Ghazal 31 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
آن شبِ قدری که گویند اهلِ خلوت امشب استیا رب این تأثیرِ دولت در کدامین کوکب است؟
ân shab-e ghadri ke guyand ahl-e khalvat emshab ast / yâ rab in ta'sir-e dowlat dar kodâmin kowkab ast?
The people of retreat say tonight is the Night of Power. O Lord, from which star does this good fortune come?
COUPLET 2
تا به گیسویِ تو دستِ ناسزایان کم رسدهر دلی از حلقه‌ای در ذکرِ یارب یارب است
tâ be gisu-ye to dast-e nâsezâyân kam rasad / har deli az halghe'i dar zekr-e yâ rab yâ rab ast
So that unworthy hands may seldom reach your curls, every heart caught in one of its rings keeps praying, "O Lord, O Lord."
COUPLET 3
کشته چاه زنخدان توام کز هر طرفصد هزارش گردنِ جان زیرِ طوقِ غَبغَب است
koshte-ye châh-e zanakhdân-e to-am k-az har taraf / sad hezârash gardan-e jân zir-e towgh-e ghabghab ast
I am slain by the well in your chin, for on every side a hundred thousand souls have their necks in the collar beneath it.
COUPLET 4
شهسوارِ من که مه آیینه دارِ روی اوستتاجِ خورشیدِ بلندش خاکِ نعلِ مَرکَب است
shahsavâr-e man ke mah âyinedâr-e ru-ye u-st / tâj-e khorshid-e bolandash khâk-e na'l-e markab ast
My royal rider, for whose face the moon holds the mirror: the crown of the lofty sun is the dust under his horse's shoe.
COUPLET 5
عکسِ خِوی بر عارضَش بین کآفتابِ گرم رودر هوایِ آن عَرَق تا هست هر روزش تب است
aks-e khey bar ârezash bin k-âftâb-e garmrow / dar havâ-ye ân aragh tâ hast har ruzash tab ast
See the gleam of sweat on that cheek: the swift, hot sun has burned with fever every day for longing for those drops.
COUPLET 6
من نخواهم کرد تَرکِ لعلِ یار و جام میزاهدان معذور داریدم که اینَم مذهب است
man nakhâham kard tark-e la'l-e yâr o jâm-e mey / zâhedân ma'zur dâridam ke inam mazhab ast
I will not give up my friend's ruby lips and the cup of wine. Excuse me, ascetics: this is my religion.
COUPLET 7
اندر آن ساعت که بر پشتِ صبا بندند زینبا سلیمان چون برانم من که مورم مرکب است
andar ân sâ'at ke bar posht-e sabâ bandand zin / bâ soleymân chon berânam man ke muram markab ast?
At the hour when they saddle the back of the wind, how can I ride with Solomon, when my mount is an ant?
COUPLET 8
آن که ناوَک بر دلِ من زیرِ چشمی می‌زندقوتِ جانِ حافظش در خندهٔ زیر لب است
ân ke nâvak bar del-e man zir-e cheshmi mizanad / ghut-e jân-e Hâfezash dar khande-ye zir-e lab ast
The one who shoots darts at my heart with sidelong glances holds the food of Hafez's soul in a smile behind the lips.
COUPLET 9
آبِ حیوانش ز منقارِ بلاغت می‌چکدزاغِ کِلکِ من بنامیزد چه عالی مشرب است
âb-e heyvânash ze menghâr-e balâghat michekad / zâgh-e kelk-e man benâmizad che âli-mashrab ast
The water of life drips from the beak of its eloquence: my crow of a pen, bless it, what a noble nature it has!
What this fâl tells you
A blessed night may be closer than you think, a time when prayers are heard. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to stay true to what you love and to ask for help in humility, even if your means feel as small as an ant's. Your words and talents carry more life than you realize.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ast. qâfiye: -ab (shab, kowkab, yâ rab, ghabghab, markab, tab, mazhab, lab, mashrab). Shab-e ghadr, the Night of Power, falls in Ramadan; beyt 7 recalls Solomon riding the wind.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ân | that dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| ghadri | of Power; shab-e ghadr = the Night of Power in Ramadan dictionary | |
| گویند | guyand | (they) say (می‌گویند) dictionary |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| emshab | tonight dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کدامین | kodâmin | which (کدام) |
| کوکب | kowkab | star; kowkab-e tâle' = star of one's fortune dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ناسزایان | nâsezâyân | the unworthy dictionary |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| deli | a heart dictionary | |
| halghe'i | a ring, a curl dictionary | |
| zekr | mention; zekr-e jamil = a good name dictionary | |
| کشته | koshte | slain dictionary |
| چاه | châh | well, pit dictionary |
| zanakhdân | chin; "apple of the chin" with a dimple ("well") is a classic image (چانه) | |
| to-am | of you (the -am belongs to andâkht: it cast me) dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| هزارش | hezârash | thousand of its (sad hezâr = a hundred thousand) dictionary |
| گردن | gardan | neck dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| ghabghab | double chin, the soft curve under the chin dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| âyine | mirror dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| u-st | is his (= u ast) dictionary | |
| tâj | crown dictionary | |
| bolandash | its lofty dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| aks | reflection dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ârezash | her cheek (گونه) | |
| bin | see! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary | |
| کآفتاب | k-âftâb | for the sun (= ke âftâb) (که آفتاب) |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| aragh | sweat dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| ruzash | its day dictionary | |
| نخواهم | nakhâham | I will not dictionary |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| zâhedân | ascetics, the outwardly pious dictionary | |
| dâridam | hold me (ma'zur dâshtan = to excuse) dictionary | |
| inam | this ... for me (= in marâ) dictionary | |
| مذهب | mazhab | creed, religion dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| sâ'at | hour dictionary | |
| پشت | posht | back dictionary |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| bandand | they tie, fasten (zin bastan = to saddle) dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| berânam | I ride dictionary | |
| مورم | muram | ant ... my (my mount is an ant) dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| cheshmi | an eye dictionary | |
| می‌زند | mizanad | strikes dictionary |
| قوت | ghovvat | strength (قدرت) dictionary |
| Hâfezash | Hafez's dictionary | |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| heyvânash | its life (âb-e heyvân = water of life) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| منقار | menghâr | beak dictionary |
| می‌چکد | michekad | drips dictionary |
| zâgh | crow dictionary | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| benâmizad | God bless it! (said to ward off the evil eye) (ماشاءالله) | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| âli | high, noble dictionary | |
| مشرب | mashrab | nature, temperament (literally drinking place) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 31. 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.