Ghazal 130 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
سحر بلبل حکایت با صبا کردکه عشقِ رویِ گل با ما چه‌ها کرد
sahar bolbol hekâyat bâ sabâ kard / ke eshgh-e ru-ye gol bâ mâ che-hâ kard
At dawn the nightingale told the breeze a story: "Look what love for the rose's face has done to me!"
COUPLET 2
از آن رنگِ رُخَم، خون در دل افتادوز آن گلشن، به خارم مبتلا کرد
az ân rang-e rokham khun dar del oftâd / v-az ân golshan be khâram mobtalâ kard
Because of that color, my face's blood fell into my heart; and from that rose garden, it left me afflicted with a thorn.
COUPLET 3
غلامِ همتِ آن نازنینمکه کار خیر بی روی و ریا کرد
gholâm-e hemmat-e ân nâzaninam / ke kâr-e kheyr bi ruy o riyâ kard
I am a servant to the noble spirit of that dear one who did good deeds without hypocrisy or show.
COUPLET 4
من از بیگانگان دیگر ننالمکه با من هرچه کرد آن آشنا کرد
man az bigânegân digar nanâlam / ke bâ man har che kard ân âshenâ kard
I will no longer complain about strangers: whatever was done to me was done by that friend.
COUPLET 5
گر از سلطان طمع کردم، خطا بودور از دلبر وفا جُستَم، جفا کرد
gar az soltân tama' kardam khatâ bud / var az delbar vafâ jostam jafâ kard
If I hoped for something from the sultan, that was my mistake; and when I sought loyalty from my love, I met cruelty.
COUPLET 6
خوشش باد آن نسیمِ صبحگاهیکه دردِ شب نشینان را دوا کرد
khoshash bâd ân nasim-e sobhgâhi / ke dard-e shab-neshinân râ davâ kard
Blessings on that morning breeze, which cured the pain of those who sat up through the night.
COUPLET 7
نقابِ گل کَشید و زلفِ سُنبلگره بندِ قبای غنچه وا کرد
neghâb-e gol keshid o zolf-e sonbol / gereh band-e ghabâ-ye ghonche vâ kard
It drew back the rose's veil and the hyacinth's curls, and untied the knotted fastening of the bud's robe.
COUPLET 8
به هر سو بلبلِ عاشق در افغانتَنَعُّم از میان، بادِ صبا کرد
be har su bolbol-e âsheq dar afghân / tana'om az miyân bâd-e sabâ kard
Everywhere the loving nightingale was crying out, while the morning breeze took all the pleasure for itself.
COUPLET 9
بشارت بَر به کویِ می فروشانکه حافظ توبه از زهدِ ریا کرد
beshârat bar be ku-ye meyforushân / ke Hâfez towbe az zohd-e riyâ kard
Take the good news to the lane of the wine-sellers: Hafez has repented of hypocritical piety.
COUPLET 10
وفا از خواجگانِ شهر با منکمالِ دولت و دین بوالوفا کرد
vafâ az khâjegân-e shahr bâ man / kamâl-e dowlat o din bul-vafâ kard
Of all the city's lords, the one who showed me loyalty was Kamal al-Din Abu'l-Vafa, perfection of state and faith.
What this fâl tells you
Do not complain about strangers in this ghazal: the hurt and the healing both come from those closest to you. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that the night of worry is ending and a morning breeze will ease your pain. Value the one friend who has stayed loyal to you, and do good without show.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: kard ("did"). qâfiye: -â (che-hâ, mobtalâ, riyâ, âshenâ, jafâ, davâ, vâ, sabâ, bul-vafâ). The last line names a patron, Kamal al-Din Abu'l-Vafa.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| چه‌ها | che-hâ | what things! dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| rokham | my face dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| oftâd | fell; happened, arose (پیش آمد) dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| khâram | me ... with a thorn dictionary | |
| مبتلا | mobtalâ | afflicted dictionary |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| نازنینم | nâzaninam | of my dear one dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| riyâ | hypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bigânegân | strangers dictionary | |
| ننالم | nanâlam | I do not complain dictionary |
| هرچه | har che | whatever dictionary |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| jostam | I sought dictionary | |
| jafâ | cruelty, unkindness dictionary | |
| khoshash | sweet (+ its) dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| davâ | medicine, cure dictionary | |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| کشید | keshid | pulled, led (to) dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| ghonche | bud, rosebud dictionary | |
| وا | vâ | open; vâ kardan = to untie, open (باز) |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| su | direction, side dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist dictionary |
| beshârat | good news (مژده) | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| فروشان | forushân | sellers; meyforushân = wine-sellers dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khâjegân | lords, notables dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| کمال | kamâl | perfection, height, fullness dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 130. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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