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Hafez Ghazal 303: ⁧شممت روح وداد و شمت برق وصال⁩

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

Ghazal 303 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
شَمَمتُ روحَ وِدادٍ و شِمتُ برقَ وِصالبیا که بویِ تو را میرم ای نسیمِ شِمال
shamamto ruha vedâdin va shemto bargha vesâl / biyâ ke bu-ye to râ miram ey nasim-e shemâl
(Arabic) I have caught the scent of love and glimpsed the lightning of union. Come, north breeze: I am dying for your fragrance.
COUPLET 2
أَ حادیاً بجمالِ الحبیبِ قِفْ وَ انْزِلکه نیست صبرِ جمیلم ز اشتیاقِ جَمال
a-hâdiyan be-jamâlel-habibe ghef va enzel / ke nist sabr-e jamilam ze eshtiyâgh-e jamâl
(Arabic) O caravan singer, by the beauty of the beloved, stop and dismount! My patience is all gone from longing for that beauty.
COUPLET 3
حکایتِ شبِ هجران فروگذاشته بِهْبه شکرِ آن که برافکند پرده روزِ وصال
hekâyat-e shab-e hejrân forugozâshte beh / be shokr-e ân ke barafkand parde ruz-e vesâl
Better to leave aside the tale of the night of parting, in thanks that the day of union has lifted its veil.
COUPLET 4
بیا که پردهٔ گلریزِ هفت خانهٔ چشمکَشیده‌ایم به تَحریرِ کارگاهِ خیال
biyâ ke parde-ye golriz-e haft khâne-ye cheshm / keshide-im be tahrir-e kârgâh-e khiyâl
Come: we have hung the rose-strewn curtain of the eye's seven chambers, painted in the workshop of imagination.
COUPLET 5
چو یار بر سرِ صلح است و عُذر می‌طلبدتوان گذشت ز جورِ رقیب در همه حال
cho yâr bar sar-e solh ast o ozr mitalabad / tavân gozasht ze jowr-e raghib dar hame hâl
Since the beloved is ready to make peace and is asking forgiveness, one can overlook the rival's cruelty in every case.
COUPLET 6
به جز خیالِ دهانِ تو نیست در دلِ تنگکه کَس مباد چو من در پِیِ خیالِ محال
be joz khiyâl-e dahân-e to nist dar del-e tang / ke kas mabâd cho man dar pey-e khiyâl-e mohâl
In my narrow heart there is nothing but the thought of your tiny mouth; may no one else, like me, chase an impossible fancy.
COUPLET 7
قَتیلِ عشقِ تو شد حافظِ غریب، ولیبه خاکِ ما گذری کن که خونِ مات حلال
ghatil-e eshgh-e to shod Hâfez-e gharib vali / be khâk-e mâ gozari kon ke khun-e mât halâl
Lonely Hafez has been slain by love for you; but do pass by our grave, for our blood is freely yours.

What this fâl tells you

After a long night, the day of meeting has lifted its veil. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of reconciliation: someone is ready to make peace. Leave old grievances aside, give thanks for the turn, and welcome the good news gracefully.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âl (vesâl, shemâl, jamâl, khiyâl, hâl, mohâl, halâl). The first half-lines of beyts 1 and 2 are Arabic.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
وva / oand dictionary
barghlightning dictionary
وصالvesâlunion with the beloved dictionary
biyâcome! dictionary
bu-yescent of (ezafe) dictionary
toyou dictionary
میرمmiramI die (for) dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
نسیمnasimbreeze dictionary
shomâlnorth wind dictionary
be-jamâlby the beauty of (Arabic) dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
sabrpatience dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
eshtiyâghlonging, yearning dictionary
jamâlbeauty dictionary
hekâyattale dictionary
shabnight dictionary
behbetter (بهتر)
shokrthanks; be shokr-e ân ke = in thanks that dictionary
ânthat dictionary
پردهpardecurtain, veil dictionary
ruzday dictionary
هفتhaftseven; haft keshvar = the seven climes, the whole world dictionary
khânehouse dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
کشیده‌ایمkeshide-imwe have hung (drawn) dictionary
کارگاهkârgâhworkshop dictionary
khiyâlfancy, notion dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
sarhead; bar sar-e chizi budan = to be intent on something dictionary
solhpeace dictionary
astis dictionary
می‌طلبدmitalabadseeks, longs for dictionary
tavânone can dictionary
گذشتgozashtto pass over, forgive (tavân gozasht = one can overlook) dictionary
raghibrival in love dictionary
darin; door dictionary
همهhameall, whole dictionary
hâlstate, condition dictionary
jozexcept, besides dictionary
dahânmouth dictionary
delheart dictionary
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
مبادmabâdmay it not be (نباشد) dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
پیpeytrack; dar pey-e = in pursuit of dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
gharibstranger, someone far from home dictionary
valibut dictionary
khâkdust, earth dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
gozaria passing by dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
khunblood dictionary
ماتmâtour (+ "to you": khun-e mât halâl = our blood is lawful for you) (= mâ + -t) dictionary
halâllawful dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 303. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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