Ghazal 17 of Hafez (8 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
سینه از آتش دل، در غمِ جانانه بسوختآتشی بود در این خانه که کاشانه بسوخت
sine az âtash-e del dar gham-e jânâne besukht / âtashi bud dar in khâne ke kâshâne besukht
My chest burned from the heart's fire in grief for the beloved. There was a fire in this house that burned the whole home down.
COUPLET 2
تنم از واسطهٔ دوریِ دلبر بگداختجانم از آتشِ مهرِ رخِ جانانه بسوخت
tanam az vâsete-ye duri-ye delbar bogdâkht / jânam az âtash-e mehr-e rokh-e jânâne besukht
My body melted because I was far from my sweetheart; my soul burned in the fire of love for the beloved's face.
COUPLET 3
سوزِ دل بین که ز بس آتش اشکم، دلِ شمعدوش بر من ز سرِ مِهر، چو پروانه بسوخت
suz-e del bin ke ze bas âtash-e ashkam, del-e sham' / dush bar man ze sar-e mehr cho parvâne besukht
See how the heart burns: my tears were so fiery that last night the candle's heart burned for me out of love, like a moth.
COUPLET 4
آشنایی نه غریب است که دلسوزِ من استچون من از خویش برفتم، دلِ بیگانه بسوخت
âshenâyi na gharib ast ke delsuz-e man ast / chon man az khish beraftam, del-e bigâne besukht
It is no wonder that a friend feels for me: when I went out of myself, even a stranger's heart burned.
COUPLET 5
خرقهٔ زهدِ مرا، آبِ خرابات ببُردخانهٔ عقلِ مرا، آتشِ میخانه بسوخت
kherghe-ye zohd-e marâ âb-e kharâbât bebord / khâne-ye aghl-e marâ âtash-e meykhâne besukht
The water of the tavern carried away my cloak of piety; the fire of the wine-house burned down the house of my reason.
COUPLET 6
چون پیاله دلم از توبه که کردم بشکستهمچو لاله، جگرم بی می و خُمخانه بسوخت
chon piyâle delam az towbe ke kardam beshekast / hamcho lâle jegaram bi mey o khomkhâne besukht
Like a cup, my heart broke over the repentance I made; like the tulip, my insides burned without wine and the wine cellar.
COUPLET 7
ماجرا کم کن و بازآ که مرا مردمِ چشمخرقه از سر به درآورد و به شکرانه بسوخت
mâjarâ kam kon o bâz â ke marâ mardom-e cheshm / kherghe az sar be dar âvard o be shokrâne besukht
Enough of the story: come back. The pupil of my eye pulled the cloak off its head and burned it in thanks.
COUPLET 8
ترک افسانه بگو حافظ و مِی نوش دمیکه نَخُفتیم شب و شمع به افسانه بسوخت
tark-e afsâne begu Hâfez o mey nush dami / ke nakhoftim shab o sham' be afsâne besukht
Drop the tale, Hafez, and drink wine for a moment: we did not sleep all night, and the candle burned out over stories.
What this fâl tells you
Your longing is sincere, and even strangers can feel its warmth. Tradition reads this fal as advice to stop retelling old sorrows and long complaints: invite back the one you miss and enjoy a quiet moment of joy. The night of waiting has been long, but its candle has done its work.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: besukht ("burned"). qâfiye: -âne (jânâne, kâshâne, parvâne, bigâne, meykhâne, khomkhâne, shokrâne, afsâne).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| besukht | burned (سوخت) dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| کاشانه | kâshâne | home, dwelling dictionary |
| tanam | my body dictionary | |
| واسطهٔ | vâsete | means, cause; az vâsete-ye = because of dictionary |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| bogdâkht | melted (گداخت) dictionary | |
| jânam | my soul dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| bin | see! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| ashkam | my tears dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| پروانه | parvâne | moth (drawn to the candle) dictionary |
| âshenâyi | friendship, familiarity dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| gharib | stranger, someone far from home dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| delsuz | heart-burning, moving dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| beraftam | I went; az khish raftan = to lose oneself (رفتم) dictionary | |
| bigâne | stranger dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| bebord | took away; az yâd bordan = to forget (برد) dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| پیاله | piyâle | cup dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| beshkast | broke (شکست) dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| jegaram | my liver (seat of grief), my insides dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ماجرا | mâjarâ | story, dispute, complaint dictionary |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| bâz â | come back! dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | pupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dar âvard | took off, pulled off dictionary | |
| afsâne | tale, legend dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | drink! (= benush) (بنوش) dictionary |
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| نخفتیم | nakhoftim | we did not sleep (نخوابیدیم) dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 17. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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