Ghazal 216 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
آن یار کز او خانهٔ ما جایِ پَری بودسر تا قدمش چون پَری از عیب بَری بود
ân yâr k-az u khâne-ye mâ jâ-ye pari bud / sar tâ ghadamash chon pari az eyb bari bud
That friend, through whom our house was a home for fairies, was, like a fairy, free of every flaw from head to foot.
COUPLET 2
دل گفت فروکش کنم این شهر به بویشبیچاره ندانست که یارش سفری بود
del goft forukesh konam in shahr be buyash / bichâre nadânest ke yârash safari bud
The heart said, "For that friend's scent I will settle in this town." The poor thing did not know the friend was only a traveler.
COUPLET 3
تنها نه ز رازِ دلِ من پرده برافتادتا بود فلک، شیوهٔ او پرده‌دری بود
tanhâ na ze râz-e del-e man parde bar oftâd / tâ bud falak shive-ye u parde-dari bud
Not only has the veil fallen from my heart's secret: as long as the heavens have turned, tearing veils has been their way.
COUPLET 4
منظورِ خردمندِ من آن ماه که او رابا حُسنِ ادب شیوهٔ صاحب‌نظری بود
manzur-e kheradmand-e man ân mâh ke u râ / bâ hosn-e adab shive-ye sâheb-nazari bud
The one my wise heart gazed on was that moon who joined fine manners with true insight.
COUPLET 5
از چنگِ مَنَش اختر بَدمِهر به در بردآری چه کنم؟ دولتِ دورِ قمری بود
az chang-e manash akhtar-e bad-mehr be dar bord / âri che konam dowlat-e dowr-e ghamari bud
An unkind star snatched the friend from my grasp. Yes, what can I do? It was good fortune that lasted only a moon's cycle.
COUPLET 6
عُذری بِنِه ای دل، که تو درویشی و او رادر مملکتِ حُسن سَرِ تاجْوَری بود
ozri beneh ey del ke to darvishi o u râ / dar mamlekat-e hosn sar-e tâjvari bud
Forgive it, O heart: you are a poor dervish, and the friend was set on wearing the crown in the kingdom of beauty.
COUPLET 7
اوقاتِ خوش آن بود که با دوست به سر رفتباقی همه بی‌حاصلی و بی‌خبری بود
owghât-e khosh ân bud ke bâ dust be sar raft / bâghi hame bi-hâseli o bi-khabari bud
The good times were the ones spent with the friend; all the rest was fruitless and empty.
COUPLET 8
خوش بود لبِ آب و گل و سبزه و نسرینافسوس که آن گنجِ روان رهگذری بود
khosh bud lab-e âb o gol o sabze o nasrin / afsus ke ân ganj-e ravân rahgozari bud
Sweet were the stream's edge, the roses, the green grass and the eglantine; alas that this moving treasure was only passing by.
COUPLET 9
خود را بکش ای بلبل از این رشک که گُل رابا بادِ صبا وقتِ سحر جلوه‌گری بود
khod râ bekosh ey bolbol az in rashk ke gol râ / bâ bâd-e sabâ vaght-e sahar jelvegari bud
Nightingale, die of jealousy: at dawn the rose was showing off its beauty to the morning breeze.
COUPLET 10
هر گنجِ سعادت که خدا داد به حافظاز یُمنِ دعایِ شب و وِردِ سَحَری بود
har ganj-e sa'âdat ke khodâ dâd be Hâfez / az yomn-e do'â-ye shab o verd-e sahari bud
Every treasure of happiness that God gave Hafez came from the blessing of night prayers and dawn devotions.
What this fâl tells you
Cherish the good hours with the people you love, for some dear ones are travelers who only pass through. Tradition reads this fal as gentle advice not to grieve too long over what has moved on, and to treasure its memory instead. Your real blessings come from quiet prayer and steady, sincere habits; keep them.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bud ("was"). qâfiye: -ari (pari, bari, safari, parde-dari, sâheb-nazari, ghamari, tâjvari, bi-khabari, rahgozari, jelvegari, sahari).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| قدمش | ghadamash | his/her foot; sar tâ ghadam = from head to foot dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| bari | free (of), innocent (مبرا) | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| فروکش | forukesh | settling; forukesh kardan = to stay, take lodging dictionary |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| buyash | his/her scent dictionary | |
| bichâre | poor thing, helpless dictionary | |
| ندانست | nadânest | did not know dictionary |
| یارش | yârash | its friend dictionary |
| safari | a traveler, someone on a journey dictionary | |
| tanhâ | alone; na be tanhâ = not only dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| kheradmand | wise dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| adab | courtesy, good manners dictionary | |
| چنگ | chang | grasp, claws dictionary |
| منش | manash | me (from my grasp: man + -ash, him/her) dictionary |
| akhtar | star; fortune dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| bord | took away dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| beneh | put! (with ozr: excuse) (بگذار) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| مملکت | mamlekat | kingdom dictionary |
| sar | aim, wish (sar-e chizi dâshtan = to be set on something) dictionary | |
| owghât | times dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| sabze | green grass, greenery dictionary | |
| afsus | alas dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| bekosh | kill! dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| rashk | jealousy dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sa'âdat | happiness, good fortune dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| sahari | of dawn dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 216. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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