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Hafez Ghazal 176: ⁧سحرم دولت بیدار به بالین آمد⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 176 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
سَحَرم دولتِ بیدار به بالین آمدگفت برخیز که آن خسرو شیرین آمد
saharam dowlat-e bidâr be bâlin âmad / goft barkhiz ke ân khosrow-e shirin âmad
At dawn wakeful fortune came to my pillow and said, "Get up: that sweet king has come."
COUPLET 2
قدحی درکش و سرخوش به تماشا بخرامتا ببینی که نگارت به چه آیین آمد
ghadahi darkesh o sarkhosh be tamâshâ bekhrâm / tâ bebini ke negârat be che âyin âmad
Drink down a cup and stroll out merry to watch, so you can see in what splendor your beloved has come.
COUPLET 3
مژدگانی بده ای خلوتیِ نافه‌گشایکه ز صحرایِ خُتَن آهویِ مُشکین آمد
mozhdegâni bede ey khalvati-ye nâfe-goshây / ke ze sahrâ-ye khotan âhu-ye moshkin âmad
Give a reward for the good news, O recluse who opens the musk-pod: the musky gazelle has come from the plains of Khotan.
COUPLET 4
گریه آبی به رخِ سوختگان بازآوردناله فریادرَسِ عاشقِ مسکین آمد
gerye âbi be rokh-e sukhtegân bâz âvard / nâle faryâdras-e âshegh-e meskin âmad
Weeping brought the color of honor back to the faces of the burned; lament came to rescue the poor lover.
COUPLET 5
مرغِ دل باز هوادارِ کمان‌ابروییستای کبوتر نگران باش که شاهین آمد
morgh-e del bâz havâdâr-e kamân-abruyi-st / ey kabutar negarân bâsh ke shâhin âmad
The bird of my heart again longs for one with bow-shaped eyebrows: dove, be on your guard, the falcon has come.
COUPLET 6
ساقیا می بده و غم مخور از دشمن و دوستکه به کامِ دلِ ما آن بشد و این آمد
sâghiyâ mey bede o gham makhor az doshman o dust / ke be kâm-e del-e mâ ân beshod o in âmad
Cupbearer, pour wine, and do not worry about enemy or friend: just as our hearts wished, that one has gone and this one has come.
COUPLET 7
رسمِ بدعهدیِ ایّام چو دید ابرِ بهارگریه‌اش بر سمن و سنبل و نسرین آمد
rasm-e bad-ahdi-ye ayyâm cho did abr-e bahâr / gerye-ash bar saman o sonbol o nasrin âmad
When the spring cloud saw the faithless ways of the times, it wept over the jasmine, the hyacinth and the wild rose.
COUPLET 8
چون صبا گفتهٔ حافظ بشنید از بلبلعَنبرافشان به تماشایِ ریاحین آمد
chon sabâ gofte-ye Hâfez beshenid az bolbol / anbar-afshân be tamâshâ-ye riyâhin âmad
When the morning breeze heard Hafez's words from the nightingale, it came scattering ambergris to visit the fragrant flowers.

What this fâl tells you

Good fortune is awake and standing at your bedside: get up and go out to meet what is coming. Tradition reads this fal as the end of a hard stretch: what troubled you is leaving and something better is arriving. Your past tears were not wasted; they restored your honor.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: âmad ("came"). qâfiye: -in (bâlin, shirin, âyin, moshkin, meskin, shâhin, in, nasrin, riyâhin). Beyt 1 plays on Khosrow and Shirin, the famous royal lovers.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
saharamat dawn, to me (sahar + -am) dictionary
dowlatgood fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary
bidârawake, wakeful dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
bâlinpillow, bedside dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
barkhizrise! get up! dictionary
ânthat dictionary
ghadahia cup dictionary
darkeshdrink up! (= bekesh) (بنوش)
وva / oand dictionary
tamâshâwatching, looking dictionary
bekhrâmstroll! walk gracefully! dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
bebiniyou see dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
âyinsplendor, adornment; manner dictionary
bedehgive! pour! dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
گریهgeryeweeping dictionary
âbiwater; âb-e rokh = honor, face dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
نالهnâlelament, cry dictionary
âsheghlover dictionary
مسکینmeskinpoor, wretched dictionary
مرغmorghbird dictionary
delheart dictionary
bâzagain dictionary
هوادارhavâdârlover, devotee dictionary
کبوترkabutardove dictionary
نگرانnegarânwatchful, on guard dictionary
bâshbe! dictionary
shâhinfalcon dictionary
sâghiyâO cupbearer dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
مخورmakhordo not eat; gham makhor = do not grieve (نخور) dictionary
doshmanenemy dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
کامkâmwish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
beshodwent, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary
inthis dictionary
rasmcustom, way dictionary
ayyâmdays, times dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
didsaw dictionary
abrcloud dictionary
bahârspring dictionary
گریه‌اشgerye-ashits weeping dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
گفتهٔgoftewords, what is said dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
beshenidheard (شنید) dictionary
bolbolnightingale dictionary
riyâhinfragrant herbs and flowers dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 176. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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