Ghazal 71 of Hafez (11 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
زاهِدِ ظاهِرپَرَست از حالِ ما، آگاه نیستدَر حَقِ ما، هَرچِه گوید، جایِ هیچ اِکْراه نیست
zâhed-e zâherparast az hâl-e mâ âgâh nist / dar hagh-e mâ har che guyad jâ-ye hich ekrâh nist
The ascetic who worships appearances knows nothing of our state; whatever he says about us, there is no reason to resent it.
COUPLET 2
دَر طَریقَت هَرچِه پیشِ سالک آید، خِیْرِ اوستدَر صِراطِ مُسْتَقیم، اِی دِل، کَسی گُمراه نیست
dar tarighat har che pish-e sâlek âyad kheyr-e ust / dar serât-e mostaghim ey del kasi gomrâh nist
On the Sufi path, whatever comes to the traveler is for his good; on the straight path, O heart, no one goes astray.
COUPLET 3
تا چه بازی رُخ نُماید بِیْدَقی خواهیم رانْدعَرْصِه‌یِ شَطْرَنْجِ رِنْدان را مَجالِ شاه نیست
tâ che bâzi rokh nemâyad beydaghi khâhim rând / arse-ye shatranj-e rendân râ majâl-e shâh nist
Let us see what game shows itself; we will move a pawn. On the chessboard of the free spirits there is no room for a king.
COUPLET 4
چیست این سقفِ بلندِ سادهٔ بِسیارنقش؟زین مُعَمّا، هیچ دانا در جَهان، آگاه نیست
chist in saghf-e boland-e sâde-ye besyâr-naghsh / z-in mo'ammâ hich dânâ dar jahân âgâh nist
What is this high roof, plain yet full of patterns? No wise man in the world knows the answer to this riddle.
COUPLET 5
این چِه اِسْتِغْناست یا رَب؟ وین چه قادِرْ حِکْمَت است؟کاین‌همه زَخْمِ نَهان است و مَجالِ آه نیست
in che esteghnâ-st yâ rab v-in che ghâder-hekmat ast / k-in hame zakhm-e nahân ast o majâl-e âh nist
O Lord, what self-sufficiency is this, and what mighty wisdom, that there are so many hidden wounds and no room even for a sigh?
COUPLET 6
صاحِبِ دیوانِ ما گویی نمی‌دانَد حِسابکاندر این طُغرا، نِشانِ حِسْبَةً لِلّٰه نیست
sâheb-e divân-e mâ gu'i nemidânad hesâb / k-andar in toghrâ neshân-e hesbatan lellâh nist
It seems our chancellor does not know how to keep accounts, for this decree bears no mark of "for God's sake."
COUPLET 7
هَر کِه خواهد گو: «بیا!» و هَرچِه خواهد گو: «بِگو!»کِبْر و ناز و حاجِب و دَرْبان، بدین دَرْگاه نیست
har ke khâhad gu biyâ o har che khâhad gu begu / kebr o nâz o hâjeb o darbân bed-in dargâh nist
Tell whoever wishes, "Come in!" and let them say whatever they wish; there is no pride, no airs, no chamberlain or doorkeeper at this court.
COUPLET 8
بَر دَرِ مِیخانه رَفْتَن، کارِ یِکرَنْگان بُوَدخودفُروشان را به کویِ مِی‌فُروشان، راه نیست
bar dar-e meykhâne raftan kâr-e yekrangân bovad / khodforushân râ be ku-ye meyforushân râh nist
Going to the tavern door is for the sincere; the self-promoters have no way into the street of the wine-sellers.
COUPLET 9
هرچه هست از قامَتِ ناسازِ بی‌اَنْدامِ ماستوَر نَه تَشْریفِ تو، بَر بالایِ کَس، کوتاه نیست
har che hast az ghâmat-e nâsâz-e bi-andâm-e mâst / var na tashrif-e to bar bâlâ-ye kas kutâh nist
Whatever is wrong comes from our own ill-shaped, awkward figure; otherwise, the robe of honor you give is too short for no one.
