Ghazal 22 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
چو بشنوی سخنِ اهلِ دل، مگو که خطاستسخن‌شناس نه‌ای، جان من! خطا این جاست
cho beshnavi sokhan-e ahl-e del, magu ke khatâ-st / sokhan-shenâs na'i jân-e man, khatâ injâ-st
When you hear the words of people of heart, do not say they are wrong. My dear, you do not understand words: that is where the mistake lies.
COUPLET 2
سرم به دنیی و عقبی فرو نمی‌آیدتبارک الله ازین فتنه‌ها که در سرِ ماست
saram be donyi o oghbâ forud nemi'âyad / tabârak-allâh az in fetne-hâ ke dar sar-e mâ-st
My head does not bow to this world or the next. God be praised for the turmoil that fills my head!
COUPLET 3
در اندرونِ منِ خسته‌دل ندانم کیست!که من خموشم و او در فغان و در غوغاست
dar andarun-e man-e khaste-del nadânam kist / ke man khamusham o u dar faghân o dar ghowghâ-st
I do not know who it is inside me, weary-hearted as I am: I am silent, while he is all lament and uproar.
COUPLET 4
دلم ز پرده برون شد، کجایی ای مطرب؟بنال، هان که از این پرده، کارِ ما به نواست
delam ze parde borun shod, kojâyi ey motreb? / benâl, hân ke az in parde kâr-e mâ be navâ-st
My heart has come out from behind the veil. Where are you, musician? Play your lament, for in this mode our life is in tune.
COUPLET 5
مرا به کارِ جهان هرگز التفات نبودرخِ تو در نظرِ من چنین خوشش آراست
marâ be kâr-e jahân hargez eltefât nabud / rokh-e to dar nazar-e man chonin khoshash ârâst
I never cared for worldly affairs; it is your face that made the world look so lovely to me.
COUPLET 6
نخفته‌ام ز خیالی که می‌پزد دلِ منخمارِ صد شبه دارم شراب‌خانه کجاست؟
nakhofte-am ze khiyâli ke mipazad del-e man / khomâr-e sad shabe dâram, sharâbkhâne kojâ-st?
I have not slept for a fancy my heart is cooking up. I have a hundred nights' hangover: where is the tavern?
COUPLET 7
چنین که صومعه آلوده شد ز خونِ دلمگَرَم به باده بشویید، حق به دستِ شماست
chonin ke sowme'e âlude shod ze khun-e delam / garam be bâde bashuyid hagh be dast-e shomâ-st
Since the cloister is now stained with my heart's blood, if you wash me in wine, you will be right.
COUPLET 8
از آن به دیرِ مغانم عزیز می‌دارندکه آتشی که نمیرد، همیشه در دلِ ماست
az ân be deyr-e moghânam aziz midârand / ke âtashi ke namirad hamishe dar del-e mâ-st
They hold me dear in the temple of the Magi because a fire that never dies always burns in my heart.
COUPLET 9
چه ساز بود که در پرده می‌زد آن مطربکه رفت عمر و هنوزم دماغ پُر ز هواست
che sâz bud ke dar parde mizad ân motreb / ke raft omr o hanuzam damâgh por ze havâ-st
What melody was that musician playing behind the curtain, that my life has passed and my head is still full of its air?
COUPLET 10
ندای عشق تو دیشب در اندرون دادندفضایِ سینهٔ حافظ هنوز پر ز صداست
nedâ-ye eshgh-e to dishab dar andarun dâdand / fazâ-ye sine-ye Hâfez hanuz por ze sedâ-st
Last night the call of your love sounded within me; the space of Hafez's chest is still full of its echo.
What this fâl tells you
Listen carefully before judging: what sounds strange may carry deep wisdom. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that a fire inside you, a love or a calling, is real and lasting, and the right people will value you for it. Let music and beauty guide you; an inner voice is calling you and it is worth following.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -â / -âst (khatâ-st, mâ-st, ghowghâ-st, navâ-st, ârâst, kojâ-st, shomâ-st, havâ-st, sedâ-st). Many words pun on music: parde (veil / musical mode), navâ (melody / prosperity), havâ (air / desire).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| beshnavi | you hear dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| khatâ-st | is wrong (= khatâ ast) dictionary | |
| ne'i | you are not (نیستی) | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| khatâ | error, mistake dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| jâ-st | is (the) place (in-jâ-st = is here) dictionary | |
| saram | my head; over me dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| donyi | this world (old spelling of donyâ) (دنیا) | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| oghbâ | the hereafter (آخرت) | |
| نمی‌آید | nemiâyad | does not come; dar nemiâyad = does not enter dictionary |
| az in | from this (= az in) (از این) | |
| فتنه‌ها | fetne-hâ | turmoils, tumults dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| andarun | inside, the inner self dictionary | |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| khamusham | I am silent dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| فغان | faghân | alas! cry of lament dictionary |
| ghowghâ-st | is in uproar (= ghowghâ ast) dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| kojâyi | where are you dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| benâl | lament! cry! dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نواست | navâ-st | is in tune, prospers (navâ = melody; prosperity) dictionary |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| khoshash | sweet (+ its) dictionary | |
| ârâst | adorned, made beautiful dictionary | |
| نخفته‌ام | nakhofte-am | I have not slept dictionary |
| khiyâli | a fancy, a dream dictionary | |
| می‌پزد | mipazad | cooks; khiyâl pokhtan = to dream up a plan dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| shabe | nights' (sad shabe = of a hundred nights) dictionary | |
| dâram | I have dictionary | |
| sowme'e | cloister, hermitage (place of formal piety) dictionary | |
| âlude | stained, polluted dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| bashuyid | wash! (plural) dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| می‌دارند | midârand | they hold; aziz dâshtan = to hold dear dictionary |
| نمیرد | namirad | does not die (نمی‌میرد) dictionary |
| همیشه | hamishe | always dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| می‌زد | mizad | was making (gereh zadan = to tie a knot) dictionary |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| هنوزم | hanuzam | still ... my dictionary |
| پر | por | full dictionary |
| هواست | havâ-st | is (full of) air, desire (= havâ ast) dictionary |
| nedâ-ye | the call of dictionary | |
| dishab | last night dictionary | |
| dâdand | (they) gave dictionary | |
| فضای | fazâ-ye | the space of dictionary |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| هنوز | hanuz | still, yet dictionary |
| sedâ-st | is (full of) sound, echo (= sedâ ast) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 22. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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