Ghazal 153 of Hafez (13 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 چون خسرو خاور، عَلَم بر کوهساران زدبه دستِ مرحمت، یارم، درِ امیدواران زد
sahar chon khosrow-e khâvar alam bar kuhsârân zad / be dast-e marhamat yâram dar-e ommidvârân zad
At dawn, when the king of the East planted his banner on the mountains, my beloved, with a merciful hand, knocked at the door of the hopeful.
COUPLET 2
چو پیشِ صبح روشن شد که حالِ مِهر گردون چیستبرآمد خنده‌ای خوش بر غرورِ کامگاران زد
cho pish-e sobh rowshan shod ke hâl-e mehr-e gardun chist / bar âmad khande-i khosh bar ghorur-e kâmgârân zad
When it became clear to the dawn what the love of the turning sky is worth, it broke into a sweet laugh and mocked the pride of the fortunate.
COUPLET 3
نگارم دوش در مجلس، به عزمِ رقص چون برخاستگره بگشود از گیسو و بر دل‌های یاران زد
negâram dush dar majles be azm-e raghs chon barkhâst / gereh bogshud az gisu o bar del-hâ-ye yârân zad
Last night, when my beauty rose to dance at the gathering, she untied the knot of her hair and tied it onto the hearts of the friends.
COUPLET 4
من از رنگِ صلاح آن دَم، به خونِ دل بِشُستم دستکه چشم باده پیمایش صلا بر هوشیاران زد
man az rang-e salâh ân dam be khun-e del beshostam dast / ke cheshm-e bâde-peymâyash salâ bar hoshyârân zad
I washed my hands of the color of piety in my heart's blood at the moment her wine-pouring eye called out its invitation to the sober.
COUPLET 5
کدام آهن‌دلش آموخت این آیین عیّاری؟کز اول چون برون آمد، رهِ شب‌زنده‌داران زد
kodâm âhan-delash âmukht in âyin-e ayyâri / k-az avval chon borun âmad rah-e shab-zende-dârân zad
What iron-hearted one taught her this rogue's custom, so that the moment she came out she robbed those who keep the night vigil?
COUPLET 6
خیالِ شهسواری پخت و شد ناگَه دلِ مسکینخداوندا! نگه دارش که بر قلبِ سواران زد
khiyâl-e shahsavâri pokht o shod nâgah del-e meskin / khodâvandâ negah dârash ke bar ghalb-e savârân zad
My poor heart dreamed of being a great horseman and suddenly charged off; Lord, protect it, for it has struck the very center of the cavalry.
COUPLET 7
در آب و رنگِ رخسارش، چه جان دادیم و خون خوردیمچو نقشش دست داد اول، رقم بر جان‌سپاران زد
dar âb o rang-e rokhsârash che jân dâdim o khun khordim / cho naghshash dast dâd avval ragham bar jân-sepârân zad
For the freshness and color of her face, how we gave our lives and swallowed our blood! When her image first took shape, it set its mark on those ready to give their souls.
COUPLET 8
منش با خرقهٔ پشمین، کجا اندر کمند آرم؟زره‌مویی که مژگانش رهِ خنجرگزاران زد
manash bâ kherghe-ye pashmin kojâ andar kamand âram / zereh-muyi ke mozhgânash rah-e khanjar-gozârân zad
How could I, in a woolen Sufi robe, catch her in my lasso, she whose hair is like chain mail and whose lashes ambushed the dagger-fighters?
COUPLET 9
نظر بر قرعهٔ توفیق و یُمنِ دولتِ شاه استبده کامِ دلِ حافظ که فالِ بختیاران زد
nazar bar ghor'e-ye towfigh o yomn-e dowlat-e shâh ast / bede kâm-e del-e Hâfez ke fâl-e bakhtiyârân zad
Our eyes are on the lot of success and the blessing of the king's fortune; grant Hafez his heart's wish, for he has cast the omen of the fortunate.
COUPLET 10
شهنشاهِ مظفر فر، شجاعِ مُلک و دین منصورکه جودِ بی‌دریغش خنده بر ابر بهاران زد
shahanshâh-e mozaffar-farr shojâ'-e molk o din mansur / ke jud-e bidarighash khande bar abr-e bahârân zad
The king of kings, of victorious glory, Shoja', champion of kingdom and faith, triumphant, whose unstinting generosity laughed at the spring clouds.
