Ghazal 5 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
دل می‌رود ز دستم صاحب‌دلان خدا رادردا که راز پنهان خواهد شد آشکارا
del miravad ze dastam, sâheb-delân khodâ râ / dardâ ke râz-e penhân khâhad shod âshkârâ
My heart is slipping out of my hands; you who understand hearts, for God's sake help! Alas, the hidden secret is about to come out.
COUPLET 2
کشتی‌شکستگانیم ای بادِ شُرطِه برخیزباشد که باز بینم دیدارِ آشنا را
keshti-shekastegânim, ey bâd-e shorte barkhiz / bâshad ke bâz binam didâr-e âshenâ râ
We are shipwrecked: rise, fair wind, so that perhaps I may see the face of the one I love again.
COUPLET 3
ده‌روزه مِهرِ گردون افسانه است و افسوننیکی به جای یاران فرصت شمار یارا
dah-ruze mehr-e gardun afsâne ast o afsun / niki be jâ-ye yârân forsat shomâr yârâ
The ten-day kindness of the turning sky is only a story and a spell. Take the chance to do good to your friends, my friend.
COUPLET 4
در حلقهٔ گُل و مُل خوش خواند دوش بلبلهاتِ الصَّبُوحَ هُبّوا یا ایُّها السُّکارا
dar halghe-ye gol o mol khosh khând dush bolbol / hâtes-sabuha hobbu yâ ayyohas-sokârâ
Last night, in the circle of roses and wine, the nightingale sang sweetly: "Bring the morning cup! Wake up, you who are drunk!"
COUPLET 5
ای صاحبِ کرامت شُکرانهٔ سلامتروزی تَفَقُّدی کن درویشِ بی‌نوا را
ey sâheb-e kerâmat, shokrâne-ye salâmat / ruzi tafaghghodi kon darvish-e binavâ râ
You who are noble and generous, as thanks for your own good health, look in one day on the poor dervish.
COUPLET 6
آسایشِ دو گیتی تفسیرِ این دو حرف استبا دوستان مُرُوَّت با دشمنان مُدارا
âsâyesh-e do giti tafsir-e in do harf ast / bâ dustân morovvat, bâ doshmanân modârâ
Peace in both worlds comes down to these two phrases: kindness to friends, tolerance to enemies.
COUPLET 7
در کویِ نیک‌نامی ما را گذر ندادندگر تو نمی‌پسندی تغییر کن قضا را
dar ku-ye niknâmi mâ râ gozar nadâdand / gar to nemipasandi, taghyir kon ghazâ râ
They did not let us pass through the street of good reputation. If you do not like it, go and change fate.
COUPLET 8
آن تَلخ‌وَش که صوفی اُم‌ُّالخَبائِثَش خوانداَشهیٰ لَنا و اَحلیٰ مِن قُبلَةِ العَذارا
ân talkh-vash ke sufi ommol-khabâ'esash khând / ashhâ lanâ va ahlâ men ghoblatel-azârâ
That bitter drink the Sufi calls "the mother of all evils" is sweeter and more pleasant to us than a maiden's kiss.
COUPLET 9
هنگامِ تنگ‌دستی در عیش کوش و مستیکاین کیمیایِ هستی قارون کند گدا را
hengâm-e tangdasti dar eysh kush o masti / k-in kimiyâ-ye hasti ghârun konad gedâ râ
When times are hard, work at joy and intoxication: this alchemy of being turns a beggar into Qarun, the richest of men.
COUPLET 10
سرکش مشو که چون شمع از غیرتت بسوزددلبر که در کفِ او موم است سنگِ خارا
sarkesh masho ke chon sham' az gheyratat besuzad / delbar ke dar kaf-e u mum ast sang-e khârâ
Do not be defiant, or the beloved, in whose hand even granite is soft as wax, will burn you like a candle out of jealousy.
COUPLET 11
آیینهٔ سِکَندر جامِ مِی است بنگرتا بر تو عرضه دارد احوالِ مُلکِ دارا
âyine-ye sekandar jâm-e mey ast, bengar / tâ bar to arze dârad ahvâl-e molk-e dârâ
The wine cup is Alexander's mirror: look into it, and it will show you the state of Darius's kingdom.
COUPLET 12
خوبان پارسی‌گو بخشندگانِ عمرندساقی بده بشارت رندانِ پارسا را
khubân-e pârsi-gu bakhshandegân-e omrand / sâghi bedeh beshârat rendân-e pârsâ râ
The Persian-speaking beauties are givers of life. Cupbearer, give the good news to the God-fearing free spirits.
