Ghazal 250 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
روی بِنْمای و وجودِ خودم از یاد بِبَرخَرمنِ سوختگان را همه گو باد بِبَر
ruy benmây o vojud-e khodam az yâd bebar / kharman-e sukhtegân râ hame gu bâd bebar
Show your face, and make me forget my own existence. Tell the wind to carry off the whole harvest of the burned-out lovers.
COUPLET 2
ما چو دادیم دل و دیده به طوفانِ بلاگو «بیا سیلِ غم و خانه ز بنیاد بِبَر»
mâ cho dâdim del o dide be tufân-e balâ / gu biyâ seyl-e gham o khâne ze bonyâd bebar
Since we have given our heart and eyes to the storm of trials, tell the flood of sorrow: "Come, and sweep the house away from its foundations."
COUPLET 3
زلفِ چون عَنبَرِ خامَش که ببوید؟ هیهاتای دلِ خام‌طمع! این سخن از یاد بِبَر
zolf-e chon anbar-e khâmash ke bebuyad? heyhât / ey del-e khâm-tama' in sokhan az yâd bebar
Who could ever smell those curls like raw ambergris? Far from it! O heart, so naive in your hopes, put this thought out of your mind.
COUPLET 4
سینه گو «شعلهٔ آتشکدهٔ فارس بِکُش»دیده گو «آبِ رخِ دجلهٔ بغداد بِبَر»
sine gu sho'le-ye âtashkade-ye fârs bekosh / dide gu âb-e rokh-e dejle-ye baghdâd bebar
Tell my breast to put out the flame of the fire temple of Fars; tell my eyes to outdo the glory of Baghdad's Tigris.
COUPLET 5
دولتِ پیرِ مُغان باد که باقی سهل استدیگری گو «برو و نامِ من از یاد بِبَر»
dowlat-e pir-e moghân bâd ke bâghi sahl ast / digari gu borow o nâm-e man az yâd bebar
Long live the fortune of the old master of the Magi; the rest is easy. Tell anyone else: "Go, and forget my name."
COUPLET 6
سعی‌نابرده در این راه به جایی نرسیمزد اگر می‌طلبی، طاعتِ استاد بِبَر
sa'y nâborde dar in râh be jâyi narasi / mozd agar mitalabi tâ'at-e ostâd bebar
Without making an effort you will get nowhere on this road; if you want your reward, serve your master faithfully.
COUPLET 7
روزِ مرگم نفسی وعدهٔ دیدار بدهوآن گَهَم تا به لَحَد فارغ و آزاد بِبَر
ruz-e margam nafasi va'de-ye didâr bedeh / v-ângaham tâ be lahad fâregh o âzâd bebar
On the day I die, give me for one breath the promise of seeing you, and then carry me to the grave, carefree and free.
COUPLET 8
دوش می‌گفت «به مژگانِ درازت بِکُشم»یا رب از خاطرش اندیشهٔ بیداد بِبَر
dush migoft be mozhgân-e derâzat bekosham / yâ rab az khâterash andishe-ye bidâd bebar
Last night the beloved was saying, "I will kill you with my long lashes." O Lord, take the thought of cruelty out of that mind.
COUPLET 9
حافظ اندیشه کن از نازکیِ خاطرِ یاربرو از دَرگَهَش این ناله و فریاد بِبَر
Hâfez andishe kon az nâzoki-ye khâter-e yâr / borow az dargahash in nâle o faryâd bebar
Hafez, be careful of the beloved's delicate feelings: go, and take these moans and cries away from that door.
What this fâl tells you
The way forward asks for real effort: no one reaches the goal without walking the road. Tradition reads this fal as advice to let go of worries about your name and self, to follow a trusted teacher, and to be gentle with the feelings of the one you love. Do not burden others with complaints; patience and service will be rewarded.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bebar ("take away!"). qâfiye: -âd (yâd, bâd, bonyâd, baghdâd, ostâd, âzâd, bidâd, faryâd).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ruy | face dictionary | |
| benmây | show! (نشان بده) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khodam | myself dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| bebar | take away! carry off! dictionary | |
| kharman | harvest, threshing heap dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| dâdim | we gave dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tufân | flood, storm dictionary | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| khâne | house dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| khâmash | its raw (ambergris); raw, unprocessed dictionary | |
| bebuyad | smells dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| sho'le | flame dictionary | |
| bekosh | put out! extinguish! dictionary | |
| âb | water; âb-e rokh = honor, glory (literally "the water of the face") dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| bâd | may it be; dowlat-e ... bâd = long live the fortune of dictionary | |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| borow | go! dictionary | |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| jâyi | somewhere dictionary | |
| narasi | you do not reach dictionary | |
| مزد | mozd | wage, pay dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| mitalabi | you seek, you ask for dictionary | |
| ostâd | master, teacher dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| مرگم | margam | my death dictionary |
| nafasi | for one breath, a moment dictionary | |
| وعدهٔ | va'de | promise dictionary |
| didâr | face; meeting dictionary | |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| وآن | v-ângah | and then (= va ângah) (و آنگاه) |
| گهم | gaham | time; v-ângaham = and then (carry) me dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| âzâd | free; âzâd kardan = set free dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| مژگان | mozhgân | eyelashes dictionary |
| derâzat | your long (lashes) dictionary | |
| bekosham | I will kill dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| khâterash | his/her mind dictionary | |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| bidâd | injustice, cruelty (ستم) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| andishe | thought; andishe kardan az = to beware of, to be careful of dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| dargahash | his/her door, court dictionary | |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| فریاد | faryâd | cry, shout dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 250. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.