Ghazal 76 of Hafez (9 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
جز آستان تواَم در جهان، پناهی نیستسر مرا به جز این در، حواله‌گاهی نیست
joz âstân-e to-am dar jahân panâhi nist / sar-e marâ be joz in dar havâle-gâhi nist
In all the world I have no refuge but your threshold; my head has no other place to rest but this door.
COUPLET 2
عَدو چو تیغ کِشد، من سپر بیندازمکه تیغِ ما، به جز از ناله‌ای و آهی نیست
adu cho tigh keshad man separ bayandâzam / ke tigh-e mâ be joz az nâle'i o âhi nist
When the enemy draws his sword, I throw down my shield, for my only sword is a moan and a sigh.
COUPLET 3
چرا زِ کویِ خرابات روی برتابم؟کز این بِهَم به جهان، هیچ رسم و راهی نیست
cherâ ze kuy-e kharâbât ru bartâbam / k-az in beham be jahân hich rasm o râhi nist
Why should I turn my face away from the tavern's street, when there is no custom or path in the world better for me than this?
COUPLET 4
زمانه گَر بزند آتشم به خرمنِ عمربگو بسوز که بر من به برگِ کاهی نیست
zamâne gar bezanad âtasham be kharman-e omr / begu besuz ke bar man be barg-e kâhi nist
If time sets fire to the harvest of my life, say "Let it burn," for to me it is not worth a wisp of straw.
COUPLET 5
غلامِ نرگسِ جَمّاشِ آن سَهی سرومکه از شراب غرورش به کس، نگاهی نیست
gholâm-e narges-e jammâsh-e ân sahi-sarvam / ke az sharâb-e ghorurash be kas negâhi nist
I am the servant of the roguish narcissus eyes of that slender cypress, who, drunk on the wine of pride, does not glance at anyone.
COUPLET 6
مباش در پیِ آزار و هرچه خواهی کنکه در شریعتِ ما غیر از این، گناهی نیست
mabâsh dar pey-e âzâr o har che khâhi kon / ke dar shari'at-e mâ gheyr az in gonâhi nist
Do not set out to hurt anyone, and then do whatever you like: in our religion there is no sin but this.
COUPLET 7
عِنان‌کشیده رو ای پادشاهِ کشورِ حُسنکه نیست بر سر راهی که دادخواهی نیست!
enân-keshide row ey pâdeshâh-e keshvar-e hosn / ke nist bar sar-e râhi ke dâdkhâhi nist
Ride with your reins held back, O king of the land of beauty, for there is no road without someone at its head calling for justice.
COUPLET 8
چنین که از همه‌سو، دامِ راه می‌بینمبه از حمایتِ زلفش، مرا پناهی نیست
chenin ke az hame su dâm-e râh mibinam / beh az hemâyat-e zolfash marâ panâhi nist
Since I see traps laid on the road on every side, I have no better refuge than the protection of the beloved's curls.
COUPLET 9
خزینهٔ دلِ «حافظ» به زلف و خال مدهکه کارهای چنین، حدِّ هر سیاهی نیست
khazine-ye del-e Hâfez be zolf o khâl made / ke kâr-hâ-ye chenin hadd-e har siyâhi nist
Do not hand the treasury of Hafez's heart to curls and a beauty spot: such affairs are beyond the reach of every dark thing.
What this fâl tells you
Find the one door where you feel safe and stay close to it. Tradition reads this fal as a reminder that gentleness is your best defense: answer hostility with patience rather than force. Harm no one and you need fear little; do not hand your heart and trust to just anyone.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nist. qâfiye: -âhi (panâhi, havâle-gâhi, âhi, râhi, kâhi, negâhi, gonâhi, dâdkhâhi, siyâhi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| to-am | your (threshold) for me (= to + -am) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| panâhi | a refuge dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| adu | enemy (دشمن) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| کشد | keshad | draws (a sword) dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| separ | shield dictionary | |
| bayandâzam | I throw down dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| nâle'i | a moan dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| ru | face; ru bartâftan = to turn away dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| beham | better for me (= beh + -am) dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| rasm | custom, way dictionary | |
| râhi | a road dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| bezanad | strikes; âtash zadan = to set fire dictionary | |
| kharman | harvest, threshing heap dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| besuz | burn! dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| barg | leaf; be barg-e kâhi = (worth) a wisp of straw dictionary | |
| kâhi | a piece of straw dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sarvam | cypress + I am (sahi-sarvam: (servant) of that slender cypress) dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| ghorurash | his/her pride dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| negâhi | a glance dictionary | |
| مباش | mabâsh | do not be! (نباش) dictionary |
| پی | pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary |
| âzâr | hurting, harm dictionary | |
| هرچه | har che | whatever dictionary |
| khâhi | you want dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| gonâhi | a sin dictionary | |
| row | go! ride! (برو) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| پادشاه | pâdeshâh | king dictionary |
| کشور | keshvar | land, country dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| dâdkhâhi | one seeking justice, a plaintiff dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| می‌بینم | mibinam | I see dictionary |
| hemâyat | protection dictionary | |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| khazine | treasury (گنجینه) | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| مده | made | do not give! (نده) dictionary |
| kâr-hâ-ye | affairs, matters dictionary | |
| hadd | limit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| siyâhi | a dark thing; a black slave (pun on dark curls and mole) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 76. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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