Ghazal 260 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
ای سروِ نازِ حُسن که خوش می‌روی به نازعُشّاق را به نازِ تو هر لحظه صد نیاز
ey sarv-e nâz-e hosn ke khosh miravi be nâz / oshshâgh râ be nâz-e to har lahze sad niyâz
O graceful cypress of beauty, walking so proudly and so sweetly: at every moment lovers bring a hundred humble pleas to your pride.
COUPLET 2
فرخنده باد طلعتِ خوبت که در ازلبُبْریده‌اند بر قدِ سَرْوَت قبایِ ناز
farkhonde bâd tal'at-e khubat ke dar azal / bobride-and bar ghadd-e sarvat ghabâ-ye nâz
Blessed be your fair face: in eternity before time, the robe of grace was cut to fit your cypress-like figure.
COUPLET 3
آن را که بویِ عَنبر زلفِ تو آرزوستچون عود گو بر آتشِ سودا بسوز و ساز
ân râ ke bu-ye anbar-e zolf-e to ârezu-st / chon ud gu bar âtash-e sowdâ besuz o sâz
Tell anyone who longs for the ambergris scent of your curls to burn like incense on the fire of passion, and bear it.
COUPLET 4
پروانه را ز شمع بُوَد سوزِ دل، ولیبی شمعِ عارضِ تو دلم را بُوَد گداز
parvâne râ ze sham' bovad suz-e del vali / bi sham'-e ârez-e to delam râ bovad godâz
The moth's heart burns because of the candle; but my heart melts away without the candle of your cheek.
COUPLET 5
صوفی که بی تو توبه ز مِی کرده بود، دوشبِشْکَست عهد، چون درِ میخانه دید باز
sufi ke bi to towbe ze mey karde bud dush / beshkast ahd chon dar-e meykhâne did bâz
The Sufi, who without you had sworn off wine, broke his vow last night when he saw the tavern door open.
COUPLET 6
از طعنهٔ رقیب نگردد عیارِ منچون زر اگر برَند مرا در دهانِ گاز
az ta'ne-ye raghib nagardad ayâr-e man / chon zar agar barand marâ dar dahân-e gâz
The rival's taunts will not change my true worth: like gold, I stay pure even if they put me between the jaws of the tongs.
COUPLET 7
دل کز طوافِ کعبهٔ کویت وقوف یافتاز شوقِ آن حریم ندارد سرِ حجاز
del k-az tavâf-e ka'be-ye kuyat voghuf yâft / az showgh-e ân harim nadârad sar-e hejâz
The heart that has known the pilgrimage around the Kaaba of your street longs only for that sanctuary and has no wish to go to Hejaz.
COUPLET 8
هر دَم به خونِ دیده چه حاجت وضو؟ چو نیستبی طاقِ ابروی تو، نمازِ مرا جواز
har dam be khun-e dide che hâjat vozu? cho nist / bi tâgh-e abru-ye to namâz-e marâ javâz
Why should I wash for prayer every moment with tears of blood, since without the arch of your eyebrow my prayer is not valid?
COUPLET 9
چون باده باز بر سرِ خُم رفت کف‌زنانحافظ که دوش از لبِ ساقی شنید راز
chon bâde bâz bar sar-e khom raft kafzanân / Hâfez ke dush az lab-e sâghi shenid râz
Like bubbling wine rising to the top of the jar, Hafez went off clapping again, for last night he heard a secret from the cupbearer's lips.
What this fâl tells you
Beauty and grace are in this fal: someone graceful may be on your mind, and your devotion is sincere. Tradition reads it as reassurance that unkind words from others will not change your true worth, just as fire only proves that gold is pure. A happy secret or a piece of good news may soon make you clap for joy.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âz (nâz, niyâz, sâz, godâz, bâz, gâz, hejâz, javâz, râz).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| miravi | you go dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| oshshâgh | lovers dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| لحظه | lahze | moment dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| فرخنده | farkhonde | blessed, fortunate dictionary |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| khubat | your fair (face) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| bobride-and | they have cut (to size) dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sarvat | your cypress (figure) dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| ud | aloeswood, burned as incense dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| sowdâ | passion, obsession dictionary | |
| besuz | burn! dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| sâz | bear it! put up with it! (besuz o sâz = burn and endure) dictionary | |
| پروانه | parvâne | moth dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| ârez | cheek (گونه) | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| گداز | godâz | melting dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| کرده | karde | done; towbe karde bud = had repented dictionary |
| bud | had (past perfect auxiliary) dictionary | |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| beshkast | broke (شکست) dictionary | |
| ahd | vow, promise dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| bâz | open dictionary | |
| ta'ne-ye | sneer of, taunt of dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| نگردد | nagardad | does not become dictionary |
| ayâr | degree of purity (of gold); true worth dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| barand | they take dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| گاز | gâz | tongs, pincers (used to hold gold in fire) dictionary |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| کویت | kuyat | your street dictionary |
| وقوف | voghuf | awareness; also the standing ritual of the pilgrimage dictionary |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| harim | private precinct dictionary | |
| ندارد | nadârad | does not have dictionary |
| sar | head; sar-e chizi dâshtan = to have a mind to, to want dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| tâgh | arch, vault dictionary | |
| abru-ye | eyebrow of dictionary | |
| نماز | namâz | ritual prayer dictionary |
| javâz | permission, validity dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| sar | top; bar sar-e khom = to the top of the wine jar dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| shenid | heard dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 260. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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