Ghazal 301 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
ای دلِ ریشِ مرا با لبِ تو حقِّ نمکحق نگه دار که من می‌روم، الله مَعَک
ey del-e rish-e marâ bâ lab-e to hagh-e namak / hagh negah dâr ke man miravam, allâh ma'ak
My wounded heart has a claim of salt on your lips: honor that claim, for I am leaving. God be with you.
COUPLET 2
تویی آن گوهرِ پاکیزه که در عالمِ قدسذکرِ خیرِ تو بُوَد حاصلِ تسبیحِ مَلَک
toyi ân gowhar-e pâkize ke dar âlam-e ghods / zekr-e kheyr-e to bovad hâsel-e tasbih-e malak
You are that pure pearl: in the holy world, speaking well of you is what the angels' praises come to.
COUPLET 3
در خلوصِ مَنَت ار هست شکی، تجربه کنکس عیارِ زرِ خالص نشناسد چو محَک
dar kholus-e manat ar hast shakki tajrobe kon / kas ayâr-e zar-e khâles nashenâsad cho mahak
If you have any doubt of my sincerity, put it to the test: no one knows the purity of fine gold like the touchstone.
COUPLET 4
گفته بودی که شَوَم مست و دو بوست بدهموعده از حد بشد و ما نه دو دیدیم و نه یَک
gofte budi ke shavam mast o do busat bedaham / va'de az hadd beshod o mâ na do didim o na yak
You had said, "When I am drunk I will give you two kisses." The promise is long overdue, and we have seen neither two nor one.
COUPLET 5
بگشا پستهٔ خندان و شِکَرریزی کنخلق را از دهنِ خویش مَیَنداز به شک
begoshâ peste-ye khandân o shekarrizi kon / khalgh râ az dahan-e khish mayandâz be shak
Open your smiling pistachio mouth and scatter sugar; do not leave people doubting whether you even have a mouth.
COUPLET 6
چرخ برهم زنم ار غیرِ مرادم گرددمن نه آنم که زبونی کشَم از چرخِ فلک
charkh barham zanam ar gheyr-e morâdam gardad / man na ânam ke zabuni kesham az charkh-e falak
I will overturn the wheel if it turns against my wish; I am not one to put up with humiliation from the wheel of heaven.
COUPLET 7
چون بَرِ حافظِ خویشش نگذاری باریای رقیب از بَرِ او یک دو قدم دورتَرَک
chon bar-e Hâfez-e khishash nagozâri bâri / ey raghib az bar-e u yek do ghadam dur-tarak
Since you will not let the beloved sit beside their own Hafez, rival, at least stand a step or two farther away.
What this fâl tells you
This fal asks you to keep faith with a bond that has been tested. Tradition reads it as a sign that sincerity shows itself under trial, as gold does on the touchstone. If someone has made you a sweet promise, a gentle reminder may now bring it closer.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ak (namak, ma'ak, malak, mahak, yak, shak, falak, dur-tarak). The second half of beyt 1 ends in Arabic "allâh ma'ak".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| rish | wounded (زخمی) dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| hagh | right, claim dictionary | |
| نگه | negah | keeping; negah dâshtan = to keep dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| می‌روم | miravam | I go dictionary |
| allâh | God dictionary | |
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| پاکیزه | pâkize | pure, clean dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| âlam | world dictionary | |
| قدس | ghods | holiness; âlam-e ghods = the holy world dictionary |
| zekr | mention; zekr-e jamil = a good name dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| hâsel | achieved, obtained dictionary | |
| tasbih | praising God; rosary dictionary | |
| kholus | sincerity, purity dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| shakki | any doubt dictionary | |
| tajrobe | experience, test dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| ayâr | assay, standard of purity dictionary | |
| zar | gold dictionary | |
| khâles | pure dictionary | |
| نشناسد | nashenâsad | does not know, does not recognize dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| محک | mahakk-e | touchstone of dictionary |
| گفته | gofte | said (gofte budi = you had said) dictionary |
| budi | had (gofte budi = you had said) dictionary | |
| shavam | I (will) become dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| busat | a kiss to you (buse + -at) dictionary | |
| bedaham | I will give dictionary | |
| وعده | va'de | promise dictionary |
| hadd | limit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary | |
| beshod | went, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| didim | we saw dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| begoshâ | open! lift! dictionary | |
| پستهٔ | peste | pistachio; the beloved's small smiling mouth dictionary |
| khandân | smiling, laughing dictionary | |
| khalgh | people (مردم) dictionary | |
| dahan | mouth (دهان) | |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| مینداز | mayandâz | do not throw! (نینداز) dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| چرخ | charkh | wheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary |
| zanam | I strike; barham zanam = I overturn dictionary | |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| مرادم | morâdam | my desire, my goal dictionary |
| گردد | gardad | turns, becomes dictionary |
| کشم | kesham | I bear, I put up with dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| bar | side; bar-e = beside, near dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khishash | his/her own (= khish + -ash) dictionary | |
| nagozâri | you do not let dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| قدم | ghadam | step dictionary |
| dur-tarak | a little farther dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 301. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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