Ghazal 53 of Hafez (7 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
منم که گوشهٔ میخانه، خانقاهِ من استدعایِ پیرِ مُغان، وِرْدِ صُبْحگاهِ من است
manam ke gushe-ye meykhâne khâneghâh-e man ast / do'â-ye pir-e moghân verd-e sobhgâh-e man ast
I am the one whose Sufi lodge is a corner of the tavern, and whose morning litany is the prayer of the Magian elder.
COUPLET 2
گَرَم ترانهٔ چنگ صَبوح نیست چه باکنوایِ من به سَحَر، آهِ عُذْرخواهِ من است
garam tarâne-ye chang-e sabuh nist che bâk / navâ-ye man be sahar âh-e ozrkhâh-e man ast
If I have no harp music with my morning wine, what does it matter? My song at dawn is my sigh asking forgiveness.
COUPLET 3
ز پادشاه و گِدا، فارِغم بِحَمْدِاللهگِدایِ خاکِ دَرِ دوست، پادشاهِ من است
ze pâdshâh o gedâ fâregham be-hamdellâh / gedâ-ye khâk-e dar-e dust pâdshâh-e man ast
Thank God, I care nothing for king or beggar: the beggar in the dust at my beloved's door is my king.
COUPLET 4
غَرَض زِ مَسْجِد و مِیخانه‌ام، وِصالِ شماستجُز این خیال ندارم، خُدا، گُواهِ من است
gharaz ze masjed o meykhâne'am vesâl-e shomâst / joz in khiyâl nadâram, khodâ govâh-e man ast
My aim in going to mosque and tavern is union with you; I have no other thought, God is my witness.
COUPLET 5
مَگَر به تیغِ اَجَل، خیمه بَرکَنَم ور نیرَمیدن از دَرِ دولت، نه رَسْم و راهِ من است
magar be tigh-e ajal kheyme barkanam var ni / ramidan az dar-e dowlat na rasm o râh-e man ast
Only the sword of death will make me pull up my tent; otherwise, running from the door of good fortune is not my way.
COUPLET 6
از آن زَمان که بر این آسْتان نَهادم رویفَرازِ مَسْنَدِ خورشید، تِکْیِه‌گاهِ من است
az ân zamân ke bar in âstân nahâdam ruy / farâz-e masnad-e khorshid tekyegâh-e man ast
Ever since I laid my face on this threshold, my resting place has been above the throne of the sun.
COUPLET 7
گُناه اگرچه نبود اختیارِ ما، «حافظ»!تو در طریقِ اَدَب باش، گو گُناهِ من است
gonâh agarche nabud ekhtiyâr-e mâ Hâfez / to dar tarigh-e adab bâsh, gu gonâh-e man ast
Hafez, although sin was not our own choice, keep to the path of good manners and say: the sin is mine.
What this fâl tells you
Stay faithful at the door you have chosen; your loyalty is itself a kind of wealth. Tradition reads this fal as advice to be sincere in your aims, to own your mistakes with grace, and not to run from good fortune when it is near. A humble sigh at dawn is heard.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: man ast ("is mine"). qâfiye: -âh (khâneghâh, sobhgâh, ozrkhâh, pâdshâh, govâh, râh, tekyegâh, gonâh).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| منم | manam | I am (the one) dictionary |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| پادشاه | pâdeshâh | king dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| گدای | gedâ-ye | beggar of dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| gharaz | aim, wish; dast dâdan = to come about dictionary | |
| مسجد | masjed | mosque dictionary |
| میخانه‌ام | meykhâne'am | my (going to the) tavern dictionary |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| ندارم | nadâram | I do not have; dast az chizi nadâshtan = not to give something up dictionary |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| گواه | govâh | witness dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| kheyme | tent dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| ni | not; var ni = otherwise (نه) | |
| ramidan | running away, shying away dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| rasm | custom, way dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| نهادم | nahâdam | I laid, I placed (گذاشتم) dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| فراز | farâz-e | top of, above (بالای) |
| مسند | masnad | seat of power, throne dictionary |
| tekyegâh | resting place, support dictionary | |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| agarche | although dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| adab | courtesy, good manners dictionary | |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 53. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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