Ghazal 65 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.
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COUPLET 1
خوش‌تر ز عیش و صحبت و باغ و بهار چیست؟ساقی کجاست؟ گو سببِ انتظار چیست؟
khoshtar ze eysh o sohbat o bâgh o bahâr chist / sâghi kojâst gu sabab-e entezâr chist
What is sweeter than pleasure, good company, the garden and spring? Where is the cupbearer? Ask him what we are waiting for.
COUPLET 2
هر وقتِ خوش که دست دهد، مغتنم شمارکس را وقوف نیست که انجامِ کار چیست
har vaght-e khosh ke dast dahad moghtanam shomâr / kas râ voghuf nist ke anjâm-e kâr chist
Treasure every good moment that comes your way; no one knows how things will end.
COUPLET 3
پیوندِ عمر بسته به مویی‌ست، هوش دارغمخوارِ خویش باش، غمِ روزگار چیست؟
peyvand-e omr baste be mu'i-st hush dâr / ghamkhâr-e khish bâsh gham-e ruzgâr chist
The thread of life hangs by a hair, so be mindful: take care of yourself; why grieve over the world?
COUPLET 4
معنیِ آبِ زندگی و روضهٔ ارمجز طَرفِ جویبار و میِ خوشگوار چیست؟
ma'ni-ye âb-e zendegi o rowze-ye eram / joz taraf-e juybâr o mey-e khoshgovâr chist
What do the water of life and the garden of Eram really mean, if not the bank of a stream and a smooth, pleasant wine?
COUPLET 5
مستور و مست هر دو چو از یک قبیله‌اندما دل به عشوهٔ که دهیم؟ اختیار چیست؟
mastur o mast har do cho az yek ghabile-and / mâ del be eshve-ye ke dahim, ekhtiyâr chist
Since the veiled pious and the drunkard are of one tribe, to whose charms should we give our heart? What choice is there?
COUPLET 6
راز درونِ پرده چه داند فلک؟ خموشای مدعی! نزاعِ تو با پرده‌دار چیست؟
râz-e darun-e parde che dânad falak khamush / ey modda'i nezâ'-e to bâ parde-dâr chist
What does the sky know of the secret behind the curtain? Hush, pretender: why quarrel with the keeper of the curtain?
COUPLET 7
سهو و خطایِ بنده گَرَش اعتبار نیستمعنیِ عفو و رحمتِ آمُرزگار چیست؟
sahv o khatâ-ye bande garash e'tebâr nist / ma'ni-ye afv o rahmat-e âmorzgâr chist
If the servant's slips and mistakes were not counted, what would the Forgiver's pardon and mercy mean?
COUPLET 8
زاهد شرابِ کوثر و حافظ پیاله خواستتا در میانه خواستهٔ کردگار چیست
zâhed sharâb-e kowsar o Hâfez piyâle khâst / tâ dar miyâne khâste-ye kerdgâr chist
The ascetic asked for the wine of Kawthar and Hafez for the cup; we shall see what the Creator wills between them.
What this fâl tells you
Treasure the good moments now, among friends and in the fresh season, for no one knows how things will turn out. Tradition reads this fal as advice to stop worrying about what is beyond your control and to take kind care of yourself. Mistakes can be forgiven; mercy is wider than you think.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: chist ("what is?"). qâfiye: -âr (bahâr, entezâr, shomâr, kâr, dâr, ruzgâr, khoshgovâr, ekhtiyâr, parde-dâr, âmorzgâr, kerdgâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| khoshtar | sweeter, more pleasant dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| bahâr | spring dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| sabab | reason dictionary | |
| entezâr | waiting dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| مغتنم | moghtanam | a precious gain; moghtanam shomordan = to treasure dictionary |
| shomâr | count! consider! (imperative) (بشمار) dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| وقوف | voghuf | awareness; also the standing ritual of the pilgrimage dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| anjâm | end, outcome dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| پیوند | peyvand | bond, link dictionary |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| baste-ye | bound by, captive of dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| مویی‌ست | mu'i-st | is (hanging by) a hair dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| ghamkhâr | one who cares for, comforter dictionary | |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| ruzegâr | time, days dictionary | |
| معنی | ma'ni | meaning, inner reality dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| zendegi | life dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| مستور | mastur | veiled, chaste; the outwardly pious dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| قبیله‌اند | ghabile-and | are (of one) tribe dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| eshve | flirting, coaxing; eshve dâdan = to deceive with charm; eshve kharidan = to be taken in dictionary | |
| dahim | we give dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| darun | inside dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| khamush | silent; hush! (خاموش) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| modda'i | pretender, critic dictionary | |
| نزاع | nezâ' | quarrel dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| sahv | mistake, oversight dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| گرش | garash | if ... him (= agar u râ) dictionary |
| e'tebâr | weight, account dictionary | |
| afv | forgiveness dictionary | |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| پیاله | piyâle | cup dictionary |
| khâst | wanted dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میانه | miyâne | the middle; dar miyâne = in the midst, at that moment dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 65. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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