Ghazal 114 of Hafez (8 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
همایِ اوجِ سعادت به دامِ ما افتداگر تو را گذری بر مقام ما افتد
homâ-ye owj-e sa'âdat be dâm-e mâ oftad / agar to râ gozari bar maghâm-e mâ oftad
The Homa of highest fortune will fall into my net if you ever happen to pass by my place.
COUPLET 2
حباب‌وار براندازم از نشاط کلاهاگر ز رویِ تو عکسی به جامِ ما افتد
habâb-vâr barandâzam az neshât kolâh / agar ze ru-ye to aksi be jâm-e mâ oftad
Like a bubble, I will toss my cap in the air for joy if a reflection of your face falls into my cup.
COUPLET 3
شبی که ماهِ مراد از افق شود طالعبُوَد که پرتوِ نوری به بامِ ما افتد
shabi ke mâh-e morâd az ofogh shavad tâle' / bovad ke partov-e nuri be bâm-e mâ oftad
On the night the moon of my wish rises over the horizon, perhaps a ray of its light will fall on my roof.
COUPLET 4
به بارگاهِ تو چون باد را نباشد بارکی اتفاقِ مجالِ سلامِ ما افتد؟
be bârgâh-e to chon bâd râ nabâshad bâr / key ettefâgh-e majâl-e salâm-e mâ oftad
Since even the wind is not admitted to your court, when will I ever get the chance to greet you?
COUPLET 5
چو جان فدای لبش شد خیال می‌بستمکه قطره‌ای ز زلالش به کامِ ما افتد
cho jân fadâ-ye labash shod khiyâl mibastam / ke ghatre-i ze zolâlash be kâm-e mâ oftad
When my soul became a ransom for those lips, I imagined a drop of their clear water might fall onto my palate.
COUPLET 6
خیالِ زلفِ تو گفتا که جان وسیله مسازکز این شکار، فراوان به دامِ ما افتد
khiyâl-e zolf-e to goftâ ke jân vasile masâz / k-az in shekâr farâvân be dâm-e mâ oftad
The image of your curl said, "Do not make your soul your means of approach: plenty of that kind of prey falls into my net."
COUPLET 7
به ناامیدی از این در مرو، بزن فالیبُوَد که قرعهٔ دولت به نامِ ما افتد
be nâomidi az in dar maro bezan fâli / bovad ke ghor'e-ye dowlat be nâm-e mâ oftad
Do not leave this door in despair; cast an omen, for perhaps the lot of good fortune will fall to your name.
COUPLET 8
ز خاکِ کوی تو هر گَه که دَم زند حافظنسیمِ گلشن جان در مشامِ ما افتد
ze khâk-e ku-ye to har gah ke dam zanad Hâfez / nasim-e golshan-e jân dar mashâm-e mâ oftad
Whenever Hafez speaks of the dust of your lane, the breeze from the garden of the soul reaches our senses.
What this fâl tells you
This is the ghazal that tells you to take a fâl! "Do not leave this door in despair; perhaps the lot of fortune will fall to your name." Tradition reads it as a hopeful sign: a single visit, a single ray of light, could change your luck. Keep your hope modest and your door open.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: mâ oftad ("falls to us"). qâfiye: -âm (dâm, maghâm, jâm, bâm, salâm, kâm, nâm, mashâm).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| owj | summit, height dictionary | |
| sa'âdat | happiness, good fortune dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| gozari | a passing by dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مقام | maghâm | place, station dictionary |
| barandâzam | I throw up, toss off dictionary | |
| نشاط | neshât | joy, high spirits dictionary |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| aksi | a reflection dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| shabi | one night dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| ofogh | horizon dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| tâle' | horoscope, fate, fortune (بخت) dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| پرتو | parto | ray, light dictionary |
| nuri | a light dictionary | |
| bârgâh | royal court, audience hall dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| ettefâgh | chance, occurrence dictionary | |
| مجال | majâl | room, chance dictionary |
| salâm | greeting dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| لبش | labash | her lip dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| می‌بستم | mibastam | I was forming; khiyâl bastan = to imagine dictionary |
| zolâlash | its clear water dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| گفتا | goftâ | (he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary |
| وسیله | vasile | means, intermediary dictionary |
| مساز | masâz | do not make! (نساز) dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| in | this dictionary | |
| shekâr | prey, catch dictionary | |
| فراوان | farâvân | abundant, great dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مرو | maro | do not go! (نرو) dictionary |
| bezan | play! strike! dictionary | |
| fâli | an omen, a fortune reading dictionary | |
| قرعهٔ | ghor'e | lot (drawn for chance) dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| گه | gah | time; har gah = whenever (= gâh) (گاه) |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| zanad | strikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 114. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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