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Hafez Ghazal 330: ⁧تو همچو صبحی و من شمع خلوت سحرم⁩

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

Ghazal 330 of Hafez (7 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
تو همچو صبحی و من شمعِ خلوتِ سَحَرمتبسمی کن و جان بین که چون همی‌سِپرَم
to hamcho sobhi o man sham'-e khalvat-e saharam / tabassomi kon o jân bin ke chon hami separam
You are like the dawn, and I am the candle of a lonely room at daybreak: smile once, and see how I give up my life.
COUPLET 2
چُنین که در دلِ من داغِ زلفِ سرکَشِ توستبنفشه زار شود تُربَتَم چو درگذرم
chonin ke dar del-e man dâgh-e zolf-e sarkesh-e tost / banafshe-zâr shavad torbatam cho dar gozaram
With the brand of your defiant curls burned this deep into my heart, my grave will turn into a bed of violets when I die.
COUPLET 3
بر آستانِ مرادَت گشاده‌ام درِ چشمکه یک نظر فِکنی، خود فِکندی از نظرم
bar âstân-e morâdat goshâde-am dar-e cheshm / ke yek nazar fekani, khod fekandi az nazaram
At the threshold of your wishes I opened the door of my eyes, hoping you would cast me one glance; instead you dropped me from your sight.
COUPLET 4
چه شُکر گویمت ای خیلِ غم، عَفاکَ اللهکه روزِ بی‌کسی آخر نمی‌روی ز سرم
che shokr guyamat ey kheyl-e gham, afâk-allâh / ke ruz-e bikasi âkher nemiravi ze saram
How can I thank you, O crowd of sorrows, God bless you: on the day I have no one, at least you never leave me.
COUPLET 5
غلامِ مردمِ چشمم، که با سیاه دلیهزار قطره بِبارَد چو دردِ دل شِمُرَم
gholâm-e mardom-e cheshmam ke bâ siyâh-deli / hezâr ghatre bebârad cho dard-e del shemoram
I am the servant of the pupil of my eye: hard and black-hearted as it is, it rains a thousand drops whenever I tell my heart's pain.
COUPLET 6
به هر نظر بُت ما جلوه می‌کند، لیکنکس این کرشمه نبیند که من همی‌ نِگَرَم
be har nazar bot-e mâ jelve mikonad likan / kas in kereshme nabinad ke man hami negaram
Our idol shows off her beauty to every eye, but no one sees this charm the way I see it.
COUPLET 7
به خاکِ حافظ اگر یار بگذرد چون بادز شوق در دلِ آن تنگنا کفن بِدَرَم
be khâk-e Hâfez agar yâr bogzarad chon bâd / ze showgh dar del-e ân tangnâ kafan bedaram
If the beloved passes over Hafez's dust like the wind, I will tear my shroud with longing, deep in that narrow place.

What this fâl tells you

Your devotion is real, even if it has not been noticed yet. Tradition reads this fal as a word to the faithful heart: one smile, one glance from the one you care about, can make up for a long wait. Even your sorrows have kept you company; soon there will be better company.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -aram (saharam, separam, gozaram, nazaram, saram, shemoram, negaram, bedaram). Beyt 4 has the Arabic blessing afâk-allâh "God pardon you, God bless you".

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
toyou dictionary
همچوhamcholike (مثل)
sobhia morning, the dawn dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
khalvatprivate room, solitude dictionary
saharamat dawn, to me (sahar + -am) dictionary
tabassomia smile dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
binsee! (= bebin) (ببین) dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
همی‌سپرمhami separamI am giving up (my soul) dictionary
چنینcheninsuch, so dictionary
darin; door dictionary
delheart dictionary
dâghbrand, burning mark (like the dark spot in a tulip) dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
sarkeshdefiant, rebellious dictionary
tostis yours (= to ast) dictionary
zârfield of, bed of (banafshe-zâr = bed of violets) dictionary
shavadbecomes dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
dar gozaramI pass away, die dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
مرادتmorâdatyour wish dictionary
گشاده‌امgoshâde-amI have opened dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
نظرnazarsight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary
fekaniyou throw, put off dictionary
khodinstead, in fact dictionary
fekandiyou threw; az nazar fekandan = to drop from favor dictionary
نظرمnazaramsight, favor (+ -am: me) dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
shokrthanks dictionary
گویمتguyamatI tell you dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
allâhGod (Arabic) dictionary
ruzday dictionary
nemiraviyou do not go dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
sarammy head; az sar raftan = to leave someone dictionary
gholâmservant dictionary
مردمmardompupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary
چشممcheshmammy eye dictionary
bâwith dictionary
siyâhblack dictionary
delisiyâh-deli = black-heartedness, hard heart (the pupil is black) dictionary
هزارhezârthousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary
bebâradrains, pours dictionary
dardpain dictionary
shemoramI count out, tell dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
botidol; the beautiful beloved dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
jelvedisplay, showing oneself dictionary
می‌کندmikonaddoes, is doing dictionary
لیکنlikanbut (ولی)
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
inthis dictionary
کرشمهkereshmeflirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه)
نبیندnabinaddoes not see dictionary
hamiold prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می‌)
نگرمnegaramI look, I see dictionary
khâkdust, earth dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
agarif dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
bogzaradpasses by, over dictionary
bâdwind dictionary
showghlonging, eagerness dictionary
ânthat dictionary
tangnânarrow place (here the grave) dictionary
کفنkafanshroud dictionary
bedaramI tear dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 330. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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