Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 310: ⁧مرحبا طایر فرخ پی فرخنده پیام⁩

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

Ghazal 310 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
مرحبا طایرِ فَرُّخ پِیِ فرخنده پیامخیرِ مقدم چه خبر؟ دوست کجا؟ راه کدام؟
marhabâ tâyer-e farrokh-pey-e farkhonde payâm / kheyr-e maghdam che khabar dust kojâ râh kodâm
Welcome, bird of happy footsteps and blessed message! Welcome! What news? Where is the beloved? Which way?
COUPLET 2
یا رب این قافله را لطفِ ازل بدرقه بادکه از او خصم به دام آمد و معشوقه به کام
yâ rab in ghâfele râ lotf-e azal badraghe bâd / ke az u khasm be dâm âmad o ma'shughe be kâm
O Lord, may eternal grace escort this caravan, through which the enemy fell into the trap and the beloved came as I wished.
COUPLET 3
ماجرایِ من و معشوقِ مرا پایان نیستهر چه آغاز ندارد نپذیرد انجام
mâjarâ-ye man o ma'shugh-e marâ pâyân nist / har che âghâz nadârad napazirad anjâm
The story of my beloved and me has no end: whatever has no beginning admits no end.
COUPLET 4
گل ز حَد بُرد تَنَعُّم نفسی رخ بنماسرو می‌نازد و خوش نیست خدا را بخرام
gol ze hadd bord tana'om nafasi rokh benamâ / sarv minâzad o khosh nist khodâ râ bekhrâm
The rose has gone too far in its pampered pride: show your face for a moment. The cypress is showing off, and that is not right: for God's sake, come walking by.
COUPLET 5
زلفِ دلدار چو زُنّار همی‌فرمایدبرو ای شیخ که شد بر تنِ ما خرقه حرام
zolf-e deldâr cho zonnâr hami farmâyad / borow ey sheykh ke shod bar tan-e mâ kherghe harâm
Since the beloved's curl orders me to wear the zonnar belt, go, sheikh: the dervish cloak is now forbidden on my body.
COUPLET 6
مرغِ روحم که همی‌زد ز سرِ سِدره صَفیرعاقبت دانهٔ خالِ تو فِکَندَش در دام
morgh-e ruham ke hami zad ze sar-e sedre safir / âghebat dâne-ye khâl-e to fekandash dar dâm
The bird of my soul, which used to sing from the top of the Lote Tree of heaven, was finally lured into the trap by the seed of your mole.
COUPLET 7
چشمِ بیمارِ مرا خواب نه در خور باشدمن لَهُ یَقتُلُ داءٌ دَنَفٌ کیفَ یَنام؟
cheshm-e bimâr-e marâ khâb na dar khor bâshad / man lahu yaghtolo dâ'on danafon kayfa yanâm
Sleep is not fit for my sick eyes. (Arabic) How can one sleep who is being killed by a wasting illness?
COUPLET 8
تو تَرَحُّم نکنی بر منِ مُخلص گفتمذاکَ دعوایَ و ها انتَ و تِلکَ الایّام
to tarahhom nakoni bar man-e mokhles goftam / zâka da'vâya va hâ anta va telkal-ayyâm
I said you would show no pity to me, your devoted one. (Arabic) That was my claim; here you are, and the days will tell.
COUPLET 9
حافظ ار میل به ابرویِ تو دارد شایدجای در گوشهٔ محراب کنند اهلِ کلام
Hâfez ar meyl be abru-ye to dârad shâyad / jây dar gushe-ye mehrâb konand ahl-e kalâm
If Hafez is drawn to your eyebrow, that is fitting: people devoted to the holy Word take their place in the corner of the prayer niche.

What this fâl tells you

A bird of good omen has arrived with a message. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of welcome news: what you hoped for comes, and what stood against you is caught in its own trap. Greet the news with gratitude, and trust a bond whose story has no end.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âm (payâm, kodâm, kâm, anjâm, bekhrâm, harâm, dâm, yanâm, ayyâm, kalâm). The second halves of beyts 7 and 8 are Arabic.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
مرحباmarhabâwelcome! (Arabic) dictionary
فرخfarrokhauspicious, fortunate dictionary
پیpeyfoot, step; farrokh-pey = whose coming brings luck dictionary
فرخندهfarkhondeblessed, fortunate dictionary
پیامpayâmmessage dictionary
kheyrgood; kheyr-e maghdam = welcome! dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
khabarnews dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
کجاkojâwhere; how? (rhetorical) dictionary
râhway, road dictionary
کدامkodâmwhich dictionary
یاyâO (vocative); or dictionary
inthis dictionary
قافلهghâfelecaravan dictionary
لطفlotfkindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary
badraghe-yeescort for, companion on (a road) dictionary
bâdmay it be dictionary
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
khasmenemy, rival (دشمن) dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
dâmtrap, net dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
معشوقهma'shughebeloved dictionary
کامkâmwish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary
ماجرایmâjarâstory, affair dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
معشوقma'shughbeloved dictionary
مراmarâme; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من)
پایانpâyânend dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
نداردnadâraddoes not have dictionary
نپذیردnapaziraddoes not accept, admits no dictionary
anjâmend, outcome dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
haddlimit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary
bordtook away dictionary
nafasifor one breath, a moment dictionary
rokhface, cheek dictionary
benamâshow! (نشان بده) dictionary
sarvcypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
bekhrâmstroll! walk gracefully! dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
همی‌فرمایدhami farmâyadcommands dictionary
borowgo! dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
sheykhsheikh, religious elder dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
tanbody dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
kherghedervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary
harâmforbidden dictionary
مرغmorghbird dictionary
ruhammy soul dictionary
همی‌زدhami zadused to strike (safir zadan = to whistle, to sing) dictionary
sartop dictionary
safirwhistle (to call a falcon back) dictionary
âghebatend, outcome dictionary
dâneseed, grain; bead dictionary
khâlmole, beauty spot dictionary
toyou dictionary
فکندشfekandashthrew it dictionary
darin; door dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
bimârill dictionary
khâbsleep dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
khorfit; dar khor = suitable, worthy (درخور)
bâshadmay it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary
منmanwhoever, one who (Arabic) dictionary
nakoniyou do not do dictionary
مخلصmokhlessincere, devoted dictionary
گفتمgoftamI said dictionary
da'vâyamy claim (Arabic) dictionary
هاhâlo (Arabic; hâ honâ = right here) dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
arif (= agar) (اگر)
میلmeyldesire, appetite dictionary
abru-yeeyebrow of dictionary
dâradhas; (with arze) shows dictionary
shâyadit is fitting; it may be dictionary
jâyplace; jây kardan = to take one's place dictionary
گوشهٔgushecorner dictionary
محرابmehrâb-eprayer niche of dictionary
کنندkonand(they) do, make dictionary
ahlpeople (of) dictionary
کلامkalâmword; ahl-e kalâm = people of the holy Word, scholars dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 310. 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.

Become a tutor