Ghazal 124 of Hafez (9 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
آن که از سُنبُلِ او، غالیه تابی داردباز با دلشدگان ناز و عِتابی دارد
ân ke az sonbol-e u ghâliye tâbi dârad / bâz bâ delshodegân nâz o etâbi dârad
The one whose hyacinth curls give even perfume a fever is once again coy and scolding with the lovesick.
COUPLET 2
از سَرِ کُشتهٔ خود می‌گذری همچون بادچه توان کرد؟ که عمر است و شتابی دارد
az sar-e koshte-ye khod migozari hamchon bâd / che tavân kard ke omr ast o shetâbi dârad
You pass by those you have slain like the wind. What can be done? It is life, and life is in a hurry.
COUPLET 3
ماهِ خورشید نُمایَش ز پسِ پردهٔ زلفآفتابیست که در پیش سَحابی دارد
mâh-e khorshid-nemâyash ze pas-e parde-ye zolf / âftâbi-st ke dar pish sahâbi dârad
That sun-bright moon of a face, behind the curtain of hair, is a sun with a cloud in front of it.
COUPLET 4
چشمِ من کرد به هر گوشه روان سیلِ سرشکتا سَهی سَروِ تو را تازه‌تر آبی دارد
cheshm-e man kard be har gushe ravân seyl-e sereshk / tâ sahi sarv-e to râ tâzetar âbi dârad
My eye has sent floods of tears into every corner so that your straight cypress may have fresher water.
COUPLET 5
غمزهٔ شوخِ تو خونم به خطا می‌ریزدفرصتش باد که خوش فکر صوابی دارد
ghamze-ye shukh-e to khunam be khatâ mirizad / forsatash bâd ke khosh fekr-e savâbi dârad
Your playful glance sheds my blood by mistake. May it have its chance, for it has a fine idea of what is right.
COUPLET 6
آب حَیوان اگر این است که دارد لبِ دوستروشن است این که خِضِر بهره سرابی دارد
âb-e heyvân agar in ast ke dârad lab-e dust / roshan ast in ke khezr bahre sarâbi dârad
If the water of life is what the Friend's lips have, then clearly Khezr's share was only a mirage.
COUPLET 7
چشمِ مخمورِ تو دارد ز دلم قصدِ جگرتُرک مست است مگر میلِ کبابی دارد
cheshm-e makhmur-e to dârad ze delam ghasd-e jegar / tork-e mast ast magar meyl-e kabâbi dârad
Your languid eye is after my heart's liver; it is a drunken Turk, and perhaps it fancies some kebab.
COUPLET 8
جانِ بیمارِ مرا نیست ز تو روی سؤالای خوش آن خسته که از دوست جوابی دارد
jân-e bimâr-e marâ nist ze to ru-ye so'âl / ey khosh ân khaste ke az dust javâbi dârad
My sick soul does not dare to ask anything of you. How lucky the wounded one who gets an answer from the Friend!
COUPLET 9
کِی کُنَد سویِ دلِ خستهٔ حافظ نظریچشمِ مستش که به هر گوشه خرابی دارد
key konad su-ye del-e khaste-ye Hâfez nazari / cheshm-e mastash ke be har gushe kharâbi dârad
When will those drunken eyes, which have left ruin in every corner, cast a glance at Hafez's wounded heart?
What this fâl tells you
Life moves quickly, like the wind in this ghazal, so do not wait too long for what matters. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that the face you long for is only behind a passing cloud. Your patient care is watering something that will grow; an answer may yet come.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dârad ("has"). qâfiye: -âbi (tâbi, etâbi, shetâbi, sahâbi, âbi, savâbi, sarâbi, kabâbi, javâbi, kharâbi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| tâbi | a fever, a torment; also a twist dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| etâbi | reproach, scolding dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کشتهٔ | koshte | slain dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| migozari | you pass by dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| shetâbi | a hurry dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| نمایش | nemâyash | -looking, his/her (sun)-like dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| پس | pas | behind; pas-e parde = behind the curtain dictionary |
| پردهٔ | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| âftâbi-st | is a sun (= âftâbi ast) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| sahâbi | a cloud (ابر) | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| گوشه | gushe | corner dictionary |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| sereshk | tears (اشک) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| tâzetar | fresher dictionary | |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| shukh | playful, bold dictionary | |
| khunam | my blood dictionary | |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| می‌ریزد | mirizad | pours dictionary |
| فرصتش | forsatash | its chance dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| heyvân | life; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| rowshan | lit, bright dictionary | |
| bahre | share, portion dictionary | |
| sarâbi | a mirage dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| قصد | ghasd | intent; ghasd kardan = to head for dictionary |
| jegar | liver; khun-e jegar = deep grief dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| میل | meyl | desire, appetite dictionary |
| kabâbi | some kebab, roasted meat dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bimâr | ill dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| khaste | tired, wounded dictionary | |
| javâbi | an answer dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| su-ye | toward dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| مستش | mastash | his/her drunken dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 124. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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