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Hafez Ghazal 80: ⁧عیب رندان مکن ای زاهد پاکیزه‌سرشت!⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 80 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.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
عِیبِ رِندان مَکُن ای زاهدِ پاکیزه‌سِرِشت!که گناهِ دِگَران بَر تو نخواهند نوشت
eyb-e rendân makon ey zâhed-e pâkize-seresht / ke gonâh-e degarân bar to nakhâhand nevesht
Do not find fault with the free spirits, O pure-natured ascetic: other people's sins will not be written against your name.
COUPLET 2
من اگر نیکم و گر بَد، تو برو خود را باش!هر کسی آن دِرَوَد عاقبتِ کار، که کِشت
man agar nikam o gar bad, to borow khod râ bâsh / har kasi ân deravad âghebat-e kâr ke kesht
Whether I am good or bad, you go and look after yourself: in the end, everyone reaps what they have sown.
COUPLET 3
همه‌کس، طالبِ یارند؛ چه هُشیار و چه مستهمه‌جا، خانهٔ عشق است؛ چه مسجد چه کِنِشت
hamekas tâleb-e yârand che hoshyâr o che mast / hamejâ khâne-ye eshgh ast che masjed che kenesht
Everyone is looking for the beloved, sober or drunk; every place is a house of love, whether mosque or synagogue.
COUPLET 4
سر تسلیمِ من و خشتِ درِ مِیکده‌هامُدَّعی گر نکند فهمِ سخن، گو سر و خشت
sar-e taslim-e man o khesht-e dar-e meykade-hâ / modda'i gar nakonad fahm-e sokhan gu sar o khesht
My head is bowed in surrender on the brick at the tavern door. If the critic cannot understand these words, tell him to go and beat his head against a brick.
COUPLET 5
ناامیدم مکن از سابقهٔ لطفِ اَزَلتو پسِ پرده چه دانی که که خوب است و که زشت؟
nâomidam makon az sâbeghe-ye lotf-e azal / to pas-e parde che dâni ke ke khub ast o ke zesht
Do not take away my hope in the kindness that was mine before time began. Standing outside the curtain, what do you know about who is good and who is bad?
COUPLET 6
نه من از پردهٔ تقوا به درافتادم و بسپِدرم نیز بهِشتِ ابد از دست، بِهِشت
na man az parde-ye taghvâ be dar oftâdam o bas / pedaram niz behesht-e abad az dast behesht
I am not the only one who has slipped from behind the curtain of piety: my father Adam too let eternal paradise fall from his hands.
COUPLET 7
حافظا! روز اجل گر به کف آری جامییک‌سر از کویِ خرابات بَرَنْدَت به بهشت
Hâfezâ ruz-e ajal gar be kaf âri jâmi / yeksar az ku-ye kharâbât barandat be behesht
Hafez, if on the day of your death you have a cup in your hand, they will carry you straight from the tavern's street to paradise.

What this fâl tells you

Do not judge others, and do not let other people's judgment discourage you. Tradition reads this fal as reassurance: everyone reaps what they sow, and only God knows who is truly good. Keep your hope in kindness; every place can be a house of love.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -esht (seresht, nevesht, kesht, kenesht, khesht, zesht, behesht).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
eybfault, flaw dictionary
rendânfree spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary
مکنmakondo not do! (نکن) dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
zâhedascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary
گناهgonâhsin dictionary
degarânothers (دیگران)
baron, upon dictionary
toyou dictionary
نخواهندnakhâhand(they) will not dictionary
نوشتneveshtwrite (with nakhâhand: will not write); wrote dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
agarif dictionary
نیکمnikamI am good dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
badbad dictionary
borowgo! dictionary
khodself; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary
bâshbe! dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
kasisomeone; har kasi = everyone dictionary
ânthat dictionary
deravadreaps (present of derow kardan) (درو می‌کند)
âghebatend, outcome dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
کشتkeshtsowed, planted dictionary
همه‌کسhamekaseveryone (همه)
tâlebseeker dictionary
یارندyârandof the beloved (+ "are") dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
هشیارhoshyârsober, alert dictionary
مستmastdrunk dictionary
همه‌جاhamejâeverywhere dictionary
khânehouse dictionary
astis dictionary
مسجدmasjedmosque dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
taslimsurrender dictionary
kheshtmud brick dictionary
darin; door dictionary
میکده‌هاmeykade-hâtaverns dictionary
modda'ipretender, critic dictionary
نکندnakonaddoes not do dictionary
فهمfahmunderstanding dictionary
sokhanspeech, words dictionary
گوgusay! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary
ناامیدمnâomidamme hopeless (nâomid + -am) dictionary
sâbegheprecedent, what came before dictionary
لطفlotfkindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary
پسpasbehind; pas-e parde = behind the curtain dictionary
پردهpardecurtain, veil dictionary
dâniyou know (می‌دانی) dictionary
khubgood dictionary
zeshtbad, ugly dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
taghvâpiety dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
dar oftâdamI fell out dictionary
basmuch, many dictionary
پدرمpedarammy father (here Adam) dictionary
نیزnizalso dictionary
beheshtparadise; here also "left" (behesht = past of heshtan) dictionary
abadeternity without end dictionary
dasthand dictionary
ruzday dictionary
کفkafpalm (of the hand) dictionary
âriyou bring; be kaf âri = you hold in your hand (بیاوری) dictionary
jâmia cup dictionary
کویku-yestreet, quarter (of) (کوچه)
barandat(they) carry you (می‌برند تو را) dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 80. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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