Ghazal 226 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
تَرسَم که اشک، در غمِ ما پرده‌دَر شودوین رازِ سر به مُهر به عالَم سَمَر شود
tarsam ke ashk dar gham-e mâ parde-dar shavad / v-in râz-e sar be mohr be âlam samar shavad
I fear my tears, in my grief, will tear the veil, and this sealed secret will become the talk of the world.
COUPLET 2
گویند سنگْ لَعل شود، در مقامِ صبرآری شود، وَلیکْ به خونِ جِگِر شود
guyand sang la'l shavad dar maghâm-e sabr / âri shavad valik be khun-e jegar shavad
They say a stone becomes a ruby through patience; yes, it does, but only through the heart's blood.
COUPLET 3
خواهَم شُدَن به میکده گریان و دادخواهکَز دستِ غَم خلاصِ مَن، آنجا مَگَر شود
khâham shodan be meykade geryân o dâdkhâh / k-az dast-e gham khalâs-e man ânjâ magar shavad
I will go to the tavern weeping and crying for justice, for perhaps there I will be freed from the hands of grief.
COUPLET 4
از هَر کَرانه تیرِ دُعا کَرده‌ام رَوانباشَد کَز آن میانه یکی کارگر شود
az har karâne tir-e do'â karde-am ravân / bâshad k-az ân miyâne yeki kârgar shavad
I have sent arrows of prayer flying from every side; perhaps one among them will hit the mark.
COUPLET 5
ای جانْ حَدیثِ ما بَرِ دِلدار بازگولیکن چنان مَگو که صَبا را خَبَر شود
ey jân hadis-e mâ bar-e deldâr bâzgu / likan chenân magu ke sabâ râ khabar shavad
O soul, tell our story to the beloved, but do not tell it in a way that lets the morning breeze find out.
COUPLET 6
از کیمیایِ مِهرِ تو زَر گَشت رویِ مَنآری به یُمْنِ لطفِ شُما خاک، زَر شود
az kimiyâ-ye mehr-e to zar gasht ru-ye man / âri be yomn-e lotf-e shomâ khâk zar shavad
Through the alchemy of your love my face turned to gold; yes, by the blessing of your kindness, dust becomes gold.
COUPLET 7
دَر تنگنایِ حِیرتَم از نِخوتِ رَقیبیا رَب مَبادْ آن که گدا معتبر شود
dar tangnâ-ye heyratam az nekhvat-e raghib / yâ rab mabâd ân ke gedâ mo'tabar shavad
I am in a tight spot of bewilderment at the rival's arrogance. O Lord, may a beggar never become a man of standing.
COUPLET 8
بَس نکته غیرحُسن بِباید که تا کَسیمَقبولِ طبعِ مردمِ صاحب‌نظر شود
bas nokte gheyr-e hosn bebâyad ke tâ kasi / maghbul-e tab'-e mardom-e sâheb-nazar shavad
Many fine qualities besides beauty are needed before someone is welcomed by people of true discernment.
COUPLET 9
این سَرکشی که کنگرهٔ کاخِ وَصلْ راستسَرها بر آستانهٔ او خاکِ دَر شود
in sarkeshi ke kongere-ye kâkh-e vasl râst / sar-hâ bar âstâne-ye u khâk-e dar shavad
With all the haughtiness that the battlements of union's palace have, many heads will become dust at its threshold.
COUPLET 10
حافظ چو نافهٔ سَرِ زُلفش به دَستِ توستدَمْ دَرکَش اَر نِه بادِ صبا را خبر شود
Hâfez cho nâfe-ye sar-e zolfash be dast-e to-st / dam darkesh ar na bâd-e sabâ râ khabar shavad
Hafez, since the musk pod of the beloved's curls is in your hand, hold your breath, or else the morning breeze will find out.
What this fâl tells you
Patience turns stone into ruby, though it takes heart's blood. Tradition reads this fal as a promise that steady effort and patient waiting will pay off, and that among your many prayers one will hit the mark. Keep your hopes and plans quiet for now; what is precious is safest when it is not yet told.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: shavad ("becomes"). qâfiye: -ar (dar, samar, jegar, magar, kârgar, khabar, zar, mo'tabar, nazar).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| tarsam | I fear (می‌ترسم) dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| مهر | mohr | seal; sar be mohr = sealed dictionary |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| گویند | guyand | (they) say (می‌گویند) dictionary |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| مقام | maghâm | place, station dictionary |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| ولیک | valik | but (ولی) |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| jegar | liver; khun-e jegar = deep grief dictionary | |
| khâham | I will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| shodan | to go (classical sense) (رفتن) dictionary | |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| گریان | geryân | weeping dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dâdkhâh | one who seeks justice dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ânjâ | there dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| کرانه | karâne | side, edge dictionary |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| کرده‌ام | karde-am | I have done dictionary |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| میانه | miyâne | the middle; dar miyâne = in the midst, at that moment dictionary |
| yeki | one (person) dictionary | |
| کارگر | kârgar | effective; kârgar âmadan = to hit home dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bâzgu | tell! relate! dictionary | |
| لیکن | likan | but (ولی) |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| مگو | magu | do not say! (نگو) dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| khabar | news dictionary | |
| کیمیای | kimiyâ-ye | alchemy of (کیمیا) |
| to | you dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| shomâ | you (polite) dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| tangnâ | narrow strait, tight spot dictionary | |
| heyratam | I am in wonder, I am amazed dictionary | |
| نخوت | nekhvat | arrogance dictionary |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| معتبر | mo'tabar | respected, of standing dictionary |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| kasi | someone; har kasi = everyone dictionary | |
| مقبول | maghbul | accepted by, pleasing to dictionary |
| tab'-e | nature, temperament dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | pupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| râst | has, belongs to (= râ ast) dictionary | |
| sar-hâ | heads dictionary | |
| âstâne | threshold dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| to-st | is yours, is in your (= to ast) dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 226. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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