Ghazal 206 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
پیش از اینَت بیش از این اندیشهٔ عُشّاق بودمِهرورزیِ تو با ما شُهرهٔ آفاق بود
pish az inat bish az in andishe-ye oshshâgh bud / mehrvarzi-ye to bâ mâ shohre-ye âfâgh bud
Before this, you thought more of your lovers; your kindness to us was famous across the horizons.
COUPLET 2
یاد باد آن صحبتِ شب‌ها که با نوشین لبانبحثِ سِرِّ عشق و ذکرِ حلقهٔ عُشّاق بود
yâd bâd ân sohbat-e shab-hâ ke bâ nushin-labân / bahs-e serr-e eshgh o zekr-e halghe-ye oshshâgh bud
May those nights of company be remembered, when with the sweet-lipped ones our talk was of love's secret and the circle of lovers.
COUPLET 3
پیش از این کاین سقفِ سبز و طاقِ مینا بَرکِشندمَنظَرِ چشمِ مرا ابرویِ جانان طاق بود
pish az in k-in saghf-e sabz o tâgh-e minâ barkeshand / manzar-e cheshm-e marâ abru-ye jânân tâgh bud
Before they raised this green roof and the enamel-blue arch of the sky, the beloved's eyebrow was the arch over the window of my eyes.
COUPLET 4
از دَمِ صبحِ ازل تا آخرِ شامِ ابددوستی و مِهر بر یک عهد و یک میثاق بود
az dam-e sobh-e azal tâ âkher-e shâm-e abad / dusti o mehr bar yek ahd o yek misâgh bud
From the first breath of the dawn before time to the end of the evening of eternity, friendship and love rest on one pledge and one covenant.
COUPLET 5
سایهٔ معشوق اگر افتاد بر عاشق چه شد؟ما به او محتاج بودیم او به ما مشتاق بود
sâye-ye ma'shugh agar oftâd bar âshegh che shod / mâ be u mohtâj budim, u be mâ moshtâgh bud
So what if the beloved's shadow fell upon the lover? We needed the beloved, and the beloved longed for us.
COUPLET 6
حُسنِ مَه رویانِ مجلس گرچه دل می‌بُرد و دینبحثِ ما در لطفِ طبع و خوبیِ اخلاق بود
hosn-e mah-ruyân-e majles garche del mibord o din / bahs-e mâ dar lotf-e tab' o khubi-ye akhlâgh bud
Though the beauty of the moon-faced guests stole heart and faith, our talk was of a graceful nature and good character.
COUPLET 7
بر درِ شاهم گدایی نکته‌ای در کار کردگفت بر هر خوان که بِنْشَستَم خدا رزّاق بود
bar dar-e shâham gedâyi nokte-i dar kâr kard / goft bar har khân ke beneshastam khodâ razzâgh bud
At the king's door a beggar shared a fine point with me. He said, "At every table I sat at, God was the provider."
COUPLET 8
رشتهٔ تسبیح اگر بُگْسَست معذورم بداردستم اندر دامنِ ساقیِ سیمین ساق بود
reshte-ye tasbih agar bogsast ma'zuram bedâr / dastam andar dâman-e sâghi-ye simin-sâgh bud
If the string of my prayer beads snapped, excuse me: my hand was on the hem of the silver-legged cupbearer.
COUPLET 9
در شبِ قدر ار صَبوحی کرده‌ام، عیبم مکنسرخوش آمد یار و جامی بر کنارِ طاق بود
dar shab-e ghadr ar sabuhi karde-am eybam makon / sarkhosh âmad yâr o jâmi bar kenâr-e tâgh bud
If I drank the dawn wine on the Night of Power, do not blame me: the beloved arrived merry, and a cup stood at the edge of the niche.
COUPLET 10
شعرِ حافظ در زمانِ آدم اندر باغِ خُلددفترِ نسرین و گُل را زینتِ اوراق بود
she'r-e Hâfez dar zamân-e âdam andar bâgh-e khold / daftar-e nasrin o gol râ zinat-e owrâgh bud
In Adam's time, in the Garden of Paradise, the poetry of Hafez adorned the pages of the book of eglantine and rose.
What this fâl tells you
An old bond is calling to you. Tradition reads this fal as a reminder that real friendship rests on an old promise that does not break; if someone has grown distant, remind them gently of the warmth you once shared. And like the beggar at the king's door, trust that what you need will be provided.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bud ("was"). qâfiye: -âgh (oshshâgh, âfâgh, tâgh, misâgh, moshtâgh, akhlâgh, razzâgh, sâgh, owrâgh). In beyt 3 tâgh means both "arch" and "unique, unmatched".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| پیش | pish | in the eyes of, for dictionary |
| inat | this (+ -at: you) dictionary | |
| bish | more; bish nist = is no more than dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| âfâgh | horizons; the whole world dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| bâd | may it be; yâd bâd = may it be remembered dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| shab-hâ | nights dictionary | |
| نوشین | nushin | sweet dictionary |
| لبان | labân | lips; nushin-labân = the sweet-lipped ones dictionary |
| bahs | discussion, talk dictionary | |
| serr | secret (راز) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| zekr | mention; zekr-e jamil = a good name dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| saghf | roof, ceiling dictionary | |
| sabz | green dictionary | |
| tâgh | arch, vault; niche; also "unique, unmatched" (pun) dictionary | |
| مینا | minâ | enamel, blue glass: gonbad-e minâ = the blue dome of the sky dictionary |
| منظر | manzar | window, lookout (from which one looks) dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| âkher | end dictionary | |
| shâm | evening dictionary | |
| abad | eternity without end dictionary | |
| dusti | friendship dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| ahd | pledge, covenant (پیمان) dictionary | |
| میثاق | misâgh | covenant (the primordial pact between God and souls) (پیمان) dictionary |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| oftâd | fell; happened, arose (پیش آمد) dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| محتاج | mohtâj | in need dictionary |
| budim | we were dictionary | |
| مشتاق | moshtâgh | longing, eager dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| ruyân | faced ones; mah-ruyân = moon-faced beauties dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| می‌برد | mibord | was carrying off, stealing dictionary |
| din | faith, religion dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| tab' | nature, temperament dictionary | |
| khubi | goodness dictionary | |
| akhlâgh | character, morals dictionary | |
| shâham | the king (+ -am: to me) dictionary | |
| gedâyi | a beggar dictionary | |
| nokte-i | a subtle point dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| khân | tray of food, feast laid out (سفره) | |
| beneshastam | I sat dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| razzâgh | the Provider (a name of God) (روزی‌دهنده) | |
| reshte | thread, string dictionary | |
| tasbih | prayer beads dictionary | |
| bogsast | snapped, broke dictionary | |
| bedâr | hold! consider! dictionary | |
| dastam | my hand; az dast raftan = to slip out of one's control dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| sâgh | leg, shin dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| قدر | ghadr | shab-e ghadr = the Night of Power, a holy night of Ramadan dictionary |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| کرده‌ام | karde-am | I have done dictionary |
| eybam | me blame (eyb kardan = to blame) dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary | |
| کنار | kenâr | bank, side dictionary |
| she'r | poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| âdam | Adam dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| daftar | book, notebook dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| owrâgh | pages, leaves dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 206. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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