COUPLET 10
بَنْدِه‌یِ پیرِ خَراباتَم که لُطْفَش، دائِم استوَر نَه لُطْفِ شِیْخ و زاهِد، گاه هَسْت و گاه نیست
bande-ye pir-e kharâbâtam ke lotfash dâ'em ast / var na lotf-e sheykh o zâhed gâh hast o gâh nist
I am the servant of the tavern master, whose kindness is constant; the kindness of the sheikh and the ascetic is there one moment and gone the next.
COUPLET 11
«حافِظ»، اَر بَر صَدْر نَنْشینَد، زِ عالی‌مَشْرَبی‌ستعاشِقِ دُرْدی‌کَش اَندَر بَنْدِ مال و جاه نیست
Hâfez ar bar sadr nanshinad ze âli-mashrabi-st / âshegh-e dordi-kesh andar band-e mâl o jâh nist
If Hafez does not sit in the seat of honor, it is out of noble spirit: a lover who drinks the dregs is not bound by wealth and rank.
What this fâl tells you
Do not be troubled by what superficial critics say; whatever comes to a sincere traveler is in the end for the good. Tradition reads this fal as advice to stay humble and genuine, to keep your door open to others, and to value steady kindness over changing favor. Your modesty is a strength, not a weakness.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nist ("is not"). qâfiye: -âh (âgâh, ekrâh, gomrâh, shâh, âh, lellâh, dargâh, râh, kutâh, gâh, jâh). Beyt 6 contains the Arabic phrase hesbatan lellâh "for God's sake"; beyt 3 uses chess terms (rokh "rook", beydagh "pawn", shâh "king").
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| âgâh | aware dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| هرچه | har che | whatever dictionary |
| گوید | guyad | says, tells dictionary |
| jâ-ye | room for; jâ-ye ekrâh nist = there is no reason to resent dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| ekrâh | aversion, resentment dictionary | |
| tarighat | the Sufi path dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| sâlek | traveller on the spiritual path dictionary | |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| u-st | is his (= u ast) dictionary | |
| مستقیم | mostaghim | straight; serât-e mostaghim = the straight path (Quran) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| گمراه | gomrâh | lost, led astray dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| bâzi | game; trick dictionary | |
| rokh | face; also the rook in chess (pun); rokh nemudan = to appear dictionary | |
| نماید | namâyad | seems dictionary |
| khâhim | we will dictionary | |
| rând | move, drive dictionary | |
| arse-ye | board, field of dictionary | |
| shatranj | chess dictionary | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| مجال | majâl | room, chance dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| saghf | roof, ceiling dictionary | |
| boland | high; famous dictionary | |
| sâde | plain dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| dânâ | wise dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| esteghnâ-st | is self-sufficiency, (God's) independence of all dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| hekmat | wisdom, philosophy dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| zakhm-e | wound, blow of dictionary | |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâheb | owner, master; one who has dictionary | |
| divân | royal court, chancery dictionary | |
| gu'i | it seems, as if dictionary | |
| نمی‌داند | nemidânad | does not know dictionary |
| hesâb | reckoning, account dictionary | |
| کاندر | k-andar | for in (= ke andar) (که در) |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| khâhad | wants dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| کبر | kebr | pride, arrogance (تکبر) |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| hâjeb | doorkeeper, chamberlain dictionary | |
| darbân | doorkeeper dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| dargâh | court, threshold dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| raftan | to go, leaving dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâlâ-ye | height, stature of dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| کوتاه | kutâh | short dictionary |
| bande-ye | servant of dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| لطفش | lotfash | his kindness dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| گاه | gâh | sometimes dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| ننشیند | nanshinad | does not settle dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| مال | mâl | property, money dictionary |
| jâh | rank, high position dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 71. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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