Ghazal 138 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
یاد باد آن که ز ما وقتِ سفر یاد نکردبه وداعی دلِ غم‌دیدهٔ ما شاد نکرد
yâd bâd ân ke ze mâ vaght-e safar yâd nakard / be vedâ'i del-e gham-dide-ye mâ shâd nakard
Let us remember the one who did not remember us when setting out, who did not cheer our grieving heart with a farewell.
COUPLET 2
آن جوان‌بخت که می‌زد رقمِ خیر و قبولبندهٔ پیر ندانم ز چه آزاد نکرد
ân javân-bakht ke mizad ragham-e kheyr o ghabul / bande-ye pir nadânam ze che âzâd nakard
That young one of good fortune, who signed decrees of favor and acceptance: I do not know why he did not set this old servant free.
COUPLET 3
کاغذین جامه به خونآب بشویم که فلکرهنمونیم به پایِ عَلَمِ داد نکرد
kâghazin jâme be khunâb beshuyam ke falak / rahnemunim be pâ-ye alam-e dâd nakard
I will wash my paper robe in bloody tears, for heaven did not guide me to the foot of the banner of justice.
COUPLET 4
دل به امّیدِ صدایی که مگر در تو رسدناله‌ها کرد در این کوه که فرهاد نکرد
del be ommid-e sedâyi ke magar dar to rasad / nâle-hâ kard dar in kuh ke farhâd nakard
Hoping that some echo might reach you, my heart cried out in these mountains as even Farhad never did.
COUPLET 5
سایه تا بازگرفتی ز چمن مرغِ سحرآشیان در شِکَنِ طُرِّهٔ شمشاد نکرد
sâye tâ bâz gerefti ze chaman, morgh-e sahar / âshiyân dar shekan-e torre-ye shemshâd nakard
Ever since you withdrew your shade from the meadow, the bird of dawn has not nested in the curls of the boxwood.
COUPLET 6
شاید ار پیکِ صبا، از تو بیاموزد کارزآن که چالاک‌تر از این حرکت، باد نکرد
shâyad ar peyk-e sabâ az to biyâmuzad kâr / z-ân ke châlâk-tar az in harakat bâd nakard
The messenger breeze might well learn its craft from you, for no wind ever moved more swiftly than this.
COUPLET 7
کِلْکِ مَشّاطِهٔ صُنعَش نَکِشد نقشِ مرادهر که اقرار بدین حُسنِ خداداد نکرد
kelk-e mashshâte-ye son'ash nakeshad naghsh-e morâd / har ke eghrâr bedin hosn-e khodâdâd nakard
The brush of creation's adorner will not paint the picture of his wish for anyone who did not admit this God-given beauty.
COUPLET 8
مطربا! پرده بگردان و بزن راهِ عراقکه بدین راه بشد یار و ز ما یاد نکرد
motrebâ parde begardân o bezan râh-e erâgh / ke bedin râh beshod yâr o ze mâ yâd nakard
Minstrel, change the mode and play the Iraq tune: by this road the beloved went away and did not remember us.
COUPLET 9
غزلیاتِ عراقی‌ست سرودِ حافظکه شنید این رهِ دل‌سوز که فریاد نکرد؟
ghazaliyât-e erâghi-st sorud-e Hâfez / ke shenid in rah-e delsuz ke faryâd nakard
Hafez's songs are in the Iraqi manner; who has heard this heart-burning tune and not cried out?
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal remembers someone who left without saying goodbye. Tradition reads it as a sign that an absent person is on your mind and that a message sent with an open heart can still reach them. Let the song of longing be heard rather than kept in.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nakard. qâfiye: -âd (yâd, shâd, âzâd, dâd, farhâd, shemshâd, bâd, khodâdâd, faryâd). râh-e erâgh is both a musical mode and the road to Iraq; ghazaliyât-e erâghi may also nod to the poet Eraghi.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| safar | journey dictionary | |
| نکرد | nakard | did not do dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| shâd | happy; shâd kardan = cheer up dictionary | |
| می‌زد | mizad | used to strike; ragham zadan = to write, sign dictionary |
| ragham | writing, mark dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, favor dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| قبول | ghabul | acceptance; ghabul-e khâter = being loved by people dictionary |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| âzâd | free; âzâd kardan = set free dictionary | |
| jâme | garment, robe (لباس) dictionary | |
| beshuyam | I will wash dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| rahnemunim | guidance for me (rahnemuni kardan = guide) (راهنمایی) | |
| پای | pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary |
| alam-e | the banner of dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| ommid-e | hope of (امید) dictionary | |
| sedâyi | a sound, an echo dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| ناله‌ها | nâle-hâ | laments, cries dictionary |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کوه | kuh | mountain dictionary |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| âshiyân | nest (لانه) | |
| shekan-e | the curl, fold of dictionary | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| shâyad | it is fitting; it may be dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| پیک | peyk-e | messenger of dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| biyâmuzad | learns dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| چالاک‌تر | châlâk-tar | nimbler, swifter dictionary |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| مشاطهٔ | mashshâte-ye | the bride-dresser, adorner of (آرایشگر) |
| نکشد | nakeshad | does not draw, paint dictionary |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| eghrâr | admission, acknowledgment dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| begardân | turn! change (the mode) dictionary | |
| bezan | play! strike! dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| beshod | went, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| ghazaliyât-e | the ghazals of dictionary | |
| erâghi-st | is in the Iraqi style (= erâghi ast) dictionary | |
| sorud | song dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| shenid | heard dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| delsuz | heart-burning, moving dictionary | |
| فریاد | faryâd | cry, shout dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 138. 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.