Ghazal 157 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
هر که را با خطِ سبزت سرِ سودا باشدپای از این دایره بیرون نَنِهَد تا باشد
har ke râ bâ khatt-e sabzat sar-e sowdâ bâshad / pây az in dâyere birun nanehad tâ bâshad
Whoever is in love with the green down on your cheek will not set foot outside this circle as long as he lives.
COUPLET 2
من چو از خاکِ لحد لاله‌صفت برخیزمداغِ سودای توام سِرِّ سُویدا باشد
man cho az khâk-e lahad lâle-sefat barkhizam / dâgh-e sowdâ-ye to-am serr-e sovaydâ bâshad
When I rise from the dust of the grave like a tulip, the scar of my passion for you will be the secret at the core of my heart.
COUPLET 3
تو خود ای گوهرِ یک‌دانه کجایی آخِرکز غمت دیدهٔ مردم همه دریا باشد
to khod ey gowhar-e yek-dâne kojâyi âkhar / k-az ghamat dide-ye mardom hame daryâ bâshad
Where are you, after all, O peerless pearl? Grieving for you, everyone's eyes have turned into a sea.
COUPLET 4
از بُنِ هر مژه‌ام آب روان است بیااگرت میلِ لبِ جوی و تماشا باشد
az bon-e har mozhe-am âb ravân ast biyâ / agarat meyl-e lab-e juy o tamâshâ bâshad
Water runs from the root of every one of my lashes: come, if you would like to sit by a stream and enjoy the view.
COUPLET 5
چون گل و مِی دمی از پرده برون آی و درآکه دگرباره ملاقات نه پیدا باشد
chon gol o mey dami az parde borun ây o darâ / ke degarbâre molâghât na peydâ bâshad
Like the rose and the wine, come out from behind the curtain for a moment and come in, for who knows whether we will meet again.
COUPLET 6
ظِلِّ مَمدودِ خَمِ زلفِ توام بر سر بادکاندر این سایه قرارِ دلِ شیدا باشد
zell-e mamdud-e kham-e zolf-e to-am bar sar bâd / k-andar in sâye gharâr-e del-e sheydâ bâshad
May the long shade of your curling hair stay over my head, for in this shade the restless heart finds peace.
COUPLET 7
چشمت از ناز به حافظ نکند میل آریسرگرانی صفتِ نرگسِ رعنا باشد
cheshmat az nâz be Hâfez nakonad meyl, âri / sargerâni sefat-e narges-e ra'nâ bâshad
In its pride your eye does not turn toward Hafez; yes, haughtiness is the nature of the lovely narcissus.
What this fâl tells you
This ghazal says: come now, for a meeting is not promised twice. Tradition reads it as a sign not to postpone a visit, a word or a reconciliation, and to treasure time with the people you love. A deep, lasting love is marked in you and will stay faithful.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bâshad. qâfiye: -â (sowdâ, tâ, sovaydâ, daryâ, tamâshâ, peydâ, sheydâ, ra'nâ). zell-e mamdud, "extended shade", echoes a Quranic description of paradise (56:30).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| sabzat | your green (khatt-e sabz = first down on a young face) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| sowdâ | passion, obsession dictionary | |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dâyere | circle dictionary | |
| birun | outside dictionary | |
| ننهد | nanehad | does not set, place (نگذارد) dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| barkhizam | I rise dictionary | |
| dâgh-e | scar, brand of dictionary | |
| sowdâ-ye | passion for dictionary | |
| to-am | (for) you ... my dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar-e | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| kojâyi | where are you? dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| مردم | mardom | people; also the pupil of the eye dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| bon-e | the root of dictionary | |
| مژه‌ام | mozhe-am | my eyelash dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| agarat | if you (have) dictionary | |
| میل | meyl-e | desire for dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| ju | stream (جوی) | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| tamâshâ | watching, looking dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| ây | come! (بیا) dictionary | |
| darâ | come in! (بیا تو) | |
| degarbâre | again (دوباره) | |
| ملاقات | molâghât | meeting dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| پیدا | peydâ | visible; peydâ shod = appeared dictionary |
| zell-e | shade of (Arabic) (سایه) | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| کاندر | k-andar | for in (= ke andar) (که در) |
| sâye | shade dictionary | |
| قرار | gharâr | calm, rest, peace of mind dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| sheydâ | madly in love dictionary | |
| چشمت | cheshmat | your eye dictionary |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| sefat-e | the quality, nature of dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 157. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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