Ghazal 281 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
یا رب این نوگُلِ خندان که سپردی به مَنَشمی‌سپارم به تو از چشمِ حسودِ چَمَنَش
yâ rab in nowgol-e khandân ke sepordi be manash / misepâram be to az cheshm-e hasud-e chamanash
O Lord, this smiling fresh rose you entrusted to me, I entrust back to you, to keep it safe from the envious eye of the garden.
COUPLET 2
گرچه از کویِ وفا گشت به صد مرحله دوردور باد آفتِ دورِ فلک از جان و تَنَش
garche az ku-ye vafâ gasht be sad marhale dur / dur bâd âfat-e dowr-e falak az jân o tanash
Though it has gone a hundred stages away from the street of loyalty, may the blight of the turning heavens stay far from its soul and body.
COUPLET 3
گر به سرمنزل سلمی رَسی ای بادِ صباچشم دارم که سلامی برسانی ز مَنَش
gar be sarmanzel-e salmâ rasi ey bâd-e sabâ / cheshm dâram ke salâmi beresâni ze manash
O morning breeze, if you reach Salma's dwelling, I hope you will bring her a greeting from me.
COUPLET 4
به ادب نافه گشایی کن از آن زلفِ سیاهجای دل‌های عزیز است به هم بر مَزَنَش
be adab nâfe-goshâyi kon az ân zolf-e siyâh / jâ-ye del-hâ-ye aziz ast, be ham bar mazanash
Open the musk pod of that black curl with care; it is the home of dear hearts, so do not throw it into disorder.
COUPLET 5
گو دلم حقِّ وفا با خط و خالت داردمحترم دار در آن طُرِّهٔ عَنبرشِکَنَش
gu delam hagh-e vafâ bâ khatt o khâlat dârad / mohtaram dâr dar ân torre-ye anbar-shekanash
Tell her: "My heart has earned the right of loyalty from your down and your mole; keep it honored in that amber-scented lock."
COUPLET 6
در مقامی که به یادِ لبِ او مِی نوشندسِفله آن مست، که باشد خبر از خویشتنش
dar maghâmi ke be yâd-e lab-e u mey nushand / sefle ân mast ke bâshad khabar az khishtanash
In a place where they drink wine to the memory of her lip, base is the drunkard who is still aware of himself.
COUPLET 7
عِرض و مال از درِ میخانه نشاید اندوختهر که این آب خورَد رَخْت به دریا فِکَنَش
erz o mâl az dar-e meykhâne nashâyad andukht / har ke in âb khorad rakht be daryâ fekanash
Honor and wealth cannot be hoarded at the tavern door; whoever drinks this water, throw his belongings into the sea.
COUPLET 8
هر که ترسد ز ملال اندُهِ عشقش نه حلالسَرِ ما و قدمش یا لبِ ما و دهنش
har ke tarsad ze malâl andoh-e eshghash na halâl / sar-e mâ o ghadamash yâ lab-e mâ o dahanash
Whoever fears weariness has no right to the sorrow of loving her: our head at her feet, or our lips on her mouth.
COUPLET 9
شعرِ حافظ همه بیتُ الْغَزَلِ معرفت استآفرین بر نَفَسِ دلکَش و لطفِ سخنش
she'r-e Hâfez hame beytol-ghazal-e ma'refat ast / âfarin bar nafas-e delkash o lotf-e sokhanash
Hafez's poetry is, all of it, the finest verse of mystical knowledge; praise be to his charming breath and the grace of his words.
What this fâl tells you
This fal reads like a prayer of protection. Tradition takes it as a sign to entrust someone or something dear to you into God's keeping, safe from envy and harm. Send your greetings with kindness and handle tender hearts with care; love asks for courage, not fear of weariness.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -ash ("him/her, its"). qâfiye: -an (man, chaman, tan, zan, shekan, khishtan, fekan, dahan, sokhan).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| khandân | smiling, laughing dictionary | |
| sepordi | you entrusted dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| منش | manash | me (ze manash = from me, to her) dictionary |
| می‌سپارم | misepâram | I entrust dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| hasud | envious (person) dictionary | |
| چمنش | chamanash | its garden dictionary |
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| گشت | gasht | went, became dictionary |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| مرحله | marhale | stage of a journey; here this world dictionary |
| dur | far; dur bâd = may it be far; dowr-e falak = the turning of the heavens dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| âfat | disaster, blight dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| tanash | his/her body dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| rasi | you reach, arrive (برسی) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| dâram | I have; cheshm dâram = I hope dictionary | |
| salâmi | a greeting dictionary | |
| beresâni | you deliver, bring dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| adab | courtesy, good manners dictionary | |
| goshâyi | opening (nâfe-goshâyi = opening the musk pod) dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| del-hâ-ye | hearts of dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| هم | ham | together; be ham zadan = to throw into disorder dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مزنش | mazanash | do not strike it (be ham bar zadan = to throw into disorder) (نزنش) dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| khâlat | your mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| dârad | has; (with arze) shows dictionary | |
| محترم | mohtaram | honored dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| maghâmi | a station dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| نوشند | nushand | they drink dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| bâshad | may it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary | |
| khabar | news dictionary | |
| khishtanash | himself dictionary | |
| مال | mâl | property, money dictionary |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| andukht | to store up, hoard dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| khorad | drinks dictionary | |
| rakht | belongings, baggage dictionary | |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| فکنش | fekanash | throw his (belongings)! (بینداز) dictionary |
| tarsad | fears dictionary | |
| andoh | grief (اندوه) | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| halâl | lawful dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| قدمش | ghadamash | his/her foot; sar tâ ghadam = from head to foot dictionary |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| ol-ghazal | beytol-ghazal = the best couplet of a ghazal, the finest verse dictionary | |
| معرفت | ma'refat | knowledge, mystical insight dictionary |
| âfarin | bravo, praise dictionary | |
| نفس | nafas | breath dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| sokhanash | his words dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 281. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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