COUPLET 11
از آن ساعت که جامِ می به دستِ او مُشَرَّف شدزمانه ساغرِ شادی به یادِ می‌گساران زد
az ân sâ'at ke jâm-e mey be dast-e u mosharraf shod / zamâne sâghar-e shâdi be yâd-e meygosârân zad
From the hour the wine cup was honored by his hand, the age has raised a cup of joy to the wine drinkers.
COUPLET 12
ز شمشیرِ سرافشانش، ظفر آن روز بِدْرَخشیدکه چون خورشیدِ انجم‌سوز تنها بر هِزاران زد
ze shamshir-e sar-afshânash zafar ân ruz bedrakhshid / ke chon khorshid-e anjom-suz tanhâ bar hezârân zad
Victory shone from his head-scattering sword on the day that, like the sun that burns away the stars, he struck alone against thousands.
COUPLET 13
دوامِ عمر و مُلکِ او، بخواه از لطف حق ای دل!که چرخ، این سکهٔ دولت به دورِ روزگاران زد
davâm-e omr o molk-e u bekhâh az lotf-e hagh ey del / ke charkh in sekke-ye dowlat be dowr-e ruzegârân zad
Heart, ask God's kindness for his long life and lasting rule, for heaven has struck this coin of fortune for all the ages.
What this fâl tells you
A bright, morning fal: the sun has raised its banner and a merciful hand is knocking at the door of the hopeful. Tradition reads it as a sign that a wish is close to being granted and that you may find support from someone powerful and generous. Keep hoping and keep your heart brave.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: zad. qâfiye: -ârân (kuhsârân, ommidvârân, kâmgârân, yârân, hoshyârân, shab-zende-dârân, savârân, jân-sepârân, khanjar-gozârân, bakhtiyârân, bahârân, meygosârân, hezârân, ruzegârân). Beyts 9-13 praise Shah Shoja' of the Mozaffarid dynasty.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| khâvar | the East dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| مرحمت | marhamat | mercy, kindness dictionary |
| یارم | yâram | my beloved dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ommidvârân | the hopeful dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| rowshan | clear, evident dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| گردون | gardun | the turning sky; fortune dictionary |
| khande-i | a laugh dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| ghorur | pride dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| raghs | dance dictionary | |
| barkhâst | rose, stood up dictionary | |
| bogshud | opened, untied (گشود) dictionary | |
| گیسو | gisu | long hair, tresses dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| del-hâ-ye | hearts of dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| beshostam | I washed dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| پیمایش | peymâyash | her (wine) measuring dictionary |
| هوشیاران | hoshyârân | the sober, the alert dictionary |
| کدام | kodâm | which dictionary |
| âmukht | taught dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| âyin | custom, manner dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| avval | at first dictionary | |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| khiyâl-e | a fancy of dictionary | |
| پخت | pokht | cooked; khiyâl pokhtan = to fancy, to dream dictionary |
| ناگه | nâgah | suddenly (ناگاه) |
| مسکین | meskin | poor, wretched dictionary |
| khodâvandâ | O Lord! dictionary | |
| dârash | keep it! dictionary | |
| قلب | ghalb-e | the center of (an army) dictionary |
| savârân | horsemen, cavalry dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| rokhsârash | her cheek, face dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| dâdim | we gave dictionary | |
| khordim | we swallowed; khun khordan = suffer dictionary | |
| نقشش | naghshash | her image dictionary |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| ragham | writing, mark dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| کمند | kamand | lasso dictionary |
| âram | I bring; dar kamand âvardan = catch dictionary | |
| مژگانش | mozhgânash | her eyelashes dictionary |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| قرعهٔ | ghor'e | lot (drawn for chance) dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| فال | fâl-e | omen of dictionary |
| bakhtiyârân | the fortunate dictionary | |
| مظفر | mozaffar | victorious (also the name of Shoja's dynasty) dictionary |
| shojâ'-e | brave one of; Shoja' (the king's name) dictionary | |
| din | faith dictionary | |
| منصور | mansur | victorious dictionary |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| abr | cloud dictionary | |
| bahârân | spring dictionary | |
| sâ'at | hour dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| مشرف | mosharraf | honored dictionary |
| sâghar | cup dictionary | |
| shâdi | joy dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| می‌گساران | meygosârân | wine drinkers dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| shamshir | sword dictionary | |
| zafar | victory (پیروزی) dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| bederakhshid | flashed, shone (درخشید) dictionary | |
| tanhâ | alone dictionary | |
| هزاران | hezârân | thousands dictionary |
| davâm | lasting, permanence dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| bekhâh | ask for! dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| sekke-ye | coin of dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| ruzegârân | ages, times dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 153. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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