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Hafez Ghazal 321: ⁧هر چند پیر و خسته‌دل و ناتوان شدم⁩

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

Ghazal 321 of Hafez (10 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
هر چند پیر و خسته‌دل و ناتوان شدمهر گَه که یادِ رویِ تو کردم جوان شدم
har chand pir o khaste-del o nâtavân shodam / har gah ke yâd-e ru-ye to kardam javân shodam
Though I have grown old, weary-hearted and weak, whenever I thought of your face I became young again.
COUPLET 2
شکرِ خدا که هر چه طلب کردم از خدابر مُنتهایِ همتِ خود کامران شدم
shokr-e khodâ ke har che talab kardam az khodâ / bar montahâ-ye hemmat-e khod kâmrân shodam
Thank God: whatever I asked of God, I received to the very limit of my aspiration.
COUPLET 3
ای گُلبُن جوان! بَرِ دولت بخور که مندر سایهٔ تو بلبلِ باغِ جهان شدم
ey golbon-e javân bar-e dowlat bokhor ke man / dar sâye-ye to bolbol-e bâgh-e jahân shodam
O young rosebush, enjoy the fruit of fortune, for in your shade I became the nightingale of the world's garden.
COUPLET 4
اول ز تحت و فوقِ وجودم خبر نبوددر مکتبِ غمِ تو، چُنین نکته‌دان شدم
avval ze taht o fowgh-e vojudam khabar nabud / dar maktab-e gham-e to chenin nokte-dân shodam
At first I knew nothing of what lay below or above my own being; in the school of grief for you I became such a master of subtleties.
COUPLET 5
قسمت حوالتم به خرابات می‌کندهر چند کاینچنین شدم و آنچنان شدم
ghesmat havâlatam be kharâbât mikonad / har chand k-inchenin shodam o ânchenân shodam
Fate keeps sending me to the tavern, however much I became like this or like that.
COUPLET 6
آن روز بر دلم درِ معنی گشوده شدکز ساکنانِ درگهِ پیرِ مغان شدم
ân ruz bar delam dar-e ma'ni goshude shod / k-az sâkenân-e dargah-e pir-e moghân shodam
The door of inner meaning opened on my heart the day I became one of those who live at the threshold of the tavern master.
COUPLET 7
در شاه‌راهِ دولتِ سرمد به تختِ بختبا جامِ مِی به کامِ دلِ دوستان شدم
dar shâhrâh-e dowlat-e sarmad be takht-e bakht / bâ jâm-e mey be kâm-e del-e dustân shodam
On the highway of eternal fortune, seated on the throne of luck, I went my way with a cup of wine, just as my friends' hearts wished.
COUPLET 8
از آن زمان که فتنهٔ چشمت به من رسیدایمن ز شرِّ فتنهٔ آخرزمان شدم
az ân zamân ke fetne-ye cheshmat be man resid / ayman ze sharr-e fetne-ye âkherzamân shodam
Ever since the turmoil of your eyes reached me, I have been safe from the evil of the turmoil at the end of time.
COUPLET 9
من پیرِ سال و ماه نیَم، یار بی‌وفاستبر من چو عمر می‌گذرد پیر از آن شدم
man pir-e sâl o mâh niyam yâr bivafâ-st / bar man cho omr migozarad pir az ân shodam
I am not old in years and months: my beloved is unfaithful and passes me by like life itself; that is why I have grown old.
COUPLET 10
دوشم نوید داد عنایت که حافظابازآ که من به عفوِ گناهت ضمان شدم
dusham navid dâd enâyat ke Hâfezâ / bâz â ke man be afv-e gonâhat zamân shodam
Last night divine grace brought me good news: "Hafez, come back, for I have become the guarantor of your forgiveness."

What this fâl tells you

Remembering what you love makes you young again. Tradition reads this fal as a very hopeful one: what you have asked for may be granted in full measure, and an old weight may be forgiven. Return to what gives your life meaning; the door is open and grace stands surety for you.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: shodam ("I became"). qâfiye: -ân (nâtavân, javân, kâmrân, jahân, nokte-dân, ânchenân, moghân, dustân, âkherzamân, ân, zamân).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
هرharevery dictionary
چندchandhar chand = although, however much dictionary
پیرpirelder; spiritual master dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
ناتوانnâtavânweak, helpless dictionary
shodamI became dictionary
گهgahtime; har gah = whenever (= gâh) (گاه)
یادyâdmemory dictionary
ru-yeface of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary
toyou dictionary
کردمkardamI did, I made dictionary
javânyoung dictionary
shokrthanks dictionary
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
talabrequest, search dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
khodown dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
گلبنgolbonrosebush dictionary
barfruit (bar-e dowlat = the fruit of fortune) dictionary
dowlatgood fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary
bokhoreat! enjoy! dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
darin; door dictionary
sâyeshade, shadow dictionary
bolbolnightingale dictionary
bâghgarden dictionary
jahânworld dictionary
avvalat first dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
tahtbelow, beneath dictionary
فوقfowghabove dictionary
khabarnews dictionary
نبودnabudwas not dictionary
مکتبmaktabschool dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
چنینcheninsuch, so dictionary
قسمتghesmatfate, share dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
می‌کندmikonaddoes, is doing dictionary
کاینچنینk-incheninthat like this (= ke inchenin) (که این‌چنین)
ânthat dictionary
ruzday dictionary
delammy heart dictionary
ma'nimeaning, inner reality dictionary
گشودهgoshudeopened dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
کزk-azthat from (= ke az) (که از)
sâkenândwellers dictionary
dargahthreshold, court (درگاه)
shâhrâh-ethe highway of dictionary
takhtthrone dictionary
bakhtfortune, luck dictionary
bâwith dictionary
jâmcup dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
کامkâmwish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary
delheart dictionary
dustânfriends dictionary
zamântime dictionary
فتنهٔfetneturmoil, strife dictionary
چشمتcheshmatyour eye dictionary
residarrived, came dictionary
sâlyear dictionary
ماهmâhmonth dictionary
نیمniyamI am not (نیستم)
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
bivafâ-stis unfaithful dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
omrlife, lifetime dictionary
می‌گذردmigozaradpasses dictionary
dushamlast night (to me) dictionary
نویدnavidgood news, glad tidings dictionary
dâdgave dictionary
bâz âcome back! dictionary
afvforgiveness dictionary
گناهتgonâhatyour sin, your crime dictionary
zamânguarantor (ضامن)

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 321. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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