Ghazal 88 of Hafez (10 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
شنیده‌ام سخنی خوش که پیرِ کنعان گفت«فِراق یار، نه آن می‌کند که بتوان گفت»
shenide-am sokhani khosh ke pir-e kan'ân goft / ferâgh-e yâr na ân mikonad ke betavân goft
I have heard a fine saying of the old man of Canaan: "What separation from the beloved does to you cannot be put into words."
COUPLET 2
حدیثِ هولِ قیامت که گفت واعظِ شهرکنایتی‌ست که از روزگارِ هجران گفت
hadis-e howl-e ghiyâmat ke goft vâ'ez-e shahr / kenâyati-st ke az ruzegâr-e hejrân goft
The city preacher's tale of the terrors of Judgment Day is only a hint at what he has to say about the days of separation.
COUPLET 3
نشانِ یارِ سفرکرده از کِه پُرسم باز؟که هر چه گفت بَریدِ صبا، پریشان گفت
neshân-e yâr-e safarkarde az ke porsam bâz / ke har che goft barid-e sabâ parishân goft
Whom can I ask again for news of the beloved who has gone away? Everything the messenger breeze said, it said in a muddle.
COUPLET 4
فغان که آن مهِ نامهربانِ مِهرگُسِلبه تَرکِ صحبتِ یاران خود چه آسان گفت
faghân ke ân mah-e nâmehrabân-e mehr-gosel / be tark-e sohbat-e yârân khod che âsân goft
Alas, how easily that unkind moon, the breaker of love, said goodbye to the company of friends!
COUPLET 5
من و مقامِ رضا بعد از این و شُکرِ رقیبکه دل به دردِ تو خو کرد و ترکِ درمان گفت
man o maghâm-e rezâ ba'd az in o shokr-e raghib / ke del be dard-e to khu kard o tark-e darmân goft
From now on, I will dwell in contentment and even thank my rival, for my heart has grown used to the pain you give and has given up looking for a cure.
COUPLET 6
غمِ کهن به میِ سال‌خورده دفع کنیدکه تخم خوش‌دلی این است؛ پیرِ دهقان گفت
gham-e kohan be mey-e sâlkhorde daf' konid / ke tokhm-e khoshdeli in ast pir-e dehghân goft
Drive out old sorrow with aged wine: the old farmer said, "This is the seed of a happy heart."
COUPLET 7
گره به باد مزن گر چه بر مراد رودکه این سخن به مَثَل، باد با سلیمان گفت
gereh be bâd mazan gar che bar morâd ravad / ke in sokhan be masal bâd bâ soleymân goft
Do not tie a knot in the wind, even if it blows as you wish: this is the proverb the wind itself told Solomon.
COUPLET 8
به مهلتی که سپهرت دهد ز راه مروتو را که گفت که این زال تَرک دَستان گفت؟
be mohlati ke sepehrat dahad ze râh marow / to râ ke goft ke in zâl tark-e dastân goft
Do not be led astray by the respite the heavens give you. Who told you this old crone, the world, has given up her tricks?
COUPLET 9
مزن ز چون و چرا دم که بندهٔ مُقبِلقبول کرد به جان، هر سخن که جانان گفت
mazan ze chun o cherâ dam ke bande-ye moghbel / ghabul kard be jân har sokhan ke jânân goft
Do not ask "how" and "why": the fortunate servant accepts with all his soul every word the beloved has spoken.
COUPLET 10
که گفت حافظ از اندیشهٔ تو آمد باز؟من این نگفته‌ام آن کس که گفت بُهتان گفت
ke goft Hâfez az andishe-ye to âmad bâz / man in nagofte-am ân kas ke goft bohtân goft
Who said Hafez has given up thinking of you? I never said that; whoever said it spoke a lie.
What this fâl tells you
Someone you miss is far away, and news of them may reach you only in pieces. Tradition reads this fal as advice to accept what you cannot change with a calm heart and to drive away old sadness with simple joys. Do not rely too much on a lucky moment; patience and faithfulness bring their own reward.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: goft. qâfiye: -ân (kan'ân/betavân, hejrân, parishân, âsân, darmân, dehghân, soleymân, dastân, jânân, bohtân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| shenide-am | I have heard dictionary | |
| sokhani | a saying dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| می‌کند | mikonad | does, is doing dictionary |
| betavân | one can dictionary | |
| واعظ | vâ'ez | preacher dictionary |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| ruzegâr | time, days dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| پرسم | porsam | I ask dictionary |
| bâz | back; âmadan bâz az = to give up dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| پریشان | parishân | scattered, disheveled; distressed dictionary |
| فغان | faghân | alas! cry of lament dictionary |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tark | leaving, giving up; tark goftan = to renounce dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| مقام | maghâm | place, station dictionary |
| ba'd | after; ba'd az in = from now on dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| shokr | thanks, gratitude dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| khu | habit; khu kardan = to get used to dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| darmân | cure, remedy dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| کهن | kohan | old, aged dictionary |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| sâlkhorde | aged, old dictionary | |
| daf' | driving away dictionary | |
| کنید | konid | make! (plural) dictionary |
| tokhm | seed dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| مزن | mazan | do not strike; do not tie dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| مثل | masal | example; be masal = as a comparison dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| mohlati | a respite dictionary | |
| sepehrat | the sky, fate (gives) you dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| مرو | marow | do not go! (نرو) dictionary |
| zâl | old woman (the world); also Zal, father of Rostam dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| dam | breath; dam zadan = to speak dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| قبول | ghabul | acceptance; ghabul-e khâter = being loved by people dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| نگفته‌ام | nagofte-am | I have not said dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| bohtân | slander, false accusation dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 88. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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