Ghazal 7 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
صوفی بیا که آیِنِه، صافی‌ست جام راتا بِنگَری صَفایِ مِیِ لَعل‌فام را
sufi biyâ ke âyene sâfi-st jâm râ / tâ bengari safâ-ye mey-e la'l-fâm râ
Come, Sufi: the cup's mirror is clear. Come and see the brightness of the ruby-colored wine.
COUPLET 2
رازِ درونِ پَردِه زِ رِندانِ مَست پُرسکاین حال نیست زاهِدِ عالی‌مَقام را
râz-e darun-e parde ze rendân-e mast pors / k-in hâl nist zâhed-e âli-maghâm râ
Ask the drunken free spirits about the secret behind the curtain; the high-ranking ascetic knows nothing of this state.
COUPLET 3
عَنقا، شِکارِ کَس نَشَوَد، دام بازچینکآنجا، همیشه، باد به دست است، دام را
anghâ shekâr-e kas nashavad, dâm bâzchin / k-ânjâ hamishe bâd be dast ast dâm râ
The Anqa, the legendary bird, is no one's prey: fold up your net. There, the trap only ever catches the wind.
COUPLET 4
دَر بَزمِ دُور، یک‌دو قدح دَرکَش و برویَعنی طَمَع مَدار وِصالِ مُدام را
dar bazm-e dowr yek-do ghadah darkesh o borow / ya'ni tama' madâr vesâl-e modâm râ
At the feast of time, drink a cup or two and go: in other words, do not expect union to last forever.
COUPLET 5
ای دل! شَباب رَفت و نَچیدی گُلی زِ عِیشپیرانه‌‌سر مَکُن هُنَری نَنگ و نام را
ey del shabâb raft o nachidi goli ze eysh / pirâne-sar makon honari nang o nâm râ
O heart, youth is gone and you never picked a single rose of pleasure. Now, in old age, do not make worrying about your reputation into a virtue.
COUPLET 6
در عِیشِ نَقد کوش که چون آبخَور نَمانْدآدَم بِهِشت، روضِهٔ دارُالسَّلام را
dar eysh-e naghd kush ke chon âbkhor namând / âdam behesht, rowze-ye dâros-salâm râ
Strive for the joy you have in hand: when his share ran out, even Adam left paradise, the Garden of Peace.
COUPLET 7
ما را بَر آستانِ تو، بس حَقِّ خِدمَت استای خواجه! بازبین به تَرَحُّم غلام را
mâ râ bar âstân-e to bas hagh-e khedmat ast / ey khâje bâz bin be tarahhom gholâm râ
We have long served at your threshold; master, look again with kindness on your servant.
COUPLET 8
«حافظ» مُریدِ جامِ مِی است، ای صبا! برو!وز بنده بندگی بِرَسان شِیخِ جام را!
Hâfez morid-e jâm-e mey ast, ey sabâ borow / v-az bande bandegi beresân sheykh-e jâm râ
Hafez is a disciple of the wine cup. Go, morning breeze, and take my humble greetings to Sheikh-e Jam.
What this fâl tells you
Stop chasing what cannot be caught, and enjoy the clear moment you have now. Tradition reads this fal as advice to value present joys instead of waiting for a perfect, permanent outcome. If you need something from someone, ask with humility and patience.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: râ. qâfiye: -âm (jâm, fâm, maghâm, dâm, modâm, nâm, salâm, gholâm). The last line puns on jâm "cup" and Sheikh-e Jâm, a Sufi master.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| âyene | mirror (آیینه) | |
| sâfi-st | is clear (= sâfi ast) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| bengari | you look, you see dictionary | |
| safâ-ye | purity, brightness of dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| darun | inside dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| پرس | pors | ask! (= bepors) (بپرس) dictionary |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| âli-maghâm | high-ranking dictionary | |
| shekâr | prey, catch dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نشود | nashavad | does not become dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| bâzchin | gather up, fold away (the net) (جمع کن) | |
| کآنجا | k-ânjâ | for there (= ke ânjâ) (که آنجا) |
| همیشه | hamishe | always dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| bazm | feast, party dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| darkesh | drink up! (= bekesh) (بنوش) | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| ya'ni | that is, I mean dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| مدار | madâr | do not have (old imperative of dâshtan) (نداشته باش) dictionary |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| مدام | modâm | constant, lasting; also "wine" (pun) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| shabâb | youth (جوانی) | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| nachidi | you did not pick dictionary | |
| goli | a rose, a flower dictionary | |
| eysh | pleasure, enjoyment dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| honari | a skill, a virtue dictionary | |
| ننگ | nang | shame, disgrace; nang o nâm = reputation dictionary |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| کوش | kush | strive! try! (بکوش) dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| âbkhor | share of water; one's allotted portion of life (قسمت) | |
| نماند | namând | did not remain, ran out dictionary |
| âdam | Adam dictionary | |
| behesht | paradise; here also "left" (behesht = past of heshtan) dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary | |
| bâz bin | look again! dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| مرید | morid | disciple dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| beresân | deliver! take! dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 7. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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