Ghazal 221 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
چو دست بر سرِ زلفش زنم به تاب رَوَدور آشتی طلبم با سرِ عِتاب رَوَد
cho dast bar sar-e zolfash zanam be tâb ravad / var âshti talabam bâ sar-e etâb ravad
When I reach for the beloved's curls, they twist away in a temper; and if I ask for peace, the beloved leaves in reproach.
COUPLET 2
چو ماهِ نو رَهِ بیچارگانِ نَظّارهزَنَد به گوشهٔ ابرو و در نقاب رود
cho mâh-e now rah-e bichâregân-e nazzâre / zanad be gushe-ye abru o dar neghâb ravad
Like the new moon, the beloved waylays the helpless onlookers with the corner of an eyebrow, then slips behind a veil.
COUPLET 3
شبِ شراب خرابم کُنَد به بیداریوگر به روز شکایت کنم به خواب رود
shab-e sharâb kharâbam konad be bidâri / vagar be ruz shekâyat konam be khâb ravad
On wine-nights the beloved wrecks me by keeping me awake; and if I complain by day, the beloved goes to sleep.
COUPLET 4
طریقِ عشق پرآشوب و فتنه است ای دلبیفتد آن که در این راه با شتاب رود
tarigh-e eshgh por-âshub o fetne ast ey del / biyoftad ân ke dar in râh bâ shetâb ravad
The road of love is full of turmoil and trouble, O heart; whoever goes along this road in a hurry will fall.
COUPLET 5
گدایی درِ جانان به سلطنت مفروشکسی ز سایهٔ این در به آفتاب رود؟
gedâyi-ye dar-e jânân be saltanat mafrush / kasi ze sâye-ye in dar be âftâb ravad
Do not sell begging at the beloved's door for a kingdom: would anyone leave the shade of this door for the burning sun?
COUPLET 6
سوادِ نامهٔ مویِ سیاه چون طی شدبَیاض کم نَشَوَد گر صد انتخاب رود
savâd-e nâme-ye mu-ye siyâh chon tey shod / bayâz kam nashavad gar sad entekhâb ravad
Once the black script of dark hair has been folded away, the white will not lessen, even if you pick out a hundred strands.
COUPLET 7
حباب را چو فِتَد بادِ نخوت اندر سرکلاه داریَش اندر سرِ شراب رود
hobâb râ cho fetad bâd-e nekhvat andar sar / kolâh-dâriyash andar sar-e sharâb ravad
When the wind of pride gets into the bubble's head, its proud cap is lost in the wine.
COUPLET 8
حجابِ راه تویی حافظ از میان برخیزخوشا کسی که در این راه بی‌حجاب رود
hejâb-e râh toyi Hâfez az miyân barkhiz / khoshâ kasi ke dar in râh bi-hejâb ravad
Hafez, you yourself are the veil on the road: get out of the way. Happy is the one who travels this road without a veil.
What this fâl tells you
Do not rush: on the road of love, whoever hurries falls. Tradition reads this fal as advice to be patient with someone whose moods change, to stay close to the door that gives you shade instead of chasing glitter elsewhere, and to set your own pride aside. When you stop standing in your own way, the road opens.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ravad ("goes"). qâfiye: -âb (tâb, etâb, neghâb, khâb, shetâb, âftâb, entekhâb, sharâb, hejâb).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| zanam | I strike; buse zanam = I kiss dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tâb | twist, curl dictionary | |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| âshti | peace, reconciliation dictionary | |
| talabam | I ask for dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| نو | now | new dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| bichâregân | the helpless dictionary | |
| zanad | strikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| sharâb | wine dictionary | |
| kharâbam | I am ruined dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bidâri | wakefulness, staying awake dictionary | |
| وگر | va gar | or if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| shekâyat | complaint dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| پرآشوب | por-âshub | full of turmoil dictionary |
| فتنه | fetne | turmoil, trouble dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| biyoftad | falls dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| shetâb | haste, hurry dictionary | |
| jânân | the beloved (معشوق) | |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| مفروش | mafrush | do not sell! (نفروش) dictionary |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| savâd | black ink; a rough draft, manuscript dictionary | |
| نامهٔ | nâme | letter dictionary |
| موی | mu-ye | hair of dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| tey | folding, rolling up; tey shodan = to be finished dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| نشود | nashavad | does not become dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| entekhâb | picking out, selection dictionary | |
| hobâb | bubble dictionary | |
| فتد | fetad | falls (= oftad) (افتد) dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| نخوت | nekhvat | arrogance dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| hejâb | veil, curtain dictionary | |
| toyi | you are (to + -i) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | middle; az miyân barkhiz = get out of the way dictionary |
| barkhiz | rise! get up! dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 221. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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