Ghazal 11 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
ساقی به نورِ باده برافروز جامِ مامطرب بگو که کارِ جهان شُد به کامِ ما
sâghi be nur-e bâde barafruz jâm-e mâ / motreb begu ke kâr-e jahân shod be kâm-e mâ
Cupbearer, light up our cup with the glow of wine. Musician, sing that the world has turned out just as we wished.
COUPLET 2
ما در پیاله عکس رخِ یار دیده‌ایمای بی‌خبر ز لَذَّتِ شُربِ مُدامِ ما
mâ dar piyâle aks-e rokh-e yâr dide'im / ey bikhabar ze lezzat-e shorb-e modâm-e mâ
We have seen the reflection of the beloved's face in the cup. You know nothing of the joy of our constant drinking.
COUPLET 3
هرگز نمیرد آن که دلش زنده شد به عشقثبت است بر جَریدهٔ عالم دوامِ ما
hargez namirad ân ke delash zende shod be eshgh / sabt ast bar jaride-ye âlam davâm-e mâ
One whose heart has come alive with love never dies: our lasting life is written in the record of the world.
COUPLET 4
چندان بُوَد کرشمه و نازِ سَهی‌قدانکآید به جلوه سروِ صنوبرخَرامِ ما
chandân bovad kereshme o nâz-e sahi-ghadân / k-âyad be jelve sarv-e sanowbar-kharâm-e mâ
The glances and airs of the tall beauties last only until our own cypress, swaying like a pine, comes walking into view.
COUPLET 5
ای باد اگر به گُلشنِ اَحباب بُگذریزِنهار، عَرضه دِه بَرِ جانان پیامِ ما
ey bâd agar be golshan-e ahbâb bogzari / zenhâr arze deh bar-e jânân payâm-e mâ
O wind, if you pass by the rose garden of our friends, be sure to deliver our message to the beloved.
COUPLET 6
گو نامِ ما زِ یاد به عمدا چه می‌بری؟خود آید آن که یاد نیاری ز نامِ ما
gu nâm-e mâ ze yâd be amdâ che mibari / khod âyad ân ke yâd nayâri ze nâm-e mâ
Tell her: why do you wipe our name from your memory on purpose? The time will come by itself when you cannot remember it at all.
COUPLET 7
مستی به چشمِ شاهدِ دلبندِ ما خوش استزآن رو سپرده‌اند به مستی زمامِ ما
masti be cheshm-e shâhed-e delband-e mâ khosh ast / z-ân ru sepordeand be masti zemâm-e mâ
Intoxication looks lovely in the eyes of our captivating beauty; that is why the reins of our life have been handed to intoxication.
COUPLET 8
ترسم که صَرفه‌ای نَبَرَد روزِ بازخواستنانِ حلالِ شیخ ز آبِ حرامِ ما
tarsam ke sarfe'i nabarad ruz-e bâzkhâst / nân-e halâl-e sheykh ze âb-e harâm-e mâ
I fear that on the Day of Reckoning the sheikh's lawful bread will gain no advantage over our forbidden water.
COUPLET 9
حافظ ز دیده دانهٔ اشکی همی‌فشانباشد که مُرغِ وصل کُند قصدِ دامِ ما
Hâfez ze dide dâne-ye ashki hami feshân / bâshad ke morgh-e vasl konad ghasd-e dâm-e mâ
Hafez, keep scattering seeds of tears from your eyes: perhaps the bird of union will head for our trap.
COUPLET 10
دریای اَخضَرِ فَلَک و کَشتی هِلالهستند غرقِ نعمتِ حاجی‌قوامِ ما
daryâ-ye akhzar-e falak o keshti-ye helâl / hastand ghargh-e ne'mat-e hâji-ghavâm-e mâ
The green sea of the sky and the ship of the crescent moon are both drowned in the generosity of our Haji Qavam.
What this fâl tells you
This is one of the most hopeful fals in the Divan: "one whose heart has come alive with love never dies." Tradition reads it as a sign that what you love will last and that your wish is near. Keep sending your message and be patient: the bird you are waiting for may still come.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: mâ. qâfiye: -âm (jâm, kâm, modâm, davâm, kharâm, payâm, nâm, zemâm, harâm, dâm, ghavâm).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| barafruz | light up! kindle! (روشن کن) dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| پیاله | piyâle | cup dictionary |
| aks | reflection dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| dide'im | we have seen dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| bikhabar | unaware dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| لذت | lezzat | pleasure dictionary |
| مدام | modâm | constant, lasting; also "wine" (pun) dictionary |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| نمیرد | namirad | does not die (نمی‌میرد) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| delash | his/her heart dictionary | |
| zende | alive dictionary | |
| sabt | recorded, registered dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| davâm | lasting, permanence dictionary | |
| چندان | chandân | so long, only so much dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| کرشمه | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| sahi-ghadân | those with straight, tall figures (بلندقامتان) | |
| کآید | k-âyad | that comes (= ke âyad) (که بیاید) dictionary |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| ahbâb | friends, loved ones (دوستان) | |
| bogzari | you pass by dictionary | |
| zenhâr | be sure! take care! dictionary | |
| arze | showing; arze dâshtan = to show, present dictionary | |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| پیام | payâm | message dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| amdâ | on purpose (عمداً) | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| mibari | you take away dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| nayâri | you will not bring (to mind): not remember dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| sepordeand | (they) have handed over dictionary | |
| zemâm | reins dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| sarfe'i | an advantage, a gain dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabarad | does not carry, does not win dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| bâzkhâst | calling to account; ruz-e bâzkhâst = Judgment Day dictionary | |
| نان | nân | bread dictionary |
| halâl | lawful dictionary | |
| sheykh | sheikh, religious elder dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| harâm | forbidden dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| dâne | seed, grain; bead dictionary | |
| ashki | a tear dictionary | |
| همی‌فشان | hami-feshân | keep scattering! (بیفشان) dictionary |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| قصد | ghasd | intent; ghasd kardan = to head for dictionary |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| daryâ-ye | sea of dictionary | |
| akhzar | green (Arabic) (سبز) | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| keshti | ship, ark dictionary | |
| ghargh | drowned, immersed dictionary | |
| نعمت | ne'mat | bounty, blessing dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 11. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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