Ghazal 135 of Hafez (7 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
چو باد، عزمِ سرِ کویِ یار خواهم کردنفس به بویِ خوشش مُشکبار خواهم کرد
cho bâd, azm-e sar-e kuy-e yâr khâham kard / nafas be bu-ye khoshash moshkbâr khâham kard
Like the wind, I will set out for the beloved's street, and make my breath fragrant as musk with its sweet scent.
COUPLET 2
به هرزه بی می و معشوق عمر می‌گذردبِطالتم بس از امروز کار خواهم کرد
be harze bi mey o ma'shugh omr migozarad / betâlatam bas, az emruz kâr khâham kard
Without wine and a beloved, life is passing in vain. Enough of my idleness: from today I will get to work.
COUPLET 3
هر آبروی که اندوختم ز دانش و دیننثارِ خاکِ رهِ آن نگار خواهم کرد
har âberuy ke anduxtam ze dânesh o din / nesâr-e khâk-e rah-e ân negâr khâham kard
Whatever honor I have stored up from learning and faith, I will scatter on the dust of that beauty's path.
COUPLET 4
چو شمعِ صبحدمم شد ز مهر او روشنکه عمر در سر این کار و بار خواهم کرد
cho sham'-e sobhdamam shod ze mehr-e u rowshan / ke omr dar sar-e in kâr o bâr khâham kard
Like the candle at dawn, it became clear to me through love of her that I will spend my life on this affair.
COUPLET 5
به یادِ چشم تو خود را خراب خواهم ساختبنایِ عهدِ قدیم استوار خواهم کرد
be yâd-e cheshm-e to khod râ kharâb khâham sâkht / benâ-ye ahd-e ghadim ostovâr khâham kard
In memory of your eyes I will make myself a ruin, drunk, and make firm the foundation of our old pact.
COUPLET 6
صبا کجاست؟ که این جانِ خون گرفته چو گُلفدای نَکهَتِ گیسویِ یار خواهم کرد
sabâ kojâst ke in jân-e khun-gerefte cho gol / fadâ-ye nakhat-e gisu-ye yâr khâham kard
Where is the morning breeze? This blood-soaked soul, red like a rose, I will sacrifice to the scent of the beloved's hair.
COUPLET 7
نفاق و زَرق نبخشد صفایِ دل حافظطریقِ رندی و عشق اختیار خواهم کرد
nefâgh o zargh nabakhshad safâ-ye del, Hâfez / tarigh-e rendi o eshgh ekhtiyâr khâham kard
Hypocrisy and pretense do not give the heart purity, Hafez: I will choose the path of the free spirit and of love.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal is a resolution: enough idling, now is the time to begin. Tradition reads it as a sign that a long-delayed decision is ready to be made, and that sincerity will serve you better than show. Renew an old promise and set out, like the wind, toward what you love.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: khâham kard. qâfiye: -âr (yâr, moshkbâr, kâr, negâr, bâr, ostovâr, ekhtiyâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| khâham | I will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| نفس | nafas | breath dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| khoshash | sweet (+ its) dictionary | |
| هرزه | harze | vain, idle; be harze = in vain (بیهوده) dictionary |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| می‌گذرد | migozarad | passes dictionary |
| betâlatam | my idleness (= betâlat-am) (بیکاری) dictionary | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| anduxtam | I stored up, saved dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dânesh | knowledge, learning dictionary | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| نثار | nesâr-e | scattered as an offering on (فدای) |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| rowshan | bright; clear, evident dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| sâkht | make (khâham sâkht = I will make) dictionary | |
| benâ-ye | building, foundation of dictionary | |
| ahd | time, era dictionary | |
| قدیم | ghadim | old, ancient dictionary |
| ostovâr | firm, solid dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| گرفته | gerefte | taken; khun-gerefte = soaked in blood dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| نکهت | nakhat-e | scent of (بوی) |
| گیسوی | gisu-ye | tresses of, long hair of dictionary |
| نفاق | nefâgh | hypocrisy dictionary |
| zargh | pretense, sanctimonious show (ریا) dictionary | |
| نبخشد | nabakhshad | does not give dictionary |
| safâ-ye | purity, brightness of dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tarigh-e | the path of dictionary | |
| rendi | free-spirited life of the "rend" (a rogue who scorns hypocrisy) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 135. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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