts.
COUPLET 7
آن طرِّه که هر جعدش، صد نافهٔ چین ارزدخوش بودی اگر بودی، بوییش ز خوش‌خویی
ân torre ke har ja'dash sad nâfe-ye chin arzad / khosh budi agar budi buyish ze khoshkhuyi
That lock of hair, each curl of which is worth a hundred musk pods of China: how sweet it would be if it also had some scent of a kind nature.
COUPLET 8
هر مُرغ به دستانی در گلشنِ شاه آمدبلبل به نواسازی، حافظ به غزل‌گویی
har morgh be dastâni dar golshan-e shâh âmad / bolbol be navâsâzi Hâfez be ghazal-guyi
Every bird came into the king's rose garden with its own song: the nightingale with its melodies, Hafez with his ghazals.

What this fâl tells you

This fal says your market is busy today: people value you, and the season is in your favor. Tradition reads it as advice to use this good time well, building something lasting from your gifts, because beauty and luck, like a candle in the wind, do not last forever. Add kindness to your charm, and bring your own song to the garden.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -uyi (mijuyi, miguyi, buyi, delju'i, miruyi, nikuyi, nekuruyi, khoshkhuyi, ghazal-guyi). This is the last ghazal of the Divan in the Ganjoor numbering.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
meywine (شراب) dictionary
khâhask for! want! (بخواه) dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
dahrtime, the world, fate dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
mijuyiyou seek dictionary
inthis dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
sahargahat dawn (سحرگاه)
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
bolbolnightingale dictionary
toyou dictionary
miguyiyou say dictionary
مسندmasnadseat of power, throne dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
گلستانgolestânrose garden dictionary
barcarry! take! (ببر) dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
shâhedbeauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary
sâghicupbearer dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
giriyou take dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
busiyou kiss dictionary
nushiyou drink dictionary
buyiyou smell dictionary
kharâmânstrolling gracefully dictionary
وآهنگv-âhangand the intention, and the tune dictionary
sarvcypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary
biyâmuzadlearns dictionary
ghonchebud, rosebud dictionary
khandânatyour smiling dictionary
dowlatgood fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary
khâhadwill (future auxiliary) dictionary
dâdgave dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
shâkhbranch; shâkh-e nabât = a stick of rock candy (also the name tradition gives Hafez's beloved) dictionary
bahrsake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای)
miruyiyou grow dictionary
emruztoday dictionary
bâzâratyour market dictionary
kharidârbuyer; one who values dictionary
astis dictionary
dar yâbseize! grasp! dictionary
benehput! (with ozr: excuse) (بگذار) dictionary
ganjia treasure dictionary
مایهٔmâyesource, capital dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
darin; door dictionary
bâdwind dictionary
honaria skill, a virtue dictionary
ânthat dictionary
torrelock of hair, curl dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
sadhundred dictionary
چینchinChina; also a curl, fold (pun) dictionary
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
budiwould be (wish form) dictionary
agarif dictionary
buyishsome scent of it dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
مرغmorghbird dictionary
shâhking dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 495. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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