COUPLET 13
حافظ به خود نپوشید این خرقهٔ مِی‌ْآلودای شیخِ پاک‌دامن معذور دار ما را
Hâfez be khod napushid in kherghe-ye mey-âlud / ey sheykh-e pâkdâman, ma'zur dâr mâ râ
Hafez did not put on this wine-stained cloak by his own choice. O sheikh of spotless robe, forgive us.
What this fâl tells you
You may feel that a feeling is about to come out into the open, or that you are shipwrecked and waiting for a kinder wind. The heart of this fal is its most quoted line: be generous with friends and patient with opponents. Use the time you have to do good; the wind can still change.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none (the rhyme is the -â ending). qâfiye: -â (râ, âshkârâ, yârâ, sokârâ, modârâ, khârâ, dârâ, pârsâ). Two half-lines are Arabic.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| del | heart dictionary | |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dastam | my hand; az dast raftan = to slip out of one's control dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| dardâ | alas! (افسوس) | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| پنهان | penhân | hidden dictionary |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| shorte | fair wind (for sailing) (باد موافق) | |
| barkhiz | rise! get up! dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| binam | I see (ببینم) dictionary | |
| didâr | face; meeting dictionary | |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| گردون | gardun | the turning sky; fortune dictionary |
| afsâne | tale, legend dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| afsun | spell, charm dictionary | |
| niki | goodness, a good deed dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| فرصت | forsat | chance, opportunity dictionary |
| shomâr | count! consider! (imperative) (بشمار) dictionary | |
| یارا | yârâ | O friend (yâr + vocative -â) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| gol | rose; flower dictionary | |
| مل | mol | wine (شراب) |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| khând | sang, read; called dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| هات | hât | bring! (Arabic) (بیاور) |
| as-sabuh | the morning drink (Arabic) (شراب صبحگاهی) | |
| هبوا | hobbu | wake up! (Arabic, plural) (برخیزید) |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| as-sokârâ | the drunk ones (Arabic) (مستان) | |
| sâheb | owner, master; one who has dictionary | |
| کرامت | kerâmat | nobility, generosity dictionary |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| tafaghghodi | a kind inquiry, looking in on someone (احوال‌پرسی) | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| binavâ | poor, destitute dictionary | |
| âsâyesh | comfort, peace dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| giti | world; do giti = this world and the next dictionary | |
| tafsir | explanation, commentary dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| harf | word, phrase dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| dustân | friends dictionary | |
| مروت | morovvat | generosity, humane kindness dictionary |
| doshmanân | enemies dictionary | |
| مدارا | modârâ | tolerance, forbearance dictionary |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| گذر | gozar | passage dictionary |
| ندادند | nadâdand | (they) did not give dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| nemipasandi | you do not like, do not approve dictionary | |
| taghyir | change dictionary | |
| قضا | ghazâ | fate, divine decree dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ashhâ | more desirable (Arabic) (خواستنی‌تر) | |
| لنا | lanâ | to us (Arabic) (برای ما) |
| ahlâ | sweeter (Arabic) (شیرین‌تر) | |
| من | men | than, from (Arabic) (از) |
| قبلة | ghoblat | kiss (Arabic) (بوسه) |
| al-azârâ | the maidens (Arabic) (دوشیزگان) | |
| هنگام | hengâm | time (of) dictionary |
| tangdasti | poverty, hardship dictionary | |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| کوش | kush | strive! try! (بکوش) dictionary |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| کیمیای | kimiyâ-ye | alchemy of (کیمیا) |
| hasti | existence, being dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| sarkesh | defiant, rebellious dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| gheyratat | jealousy (of the beloved) toward you dictionary | |
| besuzad | burns dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| کف | kaf | palm (of the hand) dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| موم | mum | wax dictionary |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| âyine | mirror dictionary | |
| sekandar | Alexander the Great (اسکندر) | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| bengar | look! (نگاه کن) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| arze | showing; arze dâshtan = to show, present dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| dârâ | Darius, the ancient Persian king dictionary | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| omrand | of life (+ "are") dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| beshârat | good news (مژده) | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| پارسا | pârsâ | pious, God-fearing dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| نپوشید | napushid | did not put on dictionary |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| پاک‌دامن | pâkdâman | of spotless robe, chaste dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 5. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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