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Hafez Ghazal 262: ⁧حال خونین دلان که گوید باز؟⁩

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

Ghazal 262 of Hafez (7 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
حالِ خونین دلان که گوید باز؟وز فلک خونِ خُم که جوید باز؟
hâl-e khunin-delân ke guyad bâz? / v-az falak khun-e khom ke juyad bâz?
Who will tell again the story of those whose hearts bleed? And who will demand from the heavens the price for the blood of the wine jar?
COUPLET 2
شرمش از چشمِ مِی پرستان بادنرگسِ مست اگر بروید باز
sharmash az cheshm-e mey-parastân bâd / narges-e mast agar beruyad bâz
Let the drunken narcissus be ashamed before the eyes of the wine lovers, if it dares to grow again.
COUPLET 3
جز فَلاطونِ خُم نشینِ شرابسِرِّ حکمت به ما که گوید باز؟
joz falâtun-e khom-neshin-e sharâb / serr-e hekmat be mâ ke guyad bâz?
Apart from wine, that Plato who sits in a jar, who will tell us the secret of wisdom again?
COUPLET 4
هر که چون لاله کاسه گَردان شدزین جفا رُخ به خون بشوید باز
har ke chon lâle kâse-gardân shod / z-in jafâ rokh be khun beshuyad bâz
Whoever, like the tulip, passes the cup around will once again wash his face in blood because of this cruelty.
COUPLET 5
نَگُشایَد دلم چو غنچه اگرساغری از لبش نبوید باز
nagoshâyad delam cho ghonche agar / sâghari az labash nabuyad bâz
My heart, like a rosebud, will not open unless it catches the scent of a cup from the beloved's lips again.
COUPLET 6
بس که در پرده چنگ گفت سخنبِبُرَش موی تا نَمویَد باز
bas ke dar parde chang goft sokhan / bebor-ash mu tâ namuyad bâz
The harp has said so much behind the veil of its tunes: cut its hair, its strings, so that it will not lament again.
COUPLET 7
گِردِ بیتُ الحَرامِ خُم حافظگر نمیرد به سَر بپوید باز
gerd-e beytol-harâm-e khom Hâfez / gar namirad be sar bepuyad bâz
If Hafez does not die first, he will run again, head over heels, around the sacred house of the wine jar.

What this fâl tells you

Wisdom can come from unexpected places, as this fal finds it in a humble wine jar. Tradition reads it as a sign that your heart, like a closed bud, is waiting for one kind word or gesture to open. Be careful about telling your secrets too loudly; some things are best kept in the music and left unsaid.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: bâz ("again"). qâfiye: -uyad (guyad, juyad, ruyad, shuyad, buyad, muyad, puyad). 6.2 puns on mu "hair, string" and muyad "laments".

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
hâlstate, condition dictionary
khuninbloody; khunin-del = heartsick, grieving dictionary
delânhearts; khunin-delân = those whose hearts bleed dictionary
گویدguyadsays, tells dictionary
bâzagain dictionary
وزv-azand from (= va az) (و از)
فلکfalakthe sky, the heavens; fate dictionary
khunblood dictionary
juyadseeks; khun juyidan = to seek vengeance for blood dictionary
sharmashits shame, let it be ashamed dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
bâdmay it be dictionary
نرگسnargesnarcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary
مستmastdrunk dictionary
agarif dictionary
beruyadgrows dictionary
jozexcept, besides dictionary
فلاطونfalâtunPlato (= Aflâtun) (افلاطون)
نشینneshinsitting; khom-neshin = sitting in a jar dictionary
sharâbwine dictionary
hekmatwisdom, philosophy dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
کاسهkâsebowl, cup dictionary
گردانgardânturning; kâse-gardân = one who passes the cup around dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
z-infrom this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این)
jafâcruelty, unkindness dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
beshuyadwashes dictionary
نگشایدnagshâyadwill not open, will not solve dictionary
delammy heart dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
ghonchebud, rosebud dictionary
sâgharia cup dictionary
لبشlabashher lip dictionary
نبویدnabuyaddoes not smell dictionary
basmuch, many dictionary
darin; door dictionary
پردهpardeveil; also a musical mode dictionary
چنگchangharp dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
sokhanspeech, words dictionary
bebor-ashcut its (hair)! dictionary
muhair; here the strings of the harp (pun on muyad "laments") dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
al-harâmArabic: the sacred; beytol-harâm = the Kaaba dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
نمیردnamiraddoes not die (نمی‌میرد) dictionary
sarhead; be sar puyidan = to run on one's head, eagerly dictionary
bepuyadruns, hurries dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 262. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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