Ghazal 79 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.
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COUPLET 1
کنون که می‌دمد از بوستان، نسیمِ بهشتمن و شرابِ فرح‌بخش و یارِ حورسرشت
konun ke midamad az bustân nasim-e behesht / man o sharâb-e farahbakhsh o yâr-e hur-seresht
Now that the breeze of paradise is blowing from the garden, here I am with joy-giving wine and a beloved like a houri.
COUPLET 2
گدا چرا نزند لافِ سلطنت امروز؟که خیمه، سایهٔ ابر است و بزمگه، لبِ کِشت
gedâ cherâ nazanad lâf-e saltanat emruz / ke kheyme sâye-ye abr ast o bazmgah lab-e kesht
Why should a beggar not boast of kingship today, when his tent is the shade of a cloud and his banquet hall the edge of a field?
COUPLET 3
چمن حکایتِ اردیبهشت می‌گویدنه عاقل است که نسیه خرید و نقد بِهِشت
chaman hekâyat-e ordibehesht miguyad / na âghel ast ke nesye kharid o naghd behesht
The meadow tells the story of spring's month of Ordibehesht. Whoever buys on credit and lets go of cash in hand is no wise man.
COUPLET 4
به می عمارتِ دل کن که این جهانِ خراببر آن سر است که از خاکِ ما بسازد خشت
be mey emârat-e del kon ke in jahân-e kharâb / bar ân sar ast ke az khâk-e mâ besâzad khesht
Rebuild your heart with wine, for this ruined world means to make bricks out of our dust.
COUPLET 5
وفا مجوی ز دشمن که پرتوی ندهدچو شمع صومعه افروزی از چراغِ کنشت
vafâ maju ze doshman ke parto'i nadahad / cho sham'-e sowme'e afruzi az cherâgh-e kenesht
Do not look for loyalty from an enemy: it will give no light, like lighting the cloister candle from the lamp of a foreign temple.
COUPLET 6
مَکُن به نامه سیاهی ملامتِ منِ مستکه آگه است که تقدیر بر سرش چه نوشت
makon be nâme-siyâhi malâmat-e man-e mast / ke âgah ast ke taghdir bar sarash che nevesht
Do not blame drunken me for my black record: who knows what destiny wrote upon his head?
COUPLET 7
قدم دریغ مدار از جنازهٔ حافظکه گر چه غرقِ گناه است، می‌رود به بهشت
ghadam darigh madâr az jenâze-ye Hâfez / ke gar che ghargh-e gonâh ast miravad be behesht
Do not hold back your steps from Hafez's funeral: though he is drowned in sin, he is on his way to paradise.
What this fâl tells you
A season of renewal is here: enjoy simple pleasures, under the open sky, with good company. Tradition reads this fal as advice not to trade a sure joy in hand for vague promises. Do not judge others harshly or expect loyalty where it cannot grow; trust in grace, which is wider than any record of faults.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -esht (behesht, seresht, kesht, ordibehesht, behesht, khesht, kenesht, nevesht, behesht). In beyt 3, behesht means "let go" (from heshtan), a pun on behesht "paradise".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| کنون | konun | now (اکنون) |
| می‌دمد | midamad | is blowing (a breeze) dictionary |
| bustân | garden (here of paradise) dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| behesht | paradise dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| فرح‌بخش | farahbakhsh | joy-giving dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| نزند | nazanad | does not strike; lâf zadan = to boast dictionary |
| لاف | lâf | boast dictionary |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| kheyme | tent dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| abr | cloud dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bazmgah | banquet hall, place of feasting (= bazmgâh) (بزمگاه) | |
| لب | lab | lip; edge dictionary |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| می‌گوید | miguyad | says dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| âghel | wise, rational dictionary | |
| kharid | bought dictionary | |
| behesht | let go, left (past of heshtan) (گذاشت) | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| emârat | rebuilding, restoration dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sar | head; bar ân sar ast = intends, is about to dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| besâzad | makes, builds dictionary | |
| khesht | mud brick dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| maju | do not seek! (نجو) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| doshman | enemy dictionary | |
| parto'i | a ray, any light dictionary | |
| ندهد | nadahad | does not give dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| sowme'e | cloister, hermitage (place of formal piety) dictionary | |
| afruzi | you light dictionary | |
| چراغ | cherâgh | lamp dictionary |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| نامه | nâme | letter dictionary |
| siyâhi | nâme-siyâhi = having a black record (of deeds), being a sinner dictionary | |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| âgah | aware, informed (آگاه) | |
| taghdir | fate, destiny dictionary | |
| sarash | his head (where fate is written) dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| نوشت | nevesht | write (with nakhâhand: will not write); wrote dictionary |
| قدم | ghadam | step dictionary |
| darigh | withholding; darigh dâshtan = to hold back, deny dictionary | |
| مدار | madâr | do not have (old imperative of dâshtan) (نداشته باش) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| ghargh | drowned, immersed dictionary | |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 79. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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