Ghazal 324 of Hafez (8 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
گرچه افتاد ز زلفش گرهی در کارمهمچُنان چشمِ گشاد از کَرَمَش می‌دارم
garche oftâd ze zolfash gerehi dar kâram / hamchonân cheshm-e goshâd az karamash midâram
Though a knot from the beloved's curl has tangled my affairs, I still look to the beloved's generosity to untie it.
COUPLET 2
به طَرَب حمل مَکُن سرخیِ رویم که چو جامخونِ دل عکس برون می‌دهد از رخسارم
be tarab haml makon sorkhi-ye ruyam ke cho jâm / khun-e del aks borun midahad az rokhsâram
Do not take the redness of my face for joy: like the cup, my cheeks only reflect the blood of my heart.
COUPLET 3
پردهٔ مطربم از دست برون خواهد بردآه اگر زان که در این پرده نباشد بارم
parde-ye motrebam az dast borun khâhad bord / âh agar z-ân ke dar in parde nabâshad bâram
The minstrel's melody will sweep me off my feet; alas, if I am not admitted behind this curtain!
COUPLET 4
پاسبانِ حرمِ دل شده‌ام شب همه شبتا در این پرده جز اندیشه او نَگْذارم
pâsbân-e haram-e del shode-am shab hame shab / tâ dar in parde joz andishe-ye u nagzâram
Every night, all night long, I have stood guard over the sanctuary of my heart, so as to let nothing behind this curtain but thoughts of the beloved.
COUPLET 5
منم آن شاعرِ ساحر که به افسونِ سخناز نِیِ کِلک، همه قند و شِکَر می‌بارم
manam ân shâ'er-e sâher ke be afsun-e sokhan / az ney-e kelk hame ghand o shekar mibâram
I am that sorcerer poet who, by the spell of words, rains nothing but candy and sugar from the reed of my pen.
COUPLET 6
دیدهٔ بخت به افسانهٔ او شد در خوابکو نسیمی ز عنایت که کُنَد بیدارم؟
dide-ye bakht be afsâne-ye u shod dar khâb / ku nasimi ze enâyat ke konad bidâram
The eye of my fortune fell asleep to the beloved's tales; where is a breeze of grace to wake me?
COUPLET 7
چون تو را در گذر ای یار نمی‌یارم دیدبا که گویم که بگوید سخنی با یارم؟
chon to râ dar gozar ey yâr nemiyâram did / bâ ke guyam ke beguyad sokhani bâ yâram
Since I dare not even look at you as you pass, my love, whom can I ask to carry a word to my beloved?
COUPLET 8
دوش می‌گفت که حافظ همه روی است و ریابجز از خاکِ درش با که بُوَد بازارم؟
dush migoft ke Hâfez hame ruy ast o riyâ / bejoz az khâk-e darash bâ ke bovad bâzâram
Last night the beloved was saying, "Hafez is all pretense and hypocrisy." But apart from the dust of that door, with whom do I do any business?
What this fâl tells you
A knot has appeared in your affairs, but this fal tells you to keep hoping for an opening. Tradition reads it as a sign that generosity will loosen what is tied. If you cannot speak directly to the person who matters, find a kind go-between, and let your words be as sweet as the poet's pen.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -am ("I" / "my"). qâfiye: -âr (kâr, dâr, rokhsâr, bâr, gozâr, bâr, bidâr, yâr, bâzâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گرچه | garche | although dictionary |
| oftâd | fell dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| gerehi | a knot dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| کارم | kâram | my affairs, my work dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| گشاد | goshâd | opening; cheshm-e goshâd dâshtan = to hope for relief (گشایش) dictionary |
| کرمش | karamash | His generosity dictionary |
| می‌دارم | midâram | I hold dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tarab | joy, merriment dictionary | |
| haml | attributing; haml kardan be = to take as a sign of dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| ruyam | my face dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| aks | reflection dictionary | |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| می‌دهد | midahad | gives; neshân midahad = describes dictionary |
| rokhsâram | my cheek dictionary | |
| پردهٔ | parde | curtain; also musical mode (a pun) dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| bord | took away dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| نباشد | nabâshad | is not, will not be dictionary |
| bâram | admission for me (bâr = audience at court); bâr dâdan = to admit dictionary | |
| shode-am | I have become dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| andishe | thought dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| نگذارم | nagzâram | I do not let in dictionary |
| منم | manam | I am (the one) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| shâ'er | poet dictionary | |
| sâher | sorcerer dictionary | |
| afsun | spell, charm dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| نی | ney | reed flute dictionary |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| shekar | sugar dictionary | |
| می‌بارم | mibâram | I rain, I shower dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| afsâne | tale, legend dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| کو | ku | where is? (کجاست) dictionary |
| nasimi | a breeze dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bidâram | me awake (bidâr kardan = to wake) dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| گذر | gozar | passage dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| گویم | guyam | I say dictionary |
| beguyad | will say dictionary | |
| sokhani | a saying dictionary | |
| یارم | yâram | my beloved dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ruy | face; ruy o riyâ = pretense and hypocrisy dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| riyâ | hypocrisy, showing off piety dictionary | |
| bejoz | except (جز) | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| darash | its door dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| bâzâram | my market, my dealings dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 324. 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.