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Hafez Ghazal 111: ⁧عکس روی تو چو در آینهٔ جام افتاد⁩

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

Ghazal 111 of Hafez (11 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
عکسِ رویِ تو چو در آینهٔ جام افتادعارف از خندهٔ مِی در طمعِ خام افتاد
aks-e ru-ye to cho dar âyene-ye jâm oftâd / âref az khande-ye mey dar tama'-e khâm oftâd
When the reflection of your face fell into the mirror of the cup, the mystic, seeing the wine's laughter, fell into a foolish hope.
COUPLET 2
حُسن رویِ تو به یک جلوه که در آینه کرداین همه نقش در آیینهٔ اوهام افتاد
hosn-e ru-ye to be yek jelve ke dar âyene kard / in hame naghsh dar âyine-ye owhâm oftâd
With the single display your face's beauty made in the mirror, all these images fell into the mirror of imagination.
COUPLET 3
این همه عکسِ می و نقشِ نگارین که نمودیک فروغِ رخِ ساقی‌ست که در جام افتاد
in hame aks-e mey o naghsh-e negârin ke nemud / yek forugh-e rokh-e sâghi-st ke dar jâm oftâd
All these reflections of wine and colorful pictures that appear are one gleam of the cupbearer's face that fell into the cup.
COUPLET 4
غیرتِ عشق زبانِ همه خاصان بِبُریدکز کجا سِرِّ غمش در دهنِ عام افتاد؟
gheyrat-e eshgh zabân-e hame khâsân bebborid / k-az kojâ serr-e ghamash dar dahan-e âm oftâd
Love's jealousy cut out the tongues of all the chosen few: how did the secret of its sorrow end up in the mouths of common people?
COUPLET 5
من ز مسجد به خرابات نه خود افتادماینم از عهدِ ازل حاصلِ فرجام افتاد
man ze masjed be kharâbât na khod oftâdam / inam az ahd-e azal hâsel-e farjâm oftâd
I did not fall from the mosque into the tavern by my own choice; this outcome was set for me from the covenant of eternity.
COUPLET 6
چه کند کز پی دوران نرود چون پرگار؟هر که در دایرهٔ گردشِ ایام افتاد
che konad k-az pey-e dowrân naravad chon pargâr / har ke dar dâyere-ye gardesh-e ayyâm oftâd
What can anyone do but go round with the times like a compass, once he has fallen into the circle of the turning days?
COUPLET 7
در خَمِ زلفِ تو آویخت دل از چاهِ زَنَخآه، کز چاه برون آمد و در دام افتاد
dar kham-e zolf-e to âvikht del az châh-e zanakh / âh k-az châh borun âmad o dar dâm oftâd
My heart climbed out of the well of your chin by clinging to the curve of your curls; alas, it came out of the well and fell into the trap.
COUPLET 8
آن شد ای خواجه که در صومعه بازم بینیکار ما با رخِ ساقیّ و لبِ جام افتاد
ân shod ey khâje ke dar sowme'e bâzam bini / kâr-e mâ bâ rokh-e sâghi o lab-e jâm oftâd
Those days are gone, sir, when you would find me in the hermit's cell again; my business now is with the cupbearer's face and the rim of the cup.
COUPLET 9
زیرِ شمشیرِ غمش رقص‌کُنان باید رفتکـ‌آن که شد کشتهٔ او نیک سرانجام افتاد
zir-e shamshir-e ghamash raghs-konân bâyad raft / k-ân ke shod koshte-ye u nik-saranjâm oftâd
Under the sword of its sorrow one must go dancing, for whoever is slain by it comes to a good end.
COUPLET 10
هر دَمَش با منِ دل‌سوخته لطفی دگر استاین گدا بین که چه شایستهٔ انعام افتاد
har damash bâ man-e del-sukhte lotfi degar ast / in gedâ bin ke che shâyeste-ye en'âm oftâd
Every moment the beloved shows me, the burnt-hearted, a new kindness; see how this beggar has turned out worthy of such gifts.
COUPLET 11
صوفیان جمله حریفند و نظرباز ولیزین میان حافظِ دل‌سوخته بدنام افتاد
sufiyân jomle harifand o nazarbâz vali / z-in miyân Hâfez-e del-sukhte badnâm oftâd
The Sufis are all drinking companions and lovers of beauty, yet of them all, it is burnt-hearted Hafez who got the bad name.

What this fâl tells you

Everything beautiful you see may be a reflection of one deeper light. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that a path you did not plan for was written for you, and it can still bring a good end. Accept the turning of the days with grace, and notice the kindnesses you are receiving.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: oftâd ("fell"). qâfiye: -âm (jâm, khâm, owhâm, âm, farjâm, ayyâm, dâm, en'âm, saranjâm, badnâm).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
aksreflection dictionary
ru-yeface of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary
toyou dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
darin; door dictionary
âyenemirror (آیینه)
jâmcup dictionary
oftâdfell; happened, arose (پیش آمد) dictionary
khandelaughter dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
tama'expectation; greed dictionary
khâmraw, immature, inexperienced dictionary
hosnbeauty dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
jelvedisplay, showing oneself dictionary
کردkarddo (with tavân: can do) dictionary
inthis dictionary
همهhameall, whole dictionary
نقشnaghshimage, shape dictionary
âyinemirror dictionary
owhâmimaginings, fancies dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
نمودnemudseemed, appeared (past of nemudan) (به نظر رسید) dictionary
فروغforughgleam, radiance dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
sâghi-stis the cupbearer's (= sâghi ast) dictionary
gheyratjealousy (of love); zeal dictionary
zabântongue; language dictionary
khâsânthe elect, the chosen few dictionary
bebboridcut off dictionary
کزk-azthat from (= ke az) (که از)
کجاkojâwhere; how? (rhetorical) dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
ghamashits sorrow, his/her grief dictionary
dahanmouth (دهان)
âmcommon people dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
مسجدmasjedmosque dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
khodself; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary
oftâdamI fell dictionary
inamthis ... for me (= in marâ) dictionary
ahdtime, era dictionary
hâselachieved, obtained dictionary
فرجامfarjâmend, outcome dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
کندkonaddoes; makes dictionary
peyafter; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary
نرودnaravaddoes not go dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
پرگارpargârcompass (for drawing circles) dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
dâyere-yecircle of dictionary
گردشgardashhis/her dust (the dust of departure) dictionary
ayyâmdays, times dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
âvikhtclung, hung on dictionary
delheart dictionary
چاهchâhwell, pit dictionary
zanakhchin; châh-e zanakh = the dimple of the chin (چانه)
borunout (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
dâmtrap, net dictionary
ânthat dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
khâjemaster, lord dictionary
sowme'ecloister, hermitage (place of formal piety) dictionary
bâzamme again (= bâz marâ) dictionary
biniyou see dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
bâwith dictionary
sâghicupbearer dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
zirunder dictionary
shamshirsword dictionary
raftwent dictionary
کـ‌آن کهk-ân kefor he who (= ke ân ke) (که آن که)
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
نیکnikvery, thoroughly dictionary
saranjâmend; nik-saranjâm = with a good end dictionary
damasheach moment of his/hers dictionary
lotfia kindness dictionary
degaragain; other (= digar) (دیگر)
astis dictionary
گداgedâbeggar dictionary
binsee! (ببین) dictionary
shâyeste-yeworthy of dictionary
jomleall (همه) dictionary
harifandare drinking companions dictionary
valibut dictionary
z-infrom this (= az in) (از این)
میانmiyânwaist dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
badnâmof bad name, disreputable dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 111. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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