Ghazal 223 of Hafez (7 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
هرگزم نقشِ تو از لوحِ دل و جان نَرَوَدهرگز از یادِ من آن سروِ خرامان نَرَوَد
hargezam naghsh-e to az lowh-e del o jân naravad / hargez az yâd-e man ân sarv-e khorâmân naravad
Your image will never leave the tablet of my heart and soul; that gracefully swaying cypress will never leave my memory.
COUPLET 2
از دِماغِ مَنِ سرگشته خیالِ دَهَنَتبه جفایِ فلک و غُصهٔ دوران نرود
az demâgh-e man-e sargashte khiyâl-e dahanat / be jafâ-ye falak o ghosse-ye dowrân naravad
The thought of your mouth will not leave my bewildered mind, for all the cruelty of the heavens and the sorrows of the age.
COUPLET 3
در ازل بست دلم با سرِ زلفت پیوندتا ابد سر نَکشَد، وز سرِ پیمان نرود
dar azal bast delam bâ sar-e zolfat peyvand / tâ abad sar nakeshad v-az sar-e peymân naravad
Before time began my heart tied a bond with your curls; to the end of time it will not turn away or break its vow.
COUPLET 4
هر چه جز بارِ غمت بر دلِ مسکینِ من استبرود از دلِ من وز دلِ من آن نرود
har che joz bâr-e ghamat bar del-e meskin-e man ast / beravad az del-e man v-az del-e man ân naravad
Everything that weighs on my poor heart, except the burden of your sorrow, will leave my heart; that alone will never leave.
COUPLET 5
آن چُنان مِهر توام در دل و جان جای گرفتکه اگر سر برود، از دل و از جان نرود
ân chenân mehr-e to-am dar del o jân jâ gereft / ke agar sar beravad az del o az jân naravad
Love of you has settled so deep in my heart and soul that even if I lose my head, it will not leave them.
COUPLET 6
گر رَوَد از پِی خوبان دلِ من معذور استدرد دارد چه کُنَد کز پِی درمان نرود
gar ravad az pey-e khubân del-e man ma'zur ast / dard dârad che konad k-az pey-e darmân naravad
If my heart runs after the beauties, it should be excused: it is in pain, so how could it not go looking for a cure?
COUPLET 7
هر که خواهد که چو حافظ نشود سرگرداندل به خوبان ندهد وز پِی ایشان نرود
har ke khâhad ke cho Hâfez nashavad sargardân / del be khubân nadahad v-az pey-e ishân naravad
Whoever does not want to end up lost and wandering like Hafez should not give his heart to the beauties or follow after them.
What this fâl tells you
Your bond is deep and lasting: nothing the world throws at it will erase it. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of loyalty that holds firm through hard times. It also adds a gentle caution: give your heart wisely, because what you love takes root and stays.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: naravad ("will not go"). qâfiye: -ân (jân, khorâmân, dowrân, peymân, ân, darmân, ishân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هرگزم | hargezam | never (+ -am: my) dictionary |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| لوح | lowh | tablet, slate dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| نرود | naravad | does not go dictionary |
| هرگز | hargez | never dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| kharâmân | strolling gracefully dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jafâ-ye | cruelty of dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| ghosse | sorrow, worry dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| bast | tied, bound dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| zolfat | your curls dictionary | |
| پیوند | peyvand | bond, link dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| abad | eternity without end dictionary | |
| نکشد | nakeshad | does not pull; sar keshidan = to rebel, turn away dictionary |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| پیمان | peymân | vow, pledge dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| bâr | burden, weight dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مسکین | meskin | poor, wretched dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| beravad | goes away dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| to-am | of you (+ -am: my) dictionary | |
| jâ | place; jâ gereftan = to settle dictionary | |
| گرفت | gereft | took dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| pey | after; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| darmân | cure, remedy dictionary | |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نشود | nashavad | does not become dictionary |
| sargardân | lost, wandering dictionary | |
| ندهد | nadahad | does not give dictionary |
| ishân | they dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 223. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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