Ghazal 192 of Hafez (10 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
سروِ چَمانِ من چرا میلِ چمن نمی‌کند؟همدمِ گل نمی‌شود، یادِ سَمَن نمی‌کند
sarv-e chamân-e man cherâ meyl-e chaman nemikonad / hamdam-e gol nemishavad, yâd-e saman nemikonad
Why does my strolling cypress have no wish to visit the meadow? It keeps no company with the rose and gives no thought to the jasmine.
COUPLET 2
دی گِلِه‌ای ز طُرِّه‌اش، کردم و از سرِ فُسوسگفت که «این سیاه‌کج، گوش به من نمی‌کند»
di gele'i ze torre-ash kardam o az sar-e fosus / goft ke in siyâh-kaj gush be man nemikonad
Yesterday I complained about the beloved's lock of hair, and the beloved answered mockingly: "This crooked black thing does not listen to me."
COUPLET 3
تا دلِ هرزه‌گَردِ من، رفت به چینِ زلفِ اوزان سفرِ درازِ خود، عزمِ وطن نمی‌کند
tâ del-e harze-gard-e man raft be chin-e zolf-e u / z-ân safar-e derâz-e khod azm-e vatan nemikonad
Ever since my wandering heart went off into the folds of those curls, it has had no intention of coming home from that long journey.
COUPLET 4
پیشِ کمانِ ابرویش، لابه همی کنم ولیگوش کشیده است از آن، گوش به من نمی‌کند
pish-e kamân-e abruyash lâbe hami konam vali / gush keshide ast az ân, gush be man nemikonad
I keep pleading before the bow of that eyebrow, but, like a bow drawn back to the ear, it turns its ear away and does not listen to me.
COUPLET 5
با همه عطفِ دامنت، آیدم از صبا عجبکز گذرِ تو، خاک را، مُشکِ خُتَن نمی‌کند
bâ hame atf-e dâmanat âyadam az sabâ ajab / k-az gozar-e to khâk râ moshk-e khotan nemikonad
With all the sweep of your skirt, I am amazed at the morning breeze: why does it not turn the dust where you pass into the musk of Khotan?
COUPLET 6
چون ز نسیم می‌شود، زلفِ بنفشه پُرشِکَنوه که دلم چه یاد از آن، عهدشکن نمی‌کند
chon ze nasim mishavad zolf-e banafshe por-shekan / vah ke delam che yâd az ân ahdshekan nemikonad
When the breeze twists the violet's curls into folds, ah, how my heart remembers that breaker of promises!
COUPLET 7
دل به امیدِ رویِ او، همدمِ جان نمی‌شودجان به هوایِ کویِ او، خدمتِ تن نمی‌کند
del be omid-e ru-ye u hamdam-e jân nemishavad / jân be havâ-ye ku-ye u khedmat-e tan nemikonad
Hoping for the beloved's face, my heart no longer keeps my soul company; longing for the beloved's street, my soul no longer serves my body.
COUPLET 8
ساقیِ سیم‌ساقِ من، گر همه دُرد می‌دهدکیست که تن چو جامِ مِی، جمله دهن نمی‌کند؟
sâghi-ye sim-sâgh-e man gar hame dord midahad / kist ke tan cho jâm-e mey jomle dahan nemikonad
Even if my silver-legged cupbearer pours nothing but dregs, who would not turn his whole body into a mouth, like the wine cup?
COUPLET 9
دستخوشِ جفا مَکُن، آبِ رُخَم که فیضِ ابربی‌مددِ سِرشکِ من، دُرِ عَدَن نمی‌کند
dastkhosh-e jafâ makon âb-e rokham ke feyz-e abr / bi madad-e sereshk-e man dorr-e adan nemikonad
Do not make my honor a plaything of cruelty: without the help of my tears, the bounty of the clouds could not make the pearls of Aden.
COUPLET 10
کُشتهٔ غمزهٔ تو شد، حافظِ ناشنیده‌پندتیغ سزاست هر که را، دَرد، سخن نمی‌کند
koshte-ye ghamze-ye to shod Hâfez-e nâshenide-pand / tigh sezâst har ke râ dard sokhan nemikonad
Hafez, who never listened to advice, has been slain by your glance: the sword is fitting for anyone whom words cannot move.
What this fâl tells you
The one you are waiting for seems distant and unmoved for now, and this fal asks for patience without bitterness. Tradition reads it as a reminder that your tears and loyalty have value, like raindrops that become pearls. Listen to good advice this time, and do not let your heart wander so far that it forgets its way home.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nemikonad ("does not do"). qâfiye: -an (chaman, saman, man, vatan, khotan, ahdshekan, tan, dahan, adan, sokhan). Beyt 3 puns on chin "fold" and Chin "China".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| میل | meyl | desire, appetite dictionary |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| نمی‌کند | nemikonad | does not do dictionary |
| همدم | hamdam | close friend, companion dictionary |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| نمی‌شود | nemishavad | does not become dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| di | yesterday (دیروز) | |
| gele'i | a complaint dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| torre-ash | his/her lock of hair dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sar | head; az sar-e fosus = mockingly dictionary | |
| فسوس | fosus | mockery (افسوس) |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| چین | chin | fold, twist (also China) dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| safar | journey dictionary | |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| khod | its own dictionary | |
| azm | resolve, decision dictionary | |
| وطن | vatan | home, homeland dictionary |
| پیش | pish | in front of dictionary |
| abruyash | her eyebrow dictionary | |
| hami | old prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می) | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| کشیده | keshide | drawn; gush keshide = drawn back to the ear (a bow), or pulled away dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| atf | sweep, fold (of the skirt) dictionary | |
| âyadam | comes to me; ajab âyadam = I am amazed dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| گذر | gozar | passage dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| می‌شود | mishavad | becomes dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| ahdshekan | promise-breaker dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| tan | body dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| می‌دهد | midahad | gives, pours dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| jomle | all (همه) dictionary | |
| dahan | mouth (دهان) | |
| dastkhosh | plaything dictionary | |
| jafâ | cruelty, unkindness dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| rokham | my face dictionary | |
| فیض | feyz | grace, abundance dictionary |
| abr | cloud dictionary | |
| sereshk | tears (اشک) dictionary | |
| dorr | pearl dictionary | |
| کشتهٔ | koshte | slain dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| sezâst | is fitting, deserved dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 192. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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