Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 255: ⁧یوسف گم‌گشته بازآید به کنعان، غم مخور⁩

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

Ghazal 255 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
یوسفِ گم‌گشته بازآید به کنعان، غم مخورکلبهٔ احزان شَوَد روزی گلستان، غم مخور
yusof-e gomgashte bâz âyad be kan'ân, gham makhor / kolbe-ye ahzân shavad ruzi golestân, gham makhor
Lost Joseph will come back to Canaan, do not grieve; the hut of sorrows will one day become a rose garden, do not grieve.
COUPLET 2
ای دل غمدیده، حالت بِه شود، دل بَد مکنوین سرِ شوریده باز آید به سامان غم مخور
ey del-e gham-dide, hâlat beh shavad, del bad makon / v-in sar-e shuride bâz âyad be sâmân, gham makhor
O grieving heart, you will feel better, do not lose heart; this troubled head will find its calm again, do not grieve.
COUPLET 3
گر بهارِ عمر باشد باز بر تختِ چمنچتر گل در سر کَشی، ای مرغِ خوشخوان غم مخور
gar bahâr-e omr bâshad bâz bar takht-e chaman / chatr-e gol dar sar keshi ey morgh-e khosh-khân, gham makhor
If the spring of life returns to the throne of the meadow, you will hold a canopy of roses over your head, sweet-singing bird; do not grieve.
COUPLET 4
دورِ گردون گر دو روزی بر مرادِ ما نرفتدائماً یکسان نباشد حالِ دوران غم مخور
dowr-e gardun gar do ruzi bar morâd-e mâ naraft / dâ'eman yeksân nabâshad hâl-e dowrân, gham makhor
If the turning sky did not go our way for a day or two, the times never stay the same forever; do not grieve.
COUPLET 5
هان مَشو نومید چون واقِف نِه‌ای از سِرِّ غیبباشد اندر پرده بازی‌هایِ پنهان غم مخور
hân masho nomid chon vâghef ne'i az serr-e gheyb / bâshad andar parde bâzi-hâ-ye penhân, gham makhor
Listen: do not lose hope, since you do not know the secrets of the unseen; there may be hidden games behind the curtain. Do not grieve.
COUPLET 6
ای دل اَر سیلِ فنا بنیادِ هستی بَرکَنَدچون تو را نوح است کشتیبان، ز طوفان غم مخور
ey del ar seyl-e fanâ bonyâd-e hasti barkanad / chon to râ nuh ast keshtibân, ze tufân gham makhor
O heart, even if the flood of mortality tears up the foundations of existence, with Noah as your captain, do not fear the storm.
COUPLET 7
در بیابان گر به شوقِ کعبه خواهی زد قدمسرزنش‌ها گر کُنَد خارِ مُغیلان غم مخور
dar biyâbân gar be showgh-e ka'be khâhi zad ghadam / sarzanesh-hâ gar konad khâr-e moghilân, gham makhor
If you set out across the desert longing for the Kaaba, do not mind it if the acacia thorns scold you; do not grieve.
COUPLET 8
گرچه منزل بس خطرناک است و مقصد بس بعیدهیچ راهی نیست کآن را نیست پایان، غم مخور
garche manzel bas khatarnâk ast o maghsad bas ba'id / hich râhi nist k-ân râ nist pâyân, gham makhor
Though the road is very dangerous and the goal very far, there is no road that has no end; do not grieve.
COUPLET 9
حال ما در فُرقت جانان و اِبرامِ رقیبجمله می‌داند خدایِ حالْ‌گردان غم مخور
hâl-e mâ dar forghat-e jânân o ebrâm-e raghib / jomle midânad khodâ-ye hâl-gardân, gham makhor
Our state, apart from the beloved and pressed hard by the rival, is all known to God, who changes every state; do not grieve.
COUPLET 10
حافظا در کُنجِ فقر و خلوتِ شب‌هایِ تارتا بُوَد وِردَت دعا و درس قرآن غم مخور
Hâfezâ dar konj-e faghr o khalvat-e shab-hâ-ye târ / tâ bovad virdat do'â va dars-e ghor'ân, gham makhor
Hafez, in the corner of poverty and the solitude of dark nights, as long as prayer and the study of the Quran are your daily practice, do not grieve.

