Ghazal 316 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
زُلف بَر باد مَده تا نَدَهی بَر بادَمناز بُنیاد مَکُن تا نَکَنی بُنیادَم
zolf bar bâd made tâ nadahi bar bâdam / nâz bonyâd makon tâ nakani bonyâdam
Do not give your curls to the wind, or you will scatter me to the wind; do not build up your airs, or you will tear down my foundations.
COUPLET 2
مِی مَخور با هَمه کَس تا نَخورَم خونِ جِگَرسَر مَکِش تا نَکِشَد سَر به فَلَک فَریادَم
mey makhor bâ hame kas tâ nakhoram khun-e jegar / sar makesh tâ nakeshad sar be falak faryâdam
Do not drink wine with everyone, so I need not drink my heart's blood; do not turn your head away, so my cry does not rise to the sky.
COUPLET 3
زُلف را حَلقه مَکُن تا نَکُنی دَر بَندَمطُرّه را تاب مَده تا نَدَهی بَر بادَم
zolf râ halghe makon tâ nakoni dar bandam / torre râ tâb made tâ nadahi bar bâdam
Do not twist your curls into rings, or you will put me in chains; do not curl your locks, or you will scatter me to the wind.
COUPLET 4
یارِ بیگانه مَشو تا نَبَری از خویشمغَمِ اَغیار مَخور تا نَکُنی ناشادَم
yâr-e bigâne masho tâ nabari az khisham / gham-e aghyâr makhor tâ nakoni nâshâdam
Do not be a friend to strangers, or you will carry me away from myself; do not care for rivals, or you will make me unhappy.
COUPLET 5
رُخ بَراَفروز که فارغ کُنی اَز بَرگِ گُلمقَد بَراَفراز که اَز سَروْ کُنی آزادَم
rokh barafruz ke fâregh koni az barg-e golam / ghad barafrâz ke az sarv koni âzâdam
Let your face glow, so you free me from wanting rose petals; stand up tall, so you free me from the cypress.
COUPLET 6
شَمعِ هَر جَمع مَشو وَر نَه بِسوزی ما رایادِ هَر قوم مَکُن تا نَرَوی اَز یادَم
sham'-e har jam' masho var na besuzi mâ râ / yâd-e har ghowm makon tâ naravi az yâdam
Do not be the candle of every gathering, or you will burn me; do not keep every crowd in mind, or you will slip from my memory.
COUPLET 7
شُهرهٔ شَهر مَشو تا نَنَهَم سَر دَر کوهشورِ شیرین مَنَما تا نَکُنی فَرهادَم
shohre-ye shahr masho tâ nanaham sar dar kuh / shur-e shirin manamâ tâ nakoni farhâdam
Do not become the talk of the town, or I will run off to the mountains; do not show Shirin's sweet passion, or you will make a Farhad of me.
COUPLET 8
رَحم کُن بَر مَنِ مِسکین و بِه فَریادَم رَستا به خاکِ دَرِ آصِف نَرِسَد فَریادَم
rahm kon bar man-e meskin o be faryâdam ras / tâ be khâk-e dar-e âsef naresad faryâdam
Have mercy on poor me and come to my rescue, before my cry reaches the dust at Asaf's door.
COUPLET 9
حافظ از جورِ تو حاشا که بِگَرداند رویمَن اَز آن روز که دَر بَندِ توام آزادَم
Hâfez az jowr-e to hâshâ ke begardânad ruy / man az ân ruz ke dar band-e to-am âzâdam
God forbid that Hafez should turn his face from your cruelty: since the day I fell into your bonds, I have been free.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a string of tender requests: do not scatter yourself everywhere, stay close and faithful. Tradition reads it as advice to protect a bond by giving it attention rather than spreading yourself thin. Ask clearly for what you need from the one you love; the answer can bring freedom rather than chains.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -am ("me" / "my"). qâfiye: -âd (bâd, bonyâd, faryâd, nâshâd, âzâd, yâd, farhâd).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| مده | made | do not give! (نده) dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| nadahi | you (may) not give dictionary | |
| bâdam | me (to the wind); bar bâd dâdan = to scatter, to ruin dictionary | |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| nakani | (so that) you do not uproot dictionary | |
| bonyâdam | my foundation dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| مخور | makhor | do not drink; gham makhor = do not worry about (نخور) dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نخورم | nakhoram | I will not drink dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| jegar | liver; khun-e jegar = deep grief dictionary | |
| sar | head dictionary | |
| مکش | makesh | do not draw; sar makesh = do not turn away, do not be proud (نکش) dictionary |
| نکشد | nakeshad | does not draw; sar keshidan = to rise dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| فریادم | faryâdam | my cry; be faryâd rasidan = to come to the rescue dictionary |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| nakoni | you do not do dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| bandam | me (in bonds) dictionary | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| tâb | twist, curl dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| bigâne | stranger dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| nabari | (so that) you do not carry away dictionary | |
| khisham | my own dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| aghyâr | strangers, rivals (plural of gheyr) dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| barafruz | light up! kindle! (روشن کن) dictionary | |
| koni | you do, you make dictionary | |
| barg | leaf, petal dictionary | |
| گلم | golam | me (from) the rose dictionary |
| barafrâz | raise up! stand tall! dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| âzâdam | me free; I am free dictionary | |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| jam' | gathering dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| besuzi | you burn dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| قوم | ghowm | people, group dictionary |
| naravi | you do not go dictionary | |
| یادم | yâdam | my memory; be yâdam = to my mind dictionary |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| ننهم | nanaham | (so that) I do not lay; sar dar kuh nahâdan = to flee to the mountains dictionary |
| کوه | kuh | mountain dictionary |
| منما | manemâ | do not show! (do not voice) (نشان نده) dictionary |
| rahm | mercy dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| مسکین | meskin | poor, wretched dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ras | reach! be faryâdam ras = come to my rescue (برس) dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| نرسد | narasad | does not reach dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| hâshâ | God forbid! not at all! dictionary | |
| begardânad | turns away dictionary | |
| ruy | face (رو) dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| to-am | yours I am (dar band-e to-am = I am in your bonds) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 316. 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.