Ghazal 122 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
هر آن‌که جانِبِ اَهْلِ خُدا نگه داردخُداش در همه حال از بَلا نگه دارد
har ân ke jâneb-e ahl-e khodâ negah dârad / khodâsh dar hame hâl az balâ negah dârad
Whoever looks after the people of God, God will keep safe from misfortune in every situation.
COUPLET 2
حَدیثِ دوست نگویم مَگَر به حَضْرَتِ دوستکه آشنا، سُخَنِ آشنا نگه دارد
hadis-e dust naguyam magar be hazrat-e dust / ke âshenâ sokhan-e âshenâ negah dârad
I tell the Friend's story only in the Friend's presence, for a true friend keeps a friend's words to himself.
COUPLET 3
دلا، مَعاش چُنان کُن که گر بِلَغْزَد پایفرشته‌ات به دو دستِ دُعا نگه دارد
delâ ma'âsh chonân kon ke gar belaghzad pây / fereshte-at be do dast-e doâ negah dârad
O heart, live in such a way that if your foot slips, your angel will hold you up with both hands of prayer.
COUPLET 4
گَرَت هَواست که مَعشوق نَگْسَلد پِیماننگاه دار سرِ رشته تا نگه دارد
garat havâ-st ke ma'shugh nagsalad peymân / negâh dâr sar-e reshte tâ negah dârad
If you wish the beloved never to break the promise, hold on to your end of the thread, so the beloved holds on too.
COUPLET 5
صَبا بر آن سَرِ زُلْف اَر دِلِ مرا بینیز رویِ لُطْف بگویش که جا نگه دارد
sabâ bar ân sar-e zolf ar del-e marâ bini / ze ru-ye lotf beguyash ke jâ negah dârad
Breeze, if you see my heart at the tip of those curls, kindly tell it to keep its place.
COUPLET 6
چو گفتمش که دلم را نگاه دار، چه گفت؟ز دَسْتِ بَنده چه خیزد؟ خُدا نگه دارد
cho goftamash ke delam râ negâh dâr che goft / ze dast-e bande che khizad khodâ negah dârad
When I told the beloved, "Take care of my heart," what was the reply? "What can a mere servant do? God will take care of it."
COUPLET 7
سَر و زَر و دل و جانم، فَدایِ آن یاریکه حَقِّ صُحْبَتِ مِهْر و وَفا نگه دارد
sar o zar o del o jânam fadâ-ye ân yâri / ke hagh-e sohbat-e mehr o vafâ negah dârad
My head, my gold, my heart and soul are a ransom for the friend who honors the bond of love and loyalty.
COUPLET 8
غُبارِ راهگذارت کجاست تا «حافِظ»به یادگارِ نَسیمِ صَبا نگه دارد
ghobâr-e râhgozârat kojâ-st tâ Hâfez / be yâdgâr-e nasim-e sabâ negah dârad
Where is the dust of your path, so that Hafez can keep it as a keepsake of the morning breeze?
What this fâl tells you
Care for others and you will be cared for: this ghazal is full of keeping and protecting. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that good conduct now will hold you up if you stumble later. Keep your promises and a friend's secrets, and your relationships will stay strong.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: negah dârad ("keeps, protects"). qâfiye: -â (khodâ, balâ, âshenâ, doâ, jâ, vafâ, sabâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| نگه | negah | look; negah kon = look! (نگاه) |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| khodâsh | God ... him (= khodâ u râ) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| نگویم | naguyam | I do not say dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| معاش | ma'âsh | live!, conduct your life! (also: livelihood) (زندگی کن) dictionary |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| belaghzad | slips dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| فرشته‌ات | fereshte-at | your angel dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| هواست | havâ-st | it is your wish (= havâ ast) dictionary |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| نگسلد | nagsalad | does not break dictionary |
| پیمان | peymân | vow, pledge dictionary |
| نگاه | negâh | look; negâh dâshtan = to keep dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| reshte | thread dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| bini | you see dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| beguyash | tell it! dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| گفتمش | goftamash | I said to him dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| jânam | my soul dictionary | |
| yâri | friendship; a friend dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| ghobâr | dust 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 122. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.