Ghazal 238 of Hafez (9 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
جهان بر ابرویِ عید از هِلال وَسمه کشیدهِلال عید در ابرویِ یار باید دید
jahân bar abru-ye eyd az helâl vasme keshid / helâl-e eyd dar abru-ye yâr bâyad did
The world has painted the eyebrow of the feast day with the crescent moon, as with dark brow-dye; but the true crescent of the feast is to be seen in the beloved's eyebrow.
COUPLET 2
شکسته گشت چو پشتِ هلال قامتِ منکمانِ ابرویِ یارم چو وَسمه بازکشید
shekaste gasht cho posht-e helâl ghâmat-e man / kamân-e abru-ye yâram cho vasme bâz keshid
My body grew bent like the back of the crescent moon when my beloved drew the bow of her eyebrow, darkened like brow-dye.
COUPLET 3
مگر نسیمِ خَطَت صبح در چمن بگذشتکه گُل به بویِ تو بر تن چو صبح جامه درید
magar nasim-e khatat sobh dar chaman bogzasht / ke gol be bu-ye to bar tan cho sobh jâme darid
Did the breeze of your soft cheek-down pass through the meadow this morning, that the rose, at your scent, tore the garment on its body like the dawn?
COUPLET 4
نبود چنگ و رَباب و نَبید و عود، که بودگِلِ وجودِ من آغشتهٔ گلاب و نَبید
nabud chang o rabâb o nabid o ud ke bud / gel-e vojud-e man âgheshte-ye golâb o nabid
Before there was any harp or rebab, wine or lute, the clay of my being was already kneaded with rose water and wine.
COUPLET 5
بیا که با تو بگویم غمِ ملالتِ دلچرا که بی تو ندارم مَجالِ گفت و شَنید
biyâ ke bâ to beguyam gham-e malâlat-e del / cherâ ke bi to nadâram majâl-e goft o shenid
Come, so that I may tell you the grief of my weary heart, for without you I have no chance to speak or to listen.
COUPLET 6
بهایِ وصلِ تو گر جان بُوَد خریدارمکه جنسِ خوب مُبَصِّر به هر چه دید خرید
bahâ-ye vasl-e to gar jân bovad kharidâram / ke jens-e khub mobasser be har che did kharid
If the price of union with you is my life, I will buy it: a discerning buyer pays whatever is asked for fine goods.
COUPLET 7
چو ماهِ روی تو در شامِ زلف می‌دیدمشبم به رویِ تو روشن چو روز می‌گردید
cho mâh-e ru-ye to dar shâm-e zolf mididam / shabam be ru-ye to rowshan cho ruz migardid
When I used to see the moon of your face in the evening of your hair, my night was made as bright as day by your face.
COUPLET 8
به لب رسید مرا جان و برنیامد کامبه سر رسید امید و طلب به سر نرسید
be lab resid marâ jân o bar nayâmad kâm / be sar resid omid o talab be sar naresid
My soul has come up to my lips and my wish is still not granted; hope has come to an end, yet my seeking has not.
COUPLET 9
ز شوقِ رویِ تو حافظ نوشت حرفی چندبخوان ز نظمش و در گوش کن چو مروارید
ze showgh-e ru-ye to Hâfez nevesht harfi chand / bekhân ze nazmash o dar gush kon cho morvârid
Out of longing for your face, Hafez has written a few words. Read his verse and wear it in your ear like a pearl.
What this fâl tells you
A celebration is near, but the joy you are really looking for is in one face, one presence. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your longing is old and true, and that what you value is worth its price. Speak openly to the one you miss; your words, like Hafez's, may be treasured like pearls.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -id (keshid, did, darid, nabid, shenid, kharid, migardid, naresid, morvârid).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| eyd | feast, festival (esp. the feast after Ramadan, whose new moon is watched for) dictionary | |
| کشید | keshid | pulled, led (to) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| shekaste | broken; bent dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| پشت | posht | back dictionary |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| یارم | yâram | my beloved dictionary |
| bâz keshid | drew (the bow); pulled back dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| khatat | your cheek-down, the first fine hair on the face dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| bogzasht | passed (گذشت) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| tan | body dictionary | |
| jâme | garment, robe dictionary | |
| darid | tore dictionary | |
| نبود | nabud | there was not dictionary |
| چنگ | chang | harp dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| نبید | nabid | wine (date wine) (شراب) |
| ud | lute (oud); also aloeswood dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| âgheshte | soaked, kneaded with dictionary | |
| گلاب | golâb | rose water dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| beguyam | I tell, I say dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| ندارم | nadâram | I do not have; dast az chizi nadâshtan = not to give something up dictionary |
| مجال | majâl | room, chance dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| shenid | hearing; goft o shenid = talking and listening dictionary | |
| bahâ | price dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| kharidâram | I am a buyer, I will buy dictionary | |
| jens | goods, merchandise dictionary | |
| khub | good dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| kharid | bought dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| shâm | evening dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| می‌دیدم | mididam | I was seeing, I used to see dictionary |
| shabam | my night dictionary | |
| rowshan | bright, lit dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| می‌گردید | migardid | became, used to become dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| sar | end; be sar residan = to come to an end dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| نرسید | naresid | did not reach, did not arrive dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| نوشت | nevesht | write (with nakhâhand: will not write); wrote dictionary |
| harfi | a word dictionary | |
| چند | chand | a few; harfi chand = a few words dictionary |
| bekhân | read! sing! recite! dictionary | |
| نظمش | nazmash | his verse dictionary |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| مروارید | morvârid | pearl dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 238. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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