What this fâl tells you

The fal everyone hopes for. Tradition reads it as a firm promise that what you have lost will come back and that a sad time will turn into a rose garden. The road may be long, but every road has an end: do not grieve.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: gham makhor ("do not grieve"). qâfiye: -ân (kan'ân, golestân, sâmân, khosh-khân, dowrân, penhân, tufân, moghilân, pâyân, gardân, ghor'ân).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
bâz âyadcomes back dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
مخورmakhordo not eat; gham makhor = do not grieve (نخور) dictionary
کلبهٔkolbehut dictionary
ahzânsorrows; kolbe-ye ahzân = the hut where Jacob mourned Joseph (غم‌ها)
shavadbecomes dictionary
گلستانgolestânrose garden dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
delheart dictionary
hâlatyour state, how you feel dictionary
behbetter (بهتر)
badbad; del bad kardan = to lose heart, worry dictionary
مکنmakondo not do! (نکن) dictionary
وینv-inand this (= va in) (و این)
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
shuridetroubled, distraught dictionary
bâzagain dictionary
âyadcomes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary
sâmânorder, calm dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
bahârspring dictionary
omrlife, lifetime dictionary
bâshadmay it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
takhtthrone dictionary
چمنchamanmeadow, lawn dictionary
چترchatrcanopy, parasol dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
darin; door dictionary
keshiyou hold (over your head) dictionary
مرغmorghbird dictionary
dowrturn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary
گردونgardunthe turning sky; fortune dictionary
dotwo dictionary
مرادmorâdwish, desire dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
نرفتnaraftdid not go dictionary
dâ'emanalways, forever (همیشه)
یکسانyeksânthe same dictionary
نباشدnabâshadis not, will not be dictionary
hâlstate, condition dictionary
مشوmashodo not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary
نومیدnomidhopeless (ناامید)
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
واقفvâghefaware dictionary
ne'iyou are not (نیستی)
andarin (= dar) (در)
پردهpardecurtain, veil dictionary
bâzi-hâ-yegames, plays (of) dictionary
پنهانpenhânhidden dictionary
arif (= agar) (اگر)
seylflood dictionary
فناfanâmortality, passing away dictionary
bonyâdfoundation dictionary
hastiexistence, being dictionary
barkanaduproots dictionary
toyou dictionary
astis dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
tufânflood, storm dictionary
showghlonging, eagerness dictionary
khâhiyou will (future auxiliary); you want dictionary
zadstrike; ghadam zadan = to walk, set out dictionary
قدمghadamstep dictionary
sarzanesh-hâreproaches, scolding dictionary
کندkonaddoes; makes dictionary
khârthorn dictionary
گرچهgarchealthough dictionary
منزلmanzelstopping place, lodging; house dictionary
basmuch, many dictionary
khatarnâkdangerous dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
مقصدmaghsaddestination dictionary
ba'idfar dictionary
هیچhichany; no dictionary
râhia road dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
کآنk-ânfor that (= ke ân) (که آن)
پایانpâyânend dictionary
jânânthe beloved (معشوق)
raghibrival in love dictionary
jomleall (همه) dictionary
می‌داندmidânadknows dictionary
khodâ-yeGod of dictionary
کنجkonjcorner dictionary
فقرfaghrpoverty dictionary
khalvatprivate room, solitude dictionary
shab-hâ-yenights of dictionary
târdark (تاریک)
tâto, until; so that dictionary
bovadis, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary
وردتvirdatyour daily prayer, your regular recitation dictionary
do'âprayer, blessing dictionary
darslesson, study dictionary
قرآنghor'ânthe Quran dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 255. 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.

Become a tutor