Ghazal 258 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.
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COUPLET 1
هزار شُکر که دیدم به کامِ خویشت بازز رویِ صدق و صفا گشته با دلم دَمساز
hezâr shokr ke didam be kâm-e khishat bâz / ze ru-ye sedgh o safâ gashte bâ delam damsâz
A thousand thanks that I have seen you again, just as I wished, in sincerity and purity, in harmony with my heart.
COUPLET 2
رَوَندگانِ طریقت رَهِ بلا سِپَرَندرفیقِ عشق چه غم دارد از نَشیب و فراز
ravandegân-e tarighat rah-e balâ separand / rafigh-e eshgh che gham dârad az nashib o farâz
Those who walk the Sufi path travel the road of trials; why should the companion of love worry about ups and downs?
COUPLET 3
غمِ حبیب نهان بِه ز گفت و گوی رقیبکه نیست سینهٔ اربابِ کینه، محرمِ راز
gham-e habib nahân beh ze goft o gu-ye raghib / ke nist sine-ye arbâb-e kine mahram-e râz
Better to keep the sorrow of love hidden than to let the rival talk, for the hearts of spiteful people are not to be trusted with secrets.
COUPLET 4
اگر چه حُسنِ تو از عشقِ غیر مُستَغنی‌ستمن آن نیَم که از این عشق‌بازی آیم باز
agarche hosn-e to az eshgh-e gheyr mostaghni-st / man ân niyam ke az in eshghbâzi âyam bâz
Though your beauty has no need of anyone else's love, I am not one to give up this game of love.
COUPLET 5
چه گویَمَت که ز سوزِ درون چه می‌بینمز اشک پُرس حکایت که من نیَم غَمّاز
che guyamat ke ze suz-e darun che mibinam / ze ashk pors hekâyat ke man niyam ghammâz
What can I tell you of what I suffer from the fire inside? Ask my tears for the story, for I am no tell-tale.
COUPLET 6
چه فتنه بود که مَشّاطِهٔ قضا انگیختکه کرد نرگسِ مستش سیَه به سرمهٔ ناز
che fetne bud ke mashshâte-ye ghazâ angikht / ke kard narges-e mastash siyah be sorme-ye nâz
What mischief fate, the bride-dresser, stirred up when she darkened the beloved's drunken narcissus eyes with the kohl of coquetry!
COUPLET 7
بدین سپاس که مجلس مُنَوَّر است به دوستگَرَت چو شمع جفایی رِسَد بسوز و بساز
bedin sepâs ke majles monavvar ast be dust / garat cho sham' jafâyi resad besuz o besâz
In thanks that the gathering is lit up by the Friend, if some unkindness comes to you, burn like a candle and bear it.
COUPLET 8
غَرَض کِرشمهٔ حُسن است ور نه حاجت نیستجمالِ دولتِ محمود را به زلفِ ایاز
gharaz kereshme-ye hosn ast var na hâjat nist / jamâl-e dowlat-e mahmud râ be zolf-e ayâz
It is all about the play of beauty; otherwise, the glory of Mahmud's reign has no need of Ayaz's curls.
COUPLET 9
غزل سُرایی ناهید صرفه‌ای نَبَرَددر آن مَقام که حافظ برآورد آواز
ghazal-sorâyi-ye nâhid sarfe'i nabarad / dar ân maghâm ke Hâfez bar âvarad âvâz
Venus's singing of love songs counts for nothing in a place where Hafez raises his voice.
What this fâl tells you
Someone you have been hoping to see may come back into your life in good faith. Tradition reads this fal as reassurance that on the road of love the ups and downs do not matter, and that patience in the face of small hurts will be rewarded. Keep your private feelings away from people who wish you ill, and keep your heart open to the one who matters.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âz (bâz, damsâz, farâz, râz, ghammâz, nâz, besâz, ayâz, âvâz).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| shokr | thanks dictionary | |
| didam | I saw dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| khishat | you (as I wished); be kâm-e khish = to one's wish dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| sedgh | sincerity, truth dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| safâ | purity, brightness, joy dictionary | |
| گشته | gashte | having become dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| damsâz | in harmony, an intimate companion dictionary | |
| tarighat | the Sufi path dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| balâ | trouble, misfortune dictionary | |
| separand | they travel, they cross dictionary | |
| rafigh-e | friend, companion of dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| فراز | farâz | rise, height; nashib o farâz = ups and downs dictionary |
| نهان | nahân | hidden (پنهان) dictionary |
| beh | better (بهتر) | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| gu | talk; goft o gu = talk, gossip dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| sine | chest dictionary | |
| arbâb | lords, masters dictionary | |
| kine | anger, grudge dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| نیم | niyam | I am not (= nistam) (نیستم) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| âyam | I come dictionary | |
| bâz | back; bâz âmadan az = to give up, to turn back from dictionary | |
| گویمت | guyamat | I tell you dictionary |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| darun | inside dictionary | |
| می‌بینم | mibinam | I see dictionary |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| پرس | pors | ask! (= bepors) (بپرس) dictionary |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| فتنه | fetne | mischief, turmoil dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| مشاطهٔ | mashshâte-ye | the bride-dresser, adorner of (آرایشگر) |
| قضا | ghazâ | fate, divine decree dictionary |
| angikht | drew out, produced dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| مستش | mastash | his/her drunken dictionary |
| siyah | black (سیاه) | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| sepâs | thanks dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| jafâyi | an act of cruelty dictionary | |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| besuz | burn! dictionary | |
| besâz | bear it! put up with it! dictionary | |
| gharaz | aim, wish; dast dâdan = to come about dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| sorâyi | singing; ghazal-sorâyi = singing love songs dictionary | |
| sarfe'i | an advantage, a gain dictionary | |
| نبرد | nabarad | does not carry, does not win dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مقام | maghâm | place; also a musical mode (pun) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| âvâz | voice, song dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 258. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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