Ghazal 194 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
سَمَن‌بویان، غُبارِ غَم چو بِنْشینَنْد؛ بِنْشانَنْدپَری‌رویان، قَرار از دِل چو بِسْتیزَنْد؛ بِسْتانَنْد
saman-buyân ghobâr-e gham cho beneshinand beneshânand / pari-ruyân gharâr az del cho bestizand bestânand
When the jasmine-scented ones sit down, they settle the dust of sorrow; when the fairy-faced ones start a quarrel, they take away the heart's peace.
COUPLET 2
بِه فِتْراکِ جَفا، دِل‌ها چو بَربَنْدَنْد؛ بَربَنْدَنْدزِ زُلْفِ عَنْبَرین، جان‌ها چو بُگشایَنْد؛ بِفْشانَنْد
be fetrâk-e jafâ del-hâ cho barbandand barbandand / ze zolf-e anbarin jân-hâ cho bogshâyand befshânand
When they tie hearts to the saddle strap of cruelty, they bind them fast; when they loosen their ambergris curls, they scatter souls.
COUPLET 3
بِه عُمْری، یِک نَفَس با ما چو بِنْشینَنْد؛ بَرخیزَنْدنَهالِ شوق در خاطِر چو بَرخیزَنْد، بِنْشانَنْد
be omri yek nafas bâ mâ cho beneshinand barkhizand / nahâl-e showgh dar khâter cho barkhizand beneshânand
Once in a lifetime they sit with us for a breath, and then they rise; and as they rise, they plant the sapling of longing in our hearts.
COUPLET 4
سِرِشْکِ گوشِه‌گیران را چو دَریابَنْد، دُر یابَنٔدرُخِ مِهْر از سَحَرخیزان نَگَردانَنْد، اَگَر دانند
sereshk-e gushe-girân râ cho daryâband dorr yâband / rokh-e mehr az sahar-khizân nagardânand agar dânand
When they understand the tears of the recluses, they find pearls; they would not turn the face of love away from those who rise at dawn, if they only knew.
COUPLET 5
زِ چَشْمَم، لَعْلِ رُمّانی چو می‌خَنْدَنْد، می‌بارَنْدزِ رویَم، رازِ پِنْهانی چو می‌بینَنْد؛ می‌خوانَنْد
ze cheshmam la'l-e rommâni cho mikhandand mibârand / ze ruyam râz-e penhâni cho mibinand mikhânand
When they laugh, they make pomegranate-red rubies rain from my eyes; when they look at my face, they read my hidden secret there.
COUPLET 6
دَوایِ دَرْدِ عاشِق را کسی کاو سَهْل پِنْدارَدزِ فِکْر، آنان کِه دَر تَدْبیر درمانند، در مانند
davâ-ye dard-e âshegh râ kasi k-u sahl pendârad / ze fekr ânân ke dar tadbir-e darmânand dar mânand
Whoever thinks the cure for a lover's pain is easy should know: those who busy themselves devising a remedy end up stuck in their own thoughts.
COUPLET 7
چو مَنْصور از مُراد آنان که بردارند، بر دارندبدین درگاه، «حافِظ» را چو می‌خوانَنْد؛ می‌رانَنْد
cho mansur az morâd ânân ke bardârand bar dârand / bedin dargâh Hâfez râ cho mikhânand mirânand
Like Mansur Hallaj, those who win their wish end up on the gallows; at this court, whenever they call Hafez in, they also send him away.
COUPLET 8
دَر این حَضْرَت چو مُشْتاقان نیاز آرَنْد، ناز آرَنْدکِه با این دَرْد اگر دربند درمانند، در مانند
dar in hazrat cho moshtâghân niyâz ârand nâz ârand / ke bâ in dard agar darband darmânand darmânand
In this presence, when the longing ones bring their humble need, they may be proud; for with this pain, even if they are left in chains, they have found the cure.
What this fâl tells you
Those you care for come and go like a breath, but each visit plants something lasting in you. Tradition reads this fal as advice to bring humility rather than demands: honest need is honored at this door. Do not overthink the remedy; sincerity and patience are already the beginning of the cure.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -and. qâfiye: -ânand, with an inner rhyme in every half-line: each half-line ends in two near-identical words (beneshinand / beneshânand, barbandand / barbandand, dar mânand / darmânand...). A famous display of jenâs (wordplay); several readings are debated.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ghobâr | dust; also a fine script, like the down of a cheek dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| beneshinand | they sit down dictionary | |
| beneshânand | they settle (dust); they plant dictionary | |
| قرار | gharâr | calm, rest, peace of mind dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| bestânand | they take away dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jafâ | cruelty, unkindness dictionary | |
| del-hâ | hearts dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| jân-hâ | souls dictionary | |
| bogshâyand | they open, they untie (باز کنند) dictionary | |
| befshânand | they scatter dictionary | |
| omri | a life, a lifetime dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| نفس | nafas | breath, moment dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| barkhizand | they rise, get up dictionary | |
| نهال | nahâl | sapling dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| dorr | pearl dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| چو برخیزند | cho barkhizand | when they rise dictionary |
| sereshk | tears (اشک) dictionary | |
| daryâband | they perceive, understand dictionary | |
| یابنٔد | yâband | they find dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| نگردانند | nagardânand | they do not turn away dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| dânand | (they) know dictionary | |
| چشمم | cheshmam | my eye dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| می‌خندند | mikhandand | (they) laugh dictionary |
| می‌بارند | mibârand | they make rain down dictionary |
| ruyam | my face dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| penhâni | hidden dictionary | |
| می‌بینند | mibinand | they see dictionary |
| می‌خوانند | mikhânand | they read; they call (in) dictionary |
| davâ | cure dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| کاو | k-u | who (= ke u) (که او) |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| پندارد | pendârad | thinks, supposes dictionary |
| فکر | fekr | thought dictionary |
| dar | dar mândan = to be stuck, helpless dictionary | |
| tadbir | plan, course of action dictionary | |
| darmânand | remedy-are (darmân + -and); also: are stuck (dar mânand) dictionary | |
| مانند | mânand | remain; dar mânand = are stuck dictionary |
| منصور | mansur | Mansur al-Hallaj, the Sufi hanged for saying "I am the Truth" dictionary |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| bardârand | they take up, win (their wish) dictionary | |
| bar | on (bar dâr = on the gallows) dictionary | |
| dârand | (are on the) gallows (dâr + -and) dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| dargâh | court, threshold dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| می‌رانند | mirânand | they drive away dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| مشتاقان | moshtâghân | those who long, lovers dictionary |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| ârand | they bring (آورند) dictionary | |
| darband | in chains, captive dictionary | |
| dar | dar mândan = to be stuck dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 194. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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