Ghazal 290 of Hafez (8 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
دلم رمیده شد و غافلم منِ درویشکه آن شِکاریِ سرگشته را چه آمد پیش
delam ramide shod o ghâfelam man-e darvish / ke ân shekâri-ye sargashte râ che âmad pish
My heart has run away, and I, a poor dervish, have no idea what has become of that bewildered prey.
COUPLET 2
چو بید بر سرِ ایمانِ خویش می‌لرزمکه دل به دستِ کمان ابرویی‌ست کافِرکیش
cho bid bar sar-e imân-e khish milarzam / ke del be dast-e kamân-abruyi-st kâfar-kish
Like a willow I tremble for my faith, for my heart is in the hands of a bow-browed beauty whose religion is unbelief.
COUPLET 3
خیال حوصلهٔ بحر می‌پزد هیهاتچه‌هاست در سرِ این قطرهٔ محال‌اندیش!
khiyâl howsele-ye bahr mipazad, heyhât / che-hâst dar sar-e in ghatre-ye mohâl-andish
It dreams of holding as much as the sea; far from it! What notions fill the head of this drop that thinks impossible thoughts!
COUPLET 4
بنازم آن مژهٔ شوخِ عافیت‌کُش راکه موج می‌زندش آبِ نوش، بر سرِ نیش
benâzam ân mozhe-ye shukh-e âfiyat-kosh râ / ke mowj mizanadash âb-e nush bar sar-e nish
How I admire that bold eyelash that slays all peace of mind, on whose sting the water of honey ripples in waves.
COUPLET 5
ز آستینِ طبیبان هزار خون بچکدگَرَم به تجربه دستی نهند بر دلِ ریش
ze âstin-e tabibân hezâr khun bechakad / garam be tajrobe dasti nehand bar del-e rish
A thousand drops of blood would drip from the doctors' sleeves if they laid a hand on my wounded heart to examine it.
COUPLET 6
به کویِ میکده گریان و سرفِکنده رَوَمچرا که شرم همی آیدم ز حاصلِ خویش
be ku-ye meykade geryân o sarfekande ravam / cherâ ke sharm hami âyadam ze hâsel-e khish
I go to the tavern lane weeping, with my head bowed, because I am ashamed of what I have to show for myself.
COUPLET 7
نه عمرِ خِضر بِمانَد، نه مُلکِ اسکندرنزاع بر سرِ دنیی دون مَکُن درویش
na omr-e khezr bemânad na molk-e eskandar / nezâ' bar sar-e donyi-ye dun makon darvish
Neither Khizr's long life lasts nor Alexander's kingdom; dervish, do not quarrel over this worthless world.
COUPLET 8
بِدان کمر نرسد دستِ هر گدا حافظخزانه‌ای به کف آور ز گنجِ قارون بیش
bedân kamar narasad dast-e har gedâ Hâfez / khazâne'i be kaf âvar ze ganj-e ghârun bish
Not every beggar's hand can reach that waist, Hafez; first get hold of a treasure greater than Qarun's.
What this fâl tells you
Tradition reads this fal as advice to come back to yourself. Your heart has wandered after something dazzling, and you may be dreaming bigger than the moment allows. Nothing in this world lasts, so do not quarrel over it; build up your inner treasure first, and you will be ready for what you hope to reach.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ish (darvish, pish, kish, andish, nish, rish, khish, bish).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| ramide | run away, startled dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| shekâri | a prey dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| پیش | pish | before; che âmad pish = what happened dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bid | willow dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; bar sar-e = over, about dictionary | |
| imân | faith dictionary | |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| می‌لرزم | milarzam | I tremble dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| abruyi-st | is a (bow-)browed one (= abruyi ast) dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| howsele-ye | capacity of dictionary | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| می‌پزد | mipazad | cooks; khiyâl pokhtan = to dream up a plan dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| مژهٔ | mozhe | eyelash dictionary |
| shukh | playful, bold dictionary | |
| موج | mowj | wave dictionary |
| می‌زندش | mizanadash | strikes on it (mowj zadan = to ripple in waves) dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | honey, sweetness dictionary |
| نیش | nish | sting dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| âstin | sleeve; jân dar âstin = ready to give one's life dictionary | |
| tabibân | doctors (پزشکان) dictionary | |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| bechakad | would drip dictionary | |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| tajrobe | experience, test dictionary | |
| dasti | a hand dictionary | |
| نهند | nehand | they put, lay dictionary |
| rish | wounded (زخمی) dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| گریان | geryân | weeping dictionary |
| sarfekande | with head bowed (in shame) (سرافکنده) | |
| ravam | I go dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| sharm | shame dictionary | |
| hami | old prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می) | |
| âyadam | comes to me; ajab âyadam = I am amazed dictionary | |
| hâsel | achieved, obtained dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| bemânad | remains, lasts dictionary | |
| نزاع | nezâ' | quarrel dictionary |
| donyi | this world (old spelling of donyâ) (دنیا) | |
| dun | base, low, mean (پست) dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| کمر | kamar | waist; belt; kamar bastan = to get ready to set out dictionary |
| نرسد | narasad | does not reach dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khazâne'i | a treasure, a treasury dictionary | |
| کف | kaf | palm (of the hand) dictionary |
| âvar | bring! be kaf âvardan = to get hold of (بیاور) dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| bish | more; bish nist = is no more than dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 290. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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