Ghazal 3 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
اگر آن تُرکِ شیرازی به دست آرَد دلِ ما رابه خال هِندویَش بَخشَم سَمَرقند و بُخارا را
agar ân tork-e shirâzi be dast ârad del-e mâ râ / be khâl-e hendu-yash bakhsham samarghand o bokhârâ râ
If that fair one of Shiraz would take my heart in hand, for the dark mole on her cheek I would give away Samarkand and Bukhara.
COUPLET 2
بده ساقی مِیِ باقی که در جَنَّت نخواهی یافتکنارِ آبِ رُکناباد و گُل‌گَشتِ مُصَلّا را
bedeh sâghi mey-e bâghi ke dar jannat nakhâhi yâft / kenâr-e âb-e roknâbâd o golgasht-e mosallâ râ
Pour the rest of the wine, cupbearer: in paradise you will not find the banks of the Roknabad stream or the flowered walks of Mosalla.
COUPLET 3
فَغان! کاین لولیانِ شوخِ شیرین‌کارِ شهرآشوبچُنان بُردند صبر از دل که تُرکان خوانِ یَغما را
faghân k-in luliyân-e shukh-e shirinkâr-e shahrâshub / chenân bordand sabr az del ke torkân khân-e yaghmâ râ
Alas, these playful, charming gypsies who turn the whole town upside down have carried patience off from my heart, the way raiders carry off a feast laid out for plunder.
COUPLET 4
ز عشقِ ناتمامِ ما جمالِ یار مُستَغنی استبه آب و رنگ و خال و خط چه حاجت رویِ زیبا را؟
ze eshgh-e nâtamâm-e mâ jamâl-e yâr mostaghni ast / be âb o rang o khâl o khatt che hâjat ru-ye zibâ râ
The beloved's beauty does not need our imperfect love. What need does a lovely face have of powder, color, beauty spot or painted line?
COUPLET 5
مَن از آن حُسنِ روزاَفزون که یوسُف داشت دانستمکه عشق از پردهٔ عِصمت بُرون آرَد زُلِیخا را
man az ân hosn-e ruzafzun ke yusof dâsht dânestam / ke eshgh az parde-ye esmat borun ârad zoleykhâ râ
From the ever-growing beauty that Joseph had, I understood that love draws even Zuleikha out from behind the curtain of modesty.
COUPLET 6
اگر دشنام فرمایی و گَر نفرین دعا گویمجوابِ تلخ می‌زیبَد لبِ لَعلِ شِکرخا را
agar doshnâm farmâyi va gar nefrin, do'â guyam / javâb-e talkh mizibad lab-e la'l-e shekarkhâ râ
Whether you insult me or curse me, I will answer with a blessing: a bitter reply suits ruby lips that taste of sugar.
COUPLET 7
نصیحت گوش کن جانا که از جان دوست‌تر دارندجوانانِ سعادتمند پندِ پیرِ دانا را
nasihat gush kon jânâ ke az jân dust-tar dârand / javânân-e sa'âdatmand pand-e pir-e dânâ râ
Listen to advice, my dear: fortunate young people hold the counsel of a wise elder dearer than life.
COUPLET 8
حَدیث از مُطرب و مِی گو و رازِ دَهر کمتر جوکه کس نَگشود و نَگشاید به حکمت این مُعمّا را
hadis az motreb o mey gu va râz-e dahr kamtar ju / ke kas nagshud o nagshâyad be hekmat in mo'ammâ râ
Talk of music and wine, and search less for the secret of time: no one has solved this riddle by reason, and no one ever will.
COUPLET 9
غزل گفتی و دُر سُفتی بیا و خوش بخوان حافظکه بر نظمِ تو اَفشانَد فَلَک عِقد ثُریّا را
ghazal gofti o dorr softi, biyâ o khosh bekhân Hâfez / ke bar nazm-e to afshânad falak eghd-e sorayyâ râ
You have written a ghazal and threaded pearls, Hafez. Come and recite it sweetly, so the sky may scatter the necklace of the Pleiades over your verse.
What this fâl tells you
Something, or someone, matters to you more than you admit. Traditionally this fal advises enjoying the good that is in front of you now, listening to the advice of someone wiser, and not wearing yourself out over questions nobody can answer.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: râ. qâfiye: -â (mâ, bokhârâ, mosallâ, yaghmâ, zibâ, zoleykhâ, shekarkhâ, dânâ, mo'ammâ, sorayyâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| agar | if dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ârad | brings; be dast ârad = takes in hand, wins (بیاورد) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| هندویش | hendu-yash | her Indian (= dark) + her (سیاه او) |
| bakhsham | I would give away (می‌بخشم) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| bedeh | give! pour! dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jannat | paradise (بهشت) | |
| nakhâhi | you will not dictionary | |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| کنار | kenâr | bank, side dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| فغان | faghân | alas! cry of lament dictionary |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| لولیان | luliyân | gypsies; (poetic) charming tricksters (کولی‌ها) |
| shukh | playful, bold dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| bordand | they carried off dictionary | |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| khân | tray of food, feast laid out (سفره) | |
| یغما | yaghmâ | plunder; khân-e yaghmâ = a feast thrown open to be looted dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ناتمام | nâtamâm | incomplete dictionary |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| mostaghni | free of need, self-sufficient (بی‌نیاز) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| hâjat | need (نیاز) | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| zibâ | beautiful dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| dâsht | had dictionary | |
| dânestam | I knew, I understood dictionary | |
| پردهٔ | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| doshnâm | insult dictionary | |
| farmâyi | you (graciously) say, utter dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| نفرین | nefrin | curse dictionary |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| گویم | guyam | I say dictionary |
| javâb | answer dictionary | |
| talkh | bitter dictionary | |
| می‌زیبد | mizibad | suits, befits (برازنده است) |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| نصیحت | nasihat | advice dictionary |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| jânâ | O dear one (jân + vocative -â) (عزیزم) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| dust-tar | dearer dictionary | |
| dârand | (they) hold, have dictionary | |
| javânân | young people dictionary | |
| sa'âdatmand | fortunate, happy dictionary | |
| پند | pand | advice dictionary |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| dânâ | wise dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| dahr | time, the world, fate dictionary | |
| کمتر | kamtar | less dictionary |
| ju | seek! (= bejuy) (بجوی) dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نگشود | nagshud | did not open, did not solve dictionary |
| نگشاید | nagshâyad | will not open, will not solve dictionary |
| hekmat | wisdom, philosophy dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| gofti | you said; you composed dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| bekhân | read! sing! recite! dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| نظم | nazm | verse, poetry dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| afshânad | scatters (over) dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| eghd | necklace (گردنبند) | |
| ریا | sorayyâ | the Pleiades (star cluster) (پروین) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 3. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.