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Hafez Ghazal 249: ⁧ای صبا نکهتی از خاک ره یار بیار⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 249 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.

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COUPLET 1
ای صبا نَکهَتی از خاکِ رَهِ یار بیاربِبَر اندوهِ دل و مژدهٔ دل‌دار بیار
ey sabâ nekhati az khâk-e rah-e yâr biyâr / bebar anduh-e del o mozhde-ye deldâr biyâr
O morning breeze, bring a breath of scent from the dust of the beloved's road. Take away the sorrow of my heart and bring good news of my sweetheart.
COUPLET 2
نکته‌ای روح‌فَزا از دهنِ دوست بگونامه‌ای خوش خبر از عالَمِ اسرار بیار
nokte'i ruhfazâ az dahan-e dust begu / nâme'i khosh-khabar az âlam-e asrâr biyâr
Tell me some soul-refreshing word from the Friend's mouth; bring a letter with good news from the world of secrets.
COUPLET 3
تا مُعَطَّر کُنَم از لطفِ نسیمِ تو مَشامشَمِّه‌ای از نَفَحاتِ نفسِ یار بیار
tâ mo'attar konam az lotf-e nasim-e to mashâm / shamme'i az nafahât-e nafas-e yâr biyâr
So that I may perfume my senses with the grace of your breeze, bring a whiff of the fragrance of the beloved's breath.
COUPLET 4
به وفایِ تو که خاکِ رَهِ آن یارِ عزیزبی‌غباری که پدید آید از اغیار بیار
be vafâ-ye to ke khâk-e rah-e ân yâr-e aziz / bi-ghobâri ke padid âyad az aghyâr biyâr
By your faithfulness, bring the dust of that dear friend's road, without any of the dust that strangers raise.
COUPLET 5
گَردی از ره‌گذرِ دوست به کوریِّ رقیببهرِ آسایش این دیدهٔ خون‌بار بیار
gardi az rahgozar-e dust be kuri-ye raghib / bahr-e âsâyesh-e in dide-ye khunbâr biyâr
To spite the blind rival, bring a little dust from the Friend's path, to soothe these eyes that weep blood.
COUPLET 6
خامی و ساده‌دلی شیوهٔ جانبازان نیستخبری از بَرِ آن دل‌بر عیّار بیار
khâmi o sâde-deli shive-ye jânbâzân nist / khabari az bar-e ân delbar-e ayyâr biyâr
Naivety and simple-heartedness are not the way of those who stake their lives; bring some news from that clever, heart-stealing rogue.
COUPLET 7
شُکرِ آن را که تو در عِشرتی ای مرغِ چمنبه اسیرانِ قفس، مژدهٔ گل‌زار بیار
shokr-e ân râ ke to dar eshrati ey morgh-e chaman / be asirân-e ghafas mozhde-ye golzâr biyâr
O bird of the meadow, in thanks that you are free and joyful, bring the caged prisoners good news of the rose garden.
COUPLET 8
کامِ جان تلخ شد از صبر که کردم بی‌دوستعشوه‌ای زان لبِ شیرین شِکربار بیار
kâm-e jân talkh shod az sabr ke kardam bi dust / eshve'i z-ân lab-e shirin-e shekarbâr biyâr
My soul's palate has turned bitter from the patience I endured without the Friend; bring a sweet gesture from those sugar-raining lips.
COUPLET 9
روزگاریست که دل چهرهٔ مقصود ندیدساقیا آن قدحِ آینه‌کردار بیار
ruzgâri-st ke del chehre-ye maghsud nadid / sâghiyâ ân ghadah-e âyene-kerdâr biyâr
It has been a long time since my heart saw the face of what it longs for. Cupbearer, bring that cup that shines like a mirror.
COUPLET 10
دلقِ حافظ به چه ارزد؟ به مِی‌اش رنگین کنوان گَه‌اش مست و خراب از سَرِ بازار بیار
dalgh-e Hâfez be che arzad? be mey-ash rangin kon / v-ângahash mast o kharâb az sar-e bâzâr biyâr
What is Hafez's patched robe worth? Dye it with wine, and then bring him through the middle of the bazaar, drunk and wrecked.

What this fâl tells you

A message is on its way, carried like a scent on the morning breeze. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that sorrow will lift and good news from someone dear will reach you. Be glad for your freedom and share your good fortune with those still waiting in their cages.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: biyâr ("bring!"). qâfiye: -âr (yâr, deldâr, asrâr, aghyâr, khunbâr, ayyâr, golzâr, shekarbâr, kerdâr, bâzâr).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
eyO (vocative) dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
khâkdust, earth dictionary
rahroad, way (short for râh) (راه)
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
biyârbring! dictionary
bebartake away! dictionary
anduhsorrow dictionary
delheart dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
nokte-ia subtle point dictionary
dahanmouth (دهان)
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
begutell! say! dictionary
nâme'ia letter dictionary
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
khabarnews dictionary
âlamworld dictionary
asrârsecrets dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
کنمkonamI make, I do dictionary
لطفlotfkindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary
نسیمnasimbreeze dictionary
toyou dictionary
نفسnafasbreath dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
ânthat dictionary
azizprecious, dear dictionary
bi-ghobâriwithout dust dictionary
âyadcomes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary
aghyârstrangers, rivals (others than the beloved) dictionary
gardisome dust, a speck of dust dictionary
کوریkuriblindness; be kuri-ye = to spite (someone) dictionary
raghibrival in love dictionary
bahrsake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای)
âsâyeshcomfort, peace dictionary
inthis dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
khâmirawness, immaturity dictionary
sâde-delisimple-heartedness, naivety dictionary
shivemanner, way dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
khabaria piece of news dictionary
barside, presence; az bar-e = from (someone) dictionary
delbarheart-stealer, the beloved dictionary
shokrthanks; shokr-e ân râ ke = in thanks that dictionary
darin; door dictionary
مرغmorghbird dictionary
چمنchamanmeadow, lawn dictionary
قفسghafascage dictionary
کامkâmpalate dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
talkhbitter dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
sabrpatience dictionary
کردمkardamI did, I made dictionary
eshve'ia flirtatious gesture dictionary
z-ânfrom that (= az ân) (از آن)
لبlablip dictionary
ruzgâri-stit has been a long time dictionary
چهرهٔchehreface dictionary
مقصودmaghsudgoal, what one longs for dictionary
ندیدnadiddid not see, did not consider dictionary
sâghiyâO cupbearer (sâghi + vocative -â) dictionary
قدحghadahcup, goblet dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
می‌اشmey-ashits wine dictionary
rangincolored; stained dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
وانv-ângahand then (= va ângah) (و آنگاه)
گه‌اشgahashtime; v-ângah-ash = and then (bring) him (آنگاه او را)
مستmastdrunk dictionary
kharâbruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary
sarhead, top; az sar-e bâzâr = through the open bazaar, in public dictionary
bâzârbazaar, market dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 249. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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