Ghazal 187 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
دلا! بسوز! که سوز تو، کارها بکندنیاز نیم‌شبی، دفع صد بلا بکند
delâ besuz ke suz-e to kâr-hâ bekonad / niyâz-e nimshabi daf'-e sad balâ bekonad
Burn, O heart, for your burning will get many things done: one humble plea at midnight turns away a hundred troubles.
COUPLET 2
عتاب یار پری‌چهره، عاشقانه بکش!که یک کرشمه، تلافیّ صد جفا بکند
etâb-e yâr-e pari-chehre âsheghâne bekesh / ke yek kereshme talâfi-ye sad jafâ bekonad
Bear the reproaches of your fairy-faced beloved as a lover should, for one flirtatious glance makes up for a hundred cruelties.
COUPLET 3
ز ملک تا ملکوتش، حجاب بردارندهر آن که خدمت جام جهان‌نما بکند
ze molk tâ malakutash hejâb bardârand / har ân ke khedmat-e jâm-e jahân-namâ bekonad
Whoever serves the world-revealing cup will have the veil lifted for him, from the earthly kingdom up to the heavenly realm.
COUPLET 4
طبیب عشق، مسیحا دم است و مشفق، لیکچو درد، در تو نبیند؛ که را دوا بکند؟
tabib-e eshgh masihâ-dam ast o moshfegh, lik / cho dard dar to nabinad ke râ davâ bekonad
Love's physician has the healing breath of the Messiah and is kind, but if he sees no pain in you, whom is he to cure?
COUPLET 5
تو با خدای خود انداز کار و دل خوش دار!که رحم اگر نکند مدّعی، خدا بکند
to bâ khodâ-ye khod andâz kâr o del khosh dâr / ke rahm agar nakonad modda'i khodâ bekonad
Leave your affairs to your God and keep your heart glad: if your opponent shows no mercy, God will.
COUPLET 6
ز بخت خفته ملولم، بود که بیداریبه وقت فاتحهٔ صبح، یک دعا بکند؟
ze bakht-e khofte malulam, bovad ke bidâri / be vaght-e fâtehe-ye sobh yek do'â bekonad
I am weary of my sleeping fortune; perhaps someone who is awake will say a prayer for me at the hour of the dawn Fatiha.
COUPLET 7
بسوخت حافظ و بویی به زلف یار نبردمگر دلالت این دولتش، صبا بکند
besukht Hâfez o buyi be zolf-e yâr nabord / magar delâlat-e in dowlatash sabâ bekonad
Hafez burned, and never caught a scent of the beloved's curls; perhaps the morning breeze will guide him to this good fortune.
What this fâl tells you
A sincere prayer in the quiet of night can do more than many plans. Tradition reads this fal as advice to leave the outcome to God, bear small hurts patiently, and keep your heart cheerful. If your own luck seems asleep, ask a good-hearted friend to pray for you; help may come on the morning breeze.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bekonad ("will do"). qâfiye: -â (kâr-hâ/balâ, jafâ, namâ, davâ, khodâ, do'â, sabâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| besuz | burn! dictionary | |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| کارها | kâr-hâ | things, works; kâr-hâ kardan = to achieve much dictionary |
| bekonad | does, will do dictionary | |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| nimshabi | of midnight dictionary | |
| daf' | driving away dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| âsheghâne | like a lover dictionary | |
| bekesh | bear! endure! (تحمل کن) dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| کرشمه | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| talâfi | making up for, compensation dictionary | |
| jafâ | cruelty, unkindness dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| hejâb | veil, curtain dictionary | |
| bardârand | they lift dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| tabib | doctor (پزشک) dictionary | |
| مسیحا | masihâ | the Messiah; masihâ-dam = with healing breath dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| لیک | lik | but (ولی) |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| نبیند | nabinad | does not see dictionary |
| davâ | medicine, cure dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khodây | God (classical form) (خدا) | |
| khod | your own dictionary | |
| andâz | -shooting (kaj-andâz = shooting crooked) dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| rahm | mercy dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| modda'i | pretender, critic dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| khofte | asleep dictionary | |
| ملولم | malulam | I am weary (خسته‌ام) dictionary |
| bovad | perhaps; bovad ke = it may be that dictionary | |
| bidâri | someone awake (a wakeful, pious person) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| فاتحهٔ | fâtehe | the Fatiha, opening chapter of the Quran dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| besukht | burned (سوخت) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| buyi | a scent dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabord | did not catch (a scent) dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| delâlat | guidance dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dowlatash | his good fortune dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 187. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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