Ghazal 84 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
ساقی بیار باده که ماهِ صیام رفتدَردِه قدح که موسمِ ناموس و نام رفت
sâghi biyâr bâde ke mâh-e siyâm raft / dardeh ghadah ke mowsem-e nâmus o nâm raft
Cupbearer, bring wine: the month of fasting has gone. Pass the cup, for the season of honor and reputation is over.
COUPLET 2
وقتِ عزیز رفت بیا تا قضا کنیمعمری که بی حضور صُراحی و جام رفت
vaght-e aziz raft biyâ tâ ghazâ konim / omri ke bi hozur-e sorâhi o jâm raft
Precious time has slipped away. Come, let us make up for the life that passed without the flask and the cup.
COUPLET 3
مستم کن آن چنان که ندانم ز بی‌خودیدر عرصهٔ خیال که آمد، کدام رفت
mastam kon ânchenân ke nadânam ze bikhodi / dar arse-ye khiyâl ke âmad kodâm raft
Make me so drunk that, lost to myself, I do not know who came into the field of my imagination and who left.
COUPLET 4
بر بوی آن که جرعهٔ جامت به ما رسددر مَصطَبِه دعایِ تو هر صبح و شام رفت
bar bu-ye ân ke jor'e-ye jâmat be mâ resad / dar mastabe do'â-ye to har sobh o shâm raft
In the hope that a sip from your cup might reach us, prayers for you went up in the tavern every morning and evening.
COUPLET 5
دل را که مرده بود حیاتی به جان رسیدتا بویی از نسیمِ می‌اش در مشام رفت
del râ ke morde bud hayâti be jân resid / tâ buyi az nasim-e mey-ash dar mashâm raft
The heart that had died felt life come into its soul as soon as a scent of the wine's breeze reached it.
COUPLET 6
زاهد غرور داشت، سلامت نبرد راهرند از رهِ نیاز به دارالسلام رفت
zâhed ghorur dâsht salâmat nabord râh / rend az rah-e niyâz be dâros-salâm raft
The ascetic was proud and did not get through the road safely; the free spirit went by the way of humble need to the House of Peace.
COUPLET 7
نقدِ دلی که بود مرا صرف باده شدقلبِ سیاه بود از آن در حرام رفت
naghd-e deli ke bud marâ sarf-e bâde shod / ghalb-e siyâh bud az ân dar harâm raft
The cash of the heart I had was spent on wine: it was a black, counterfeit coin, so it went on something forbidden.
COUPLET 8
در تابِ توبه چند توان سوخت همچو عود؟می ده که عمر در سرِ سودای خام رفت
dar tâb-e towbe chand tavân sukht hamcho ud / mey deh ke omr dar sar-e sowdâ-ye khâm raft
How long can one burn like aloeswood in the heat of repentance? Give wine: life has been wasted on a raw, foolish longing.
COUPLET 9
دیگر مکن نصیحتِ حافظ که ره نیافتگمگشته‌ای که بادهٔ نابش به کام رفت
digar makon nasihat-e Hâfez ke rah nayâft / gomgashte'i ke bâde-ye nâbash be kâm raft
Advise Hafez no more: the lost one who has tasted pure wine to his heart's content never found his way back.
What this fâl tells you
A long period of restraint is ending and a season of ease is coming. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to make up for lost time with joy and to approach your hopes with humility rather than pride, because the humble path reaches peace. Do not spend your life on half-formed plans; choose what truly nourishes you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: raft. qâfiye: -âm (siyâm, nâm, jâm, kodâm, shâm, mashâm, salâm, harâm, khâm, kâm). Beyt 7 puns on ghalb "counterfeit coin" and ghalb "heart".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | month dictionary |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| dardeh | pass round, pour! (بده) dictionary | |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| ناموس | nâmus | honor, good repute dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| قضا | ghazâ | making up for something missed; ghazâ kardan = to make up dictionary |
| کنیم | konim | let us do dictionary |
| omri | a life, a lifetime dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| مستم | mastam | me drunk; mastam kon = make me drunk dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| arse-ye | field of, arena of dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| کدام | kodâm | which dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of; bar bu-ye = in the hope of dictionary | |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| jâmat | your cup dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| shâm | evening dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مرده | morde | dead; gone out dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| hayâti | a life, new life dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| buyi | a scent dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| می‌اش | mey-ash | its wine dictionary |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| ghorur | pride dictionary | |
| dâsht | had dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabord | did not take; salâmat râh bordan = to get through safely dictionary |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| deli | a heart dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| sarf | spending; sarf shodan = to be spent dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| قلب | ghalb | counterfeit (coin); also "heart" (pun) dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| harâm | forbidden; dar harâm raft = was spent on the forbidden dictionary | |
| tâb | heat, torment dictionary | |
| چند | chand | har chand = although, however much dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| sukht | burned dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| ud | aloeswood, burned as incense dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| sar | head; dar sar-e X raft = was spent on X dictionary | |
| sodâ-ye | passion, longing for dictionary | |
| khâm | raw, immature, inexperienced dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| نصیحت | nasihat | advice dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نیافت | nayâft | did not find dictionary |
| نابش | nâbash | his pure (wine) dictionary |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 84. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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