Ghazal 317 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
فاش می‌گویم و از گفتهٔ خود دلشادَمبندهٔ عشقم و از هر دو جهان آزادم
fâsh miguyam o az gofte-ye khod delshâdam / bande-ye eshgham o az har do jahân âzâdam
I say it openly and I am glad of what I say: I am the slave of love, and free of both worlds.
COUPLET 2
طایرِ گلشنِ قُدسم چه دَهَم شَرحِ فِراق؟که در این دامگَهِ حادثه چون اُفتادم
tâyer-e golshan-e ghodsam che daham sharh-e ferâgh / ke dar in dâmgah-e hâdese chon oftâdam
I am a bird from the garden of holiness: how can I describe the separation, how I fell into this trap-filled place of mishaps?
COUPLET 3
من مَلَک بودم و فردوسِ بَرین جایَم بودآدَم آوَرد دَر این دِیرِ خَراب‌آبادَم
man malak budam o ferdows-e barin jâyam bud / âdam âvard dar in deyr-e kharâb-âbâdam
I was an angel, and highest paradise was my home; Adam brought me into this ruined monastery of a world.
COUPLET 4
سایهٔ طوبی و دلجوییِ حور و لبِ حوضبه هوایِ سَرِ کویِ تو بِرَفت از یادم
sâye-ye tubâ o delju'i-ye hur o lab-e howz / be havâ-ye sar-e ku-ye to beraft az yâdam
The shade of the Tuba tree, the charms of the houris and the edge of the heavenly pool all slipped from my mind in my longing for your street.
COUPLET 5
نیست بر لوحِ دِلَم جُز اَلفِ قامَتِ دوستچه کُنَم حَرفِ دِگَر یاد نداد اُستادم
nist bar lowh-e delam joz alef-e ghâmat-e dust / che konam harf-e degar yâd nadâd ostâdam
On the tablet of my heart there is nothing but the alef of my beloved's upright figure. What can I do? My teacher taught me no other letter.
COUPLET 6
کوکَبِ بَختِ مَرا هیچ مُنَجِّم نَشِناختیا رَب از مادرِ گیتی به چه طالع زادم؟
kowkab-e bakht-e marâ hich monajjem nashenâkht / yâ rab az mâdar-e giti be che tâle' zâdam
No astrologer could read the star of my fortune. O Lord, under what sign did Mother World give birth to me?
COUPLET 7
تا شُدم حَلقه به گوشِ دَرِ میخانهٔ عشقهَر دَم آیَد غَمی اَز نو به مُبارَکبادَم
tâ shodam halghe be gush-e dar-e meykhâne-ye eshgh / har dam âyad ghami az now be mobârakbâdam
Ever since I became a ring-in-ear servant at the door of love's tavern, every moment a new sorrow comes to congratulate me.
COUPLET 8
می‌خورَد خونِ دِلَم مَردُمکِ دیده، سِزاستکه چرا دِل به جِگرگوشهٔ مَردُم دادَم
mikhorad khun-e delam mardomak-e dide sezâst / ke cherâ del be jegar-gushe-ye mardom dâdam
The pupil of my eye drinks my heart's blood, and I deserve it: why did I give my heart to someone else's darling?
COUPLET 9
پاک کن چهرهٔ حافظ به سَرِ زُلف زِ اَشکوَر نَه این سیلِ دَمادَم بِبَرَد بُنیادَم
pâk kon chehre-ye Hâfez be sar-e zolf ze ashk / var na in seyl-e damâdam bebarad bonyâdam
Wipe the tears from Hafez's face with the tip of your curl, or this endless flood will sweep away my foundations.
What this fâl tells you
This fal tells of a soul that remembers a higher home and has given its heart to one love alone. Tradition reads it as a sign of sincere devotion: you know only one "letter", and that is enough. Say openly what you love and you will feel free; and ask gently for the comfort you need before sorrow overflows.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -am ("I" / "me"). qâfiye: -âd (delshâd, âzâd, oftâd, âbâd, yâd, ostâd, zâd, mobârakbâd, dâd, bonyâd).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| فاش | fâsh | open, revealed, public dictionary |
| می‌گویم | miguyam | I say, I talk dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| گفتهٔ | gofte | words, what is said dictionary |
| khod | own dictionary | |
| bande | servant; humble "I" dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| âzâdam | me free; I am free dictionary | |
| قدسم | ghodsam | of holiness + -am "I am"; âlam-e ghods = the holy world dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| daham | I give dictionary | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| dâmgah | place of traps: this world (دامگاه) | |
| hâdese | accident, misfortune dictionary | |
| چون | chon | how dictionary |
| oftâdam | I fell dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| budam | I was dictionary | |
| فردوس | ferdows | paradise dictionary |
| jâyam | my place, my home dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| âdam | Adam dictionary | |
| âvard | brought dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| howz | pool dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| sar | head; tip, end (sar-e zolf = the tip of a curl) dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| to | you dictionary | |
| beraft | went away (رفت) dictionary | |
| یادم | yâdam | my memory; be yâdam = to my mind dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| لوح | lowh | tablet, slate dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| harf | word, phrase dictionary | |
| degar | other (دیگر) | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| نداد | nadâd | did not give dictionary |
| ostâdam | my teacher dictionary | |
| کوکب | kowkab | star; kowkab-e tâle' = star of one's fortune dictionary |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| نشناخت | nashenâkht | did not recognize, did not honor dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| مادر | mâdar | mother dictionary |
| giti | world; do giti = this world and the next dictionary | |
| tâle' | horoscope, fate, fortune (بخت) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| shodam | I became dictionary | |
| halghe | ring; halghe be gush = with a ring in one's ear, a devoted servant dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| میخانهٔ | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| ghami | a sorrow dictionary | |
| نو | now | new dictionary |
| می‌خورد | mikhorad | drinks dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| sezâst | is fitting, deserved dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | people (a pun on mardomak, the pupil of the eye) dictionary |
| dâdam | I gave dictionary | |
| پاک | pâk | pure, clean dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| چهرهٔ | chehre | face dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| seyl | flood dictionary | |
| bebarad | carries away dictionary | |
| bonyâdam | my foundation dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 317. 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.