Ghazal 211 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
دوش می‌آمد و رخساره برافروخته بودتا کجا باز دلِ غمزده‌ای سوخته بود
dush mi-âmad o rokhsâre bar-afrukhte bud / tâ kojâ bâz del-e ghamzade-i sukhte bud
Last night the beloved came with cheeks aflame; I wonder where another grieving heart had been set on fire.
COUPLET 2
رسم عاشق‌کُشی و شیوهٔ شهرآشوبیجامه‌ای بود که بر قامتِ او دوخته بود
rasm-e âshegh-koshi o shive-ye shahr-âshubi / jâme-i bud ke bar ghâmat-e u dukhte bud
The custom of killing lovers and the art of throwing the town into turmoil were a robe tailored to that figure.
COUPLET 3
جانِ عُشّاق سپندِ رخِ خود می‌دانستو آتشِ چهره بدین کار برافروخته بود
jân-e oshshâgh sepand-e rokh-e khod midânest / v-âtash-e chehre bedin kâr bar-afrukhte bud
The beloved counted lovers' souls as rue seeds to burn for that face, and had lit the fire of those cheeks for this very purpose.
COUPLET 4
گر‌چه می‌گفت که زارَت بِکُشم می‌دیدمکه نهانش نظری با منِ دلسوخته بود
garche migoft ke zârat bekosham mididam / ke nahânash nazari bâ man-e delsukhte bud
Though the beloved kept saying, "I will kill you wretchedly," I could see a secret tenderness toward me, the heartbroken one.
COUPLET 5
کفرِ زلفش رَهِ دین می‌زد و آن سنگین دلدر پِی‌اش مشعلی از چهره برافروخته بود
kofr-e zolfash rah-e din mizad o ân sangin-del / dar peyash mash'ali az chehre bar-afrukhte bud
The unbelief of those curls was robbing travelers on the road of faith, and that stone-hearted one had lit a torch of the face to follow behind.
COUPLET 6
دل بسی خون به کف آورد ولی دیده بریختالله الله، که تلف کرد و که اندوخته بود؟
del basi khun be kaf âvard vali dide berikht / allâh allâh ke talaf kard o ke andukhte bud
The heart gathered much blood, but the eye spilled it. Good God! Who wasted it, and who had saved it up?
COUPLET 7
یار مَفروش به دنیا که بسی سود نکردآن که یوسف به زَرِ ناسره بفروخته بود
yâr mafrush be donyâ ke basi sud nakard / ân ke yusof be zar-e nâsare befrukhte bud
Do not sell the friend for the world: whoever sold Joseph for false gold made little profit.
COUPLET 8
گفت و خوش گفت برو خرقه بسوزان حافظیا رب این قلب‌شناسی ز که آموخته بود؟
goft o khosh goft borow kherghe besuzân Hâfez / yâ rab in ghalb-shenâsi ze ke âmukhte bud
The beloved said, and said it well, "Go, burn your Sufi cloak, Hafez." O Lord, from whom had the beloved learned to spot false coin?
What this fâl tells you
Behind harsh words there may be hidden kindness: someone cares for you more than they show. Tradition reads this fal as advice never to trade a true friend for worldly gain, and to be genuine, because a clear eye sees through any disguise. Keep what is precious; do not let it slip away.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bud ("was"). qâfiye: -ukhte (bar-afrukhte, sukhte, dukhte, andukhte, befrukhte, âmukhte).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| می‌آمد | mi-âmad | was coming dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bar-afrukhte | flushed; set alight dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| sukhte | burnt; heartbroken dictionary | |
| rasm | custom, way dictionary | |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| jâme'i | a robe, a garment dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| dukhte | sewn, tailored dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| sepand | wild rue seed, burned against the evil eye (اسفند) | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| khod | own, self dictionary | |
| می‌دانست | midânest | considered, regarded dictionary |
| چهره | chehre | face dictionary |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| گر‌چه | garche | although dictionary |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| zârat | you, wretchedly (zâr + -at) dictionary | |
| bekosham | I will kill dictionary | |
| می‌دیدم | mididam | I was seeing dictionary |
| نهانش | nahânash | secretly (he/she had) dictionary |
| nazari | a look; an eye dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| کفر | kofr | unbelief dictionary |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| می‌زد | mizad | was striking; rah zadan = to rob travelers dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sangin | heavy; sangin-del = stone-hearted dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| پی‌اش | peyash | after it, behind it dictionary |
| mash'ali | a torch dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کف | kaf | palm (of the hand) dictionary |
| âvard | brought; be kaf âvard = gathered dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| berikht | spilled, poured out dictionary | |
| allâh | God; allâh allâh = good God! (exclamation) dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| andukhte | saved up, stored dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| مفروش | mafrush | do not sell! (نفروش) dictionary |
| donyâ | world dictionary | |
| sud | profit, gain dictionary | |
| نکرد | nakard | did not do dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| befrukhte | sold dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| besuzân | burn! dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| âmukhte | learned dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 211. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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