Ghazal 15 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
ای شاهد قدسی، کِه کَشَد بند نقابت؟وی مرغ بهشتی، که دهد دانه و آبت؟
ey shâhed-e ghodsi, ke keshad band-e neghâbat? / v-ey morgh-e beheshti, ke dahad dâne o âbat?
O holy beauty, who unties the string of your veil? O bird of paradise, who gives you seed and water?
COUPLET 2
خوابم بشد از دیده در این فکر جگرسوزکآغوشِ که شد منزل آسایش و خوابت؟
khâbam beshod az dide dar in fekr-e jegar-suz / k-âghush-e ke shod manzel-e âsâyesh o khâbat?
Sleep has left my eyes over this heart-burning thought: whose arms have become the place where you rest and sleep?
COUPLET 3
درویش نمی‌پرسی و ترسم که نباشداندیشهٔ آمرزش و پروای ثوابت
darvish nemiporsi o tarsam ke nabâshad / andishe-ye âmorzesh o parvâ-ye savâbat
You never ask after the dervish, and I fear you have no thought of forgiveness and no care for a good deed.
COUPLET 4
راه دل عشّاق زد آن چشم خماریپیداست از این شیوه که مست است شرابت
râh-e del-e oshshâgh zad ân cheshm-e khomâri / peydâ-st az in shive ke mast ast sharâbat
That languid eye has ambushed the hearts of lovers; from this behavior it is clear your wine is strong.
COUPLET 5
تیری که زدی بر دلم از غمزه خطا رفتتا باز چه اندیشه کند رأی صوابت
tiri ke zadi bar delam az ghamze khatâ raft / tâ bâz che andishe konad ra'y-e savâbat
The arrow of your glance that you shot at my heart missed. Let us see what your sound judgment will think of next.
COUPLET 6
هر ناله و فریاد که کردم نشنیدیپیداست نگارا که بلند است جَنابت
har nâle o faryâd ke kardam nashenidi / peydâ-st negârâ ke boland ast jenâbat
You did not hear any of my moans and cries. Clearly, my beauty, your station is very high.
COUPLET 7
دور است سر آب از این بادیه، هشدارتا غول بیابان نفریبد به سرابت
dur ast sar-e âb az in bâdiye, hoshdâr / tâ ghul-e biyâbân nafaribad be sarâbat
The spring is far from this desert. Be careful that the desert ghoul does not fool you with a mirage.
COUPLET 8
تا در ره پیری به چه آیین رَوی ای دلباری به غلط صرف شد ایّامِ شبابت
tâ dar rah-e piri be che â'in ravi ey del / bâri be ghalat sarf shod ayyâm-e shabâbat
O heart, let us see how you will walk the road of old age; your days of youth, at least, were spent in error.
COUPLET 9
ای قصرِ دل‌افروز که منزلگهِ انسییا رب مَکُناد آفتِ ایّام، خرابت
ey ghasr-e del-afruz ke manzelgah-e onsi / yâ rab makonâd âfat-e ayyâm kharâbat
O heart-brightening palace, home of friendship: O Lord, may the disasters of time never ruin you.
COUPLET 10
حافظ نه غلامیست که از خواجه گریزدصلحی کن و بازآ که خرابم ز عِتابت
Hâfez na gholâmi-st ke az khâje gorizad / solhi kon o bâz â ke kharâbam ze etâbat
Hafez is not a servant who runs from his master. Make peace and come back, for your reproach has ruined me.
What this fâl tells you
Someone you care about seems far away and silent, but this is not the end of the bond. Tradition reads this fal as a warning against mirages: do not chase what only looks like water, and use the years ahead more wisely than the past. Make peace where there has been reproach, and the door will open again.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -at ("your", as in neghâbat, âbat). qâfiye: -âb (neghâb, âb, khâb, savâb, sharâb, jenâb, sarâb, shabâb, kharâb, etâb).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| shâhed | beauty, the beloved (classical sense) dictionary | |
| ghodsi | holy, heavenly dictionary | |
| کشد | keshad | pulls, unties dictionary |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| نقابت | neghâbat | your veil dictionary |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| beheshti | of paradise dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| dâne | seed, grain; bead dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| âbat | your water dictionary | |
| khâbam | my sleep dictionary | |
| beshod | went, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| کآغوش | k-âghush | that the embrace of (= ke âghush) dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| âsâyesh | comfort, peace dictionary | |
| khâbat | your sleep; khâbat hast? = are you asleep? dictionary | |
| nemiporsi | you do not ask (after) dictionary | |
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| âmorzesh | forgiveness (of sins) dictionary | |
| parvâ-ye | care for, concern for dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| پیداست | peydâ-st | it is clear (= peydâ ast) dictionary |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| sharâbat | your wine dictionary | |
| tiri | an arrow dictionary | |
| zadi | you shot, you struck dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| ra'y | judgment, opinion dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| فریاد | faryâd | cry, shout dictionary |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| nashenidi | you did not hear dictionary | |
| boland | high; famous dictionary | |
| jenâbat | your station, your exalted rank dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| هشدار | hoshdâr | beware! be alert! dictionary |
| نفریبد | nafaribad | does not deceive dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sarâbat | you with a mirage dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| piri | old age dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| ghalat | mistake; ghalat makon = do not err dictionary | |
| sarf | spending; sarf shodan = to be spent dictionary | |
| ayyâm | days, times dictionary | |
| قصر | ghasr | palace dictionary |
| منزلگه | manzelgah | dwelling place (منزلگاه) |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| مکناد | makonâd | may it not make (نکند) dictionary |
| âfat | disaster, blight dictionary | |
| kharâbat | you ruined dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| gholâmi-st | is a servant (= gholâmi ast) dictionary | |
| khâje | master, lord dictionary | |
| گریزد | gorizad | runs away dictionary |
| solhi | a peace dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| bâz â | come back! dictionary | |
| kharâbam | I am ruined dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| etâbat | your reproach dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 15. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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