Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 333: ⁧نماز شام غریبان چو گریه آغازم⁩

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

Ghazal 333 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
نمازِ شامِ غریبان چو گریه آغازمبه مویه‌هایِ غریبانه، قِصه پردازم
namâz-e shâm-e gharibân cho gerye âghâzam / be muye-hâ-ye gharibâne ghesse pardâzam
At the evening prayer of strangers, when I begin to weep, I tell my story in the laments of the homeless.
COUPLET 2
به یادِ یار و دیار آنچنان بِگِریَم زارکه از جهان رَه و رسمِ سفر براندازم
be yâd-e yâr o diyâr ânchenân begeryam zâr / ke az jahân rah o rasm-e safar barandâzam
Remembering my beloved and my homeland, I weep so bitterly that I would wipe the very custom of travel from the world.
COUPLET 3
من از دیارِ حبیبم نه از بِلاد غریبمُهَیمنا به رفیقانِ خود رسان بازم
man az diyâr-e habibam na az belâd-e gharib / mohayminâ be rafighân-e khod resân bâzam
I am from my beloved's land, not from foreign cities; O Guardian God, bring me back to my friends.
COUPLET 4
خدای را مددی ای رفیقِ رَه تا منبه کویِ میکده دیگر عَلَم برافرازم
khodây râ madadi ey rafigh-e rah tâ man / be ku-ye meykade digar alam bar afrâzam
For God's sake, give me some help, fellow traveler, so that I may raise my banner in the tavern's street once again.
COUPLET 5
خِرَد ز پیریِ من کِی حساب برگیرد؟که باز با صَنَمی طفل، عشق می‌بازم
kherad ze piri-ye man key hesâb bar girad / ke bâz bâ sanami tefl eshgh mibâzam
How could reason take my old age into account, when once again I am playing at love with a young idol, a child?
COUPLET 6
بجز صَبا و شِمالم نمی‌شناسد کسعزیز من! که بجز باد نیست دَم‌سازم
bejoz sabâ o shemâlam nemishenâsad kas / aziz-e man ke bejoz bâd nist damsâzam
No one knows me except the east wind and the north wind; my dear, I have no companion but the wind.
COUPLET 7
هوایِ منزل یار، آب زندگانیِ ماستصبا بیار نسیمی ز خاکِ شیرازم
havâ-ye manzel-e yâr âb-e zendegâni-ye mâst / sabâ biyâr nasimi ze khâk-e shirâzam
Longing for the beloved's home is our water of life; morning breeze, bring me a breath from the soil of my Shiraz.
COUPLET 8
سِرشکم آمد و عیبم بگفت روی به رویشکایت از که کنم؟ خانگی‌ست غَمّازَم
sereshkam âmad o eybam begoft ru be ru / shekâyat az ke konam? khânegi-st ghammâzam
My tears came and told my faults to my face. Whom can I complain about? The one who gives me away lives in my own house.
COUPLET 9
ز چَنگِ زهره شنیدم که صبح‌دم می‌گفت«غلامِ حافظِ خوش‌لهجهٔ خوش‌آوازم»
ze chang-e zohre shenidam ke sobhdam migoft / gholâm-e Hâfez-e khosh-lahje-ye khosh-âvâzam
I heard Venus say at dawn, as she played her harp: "I am the servant of Hafez, with his sweet speech and sweet voice."

What this fâl tells you

You may feel far from home or from the people who understand you. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that the road back is open: ask a companion for help, and the place and friends you long for will be within reach again. Your voice is valued more than you know.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âzam (âghâzam, pardâzam, barandâzam, bâzam, afrâzam, mibâzam, damsâzam, shirâzam, ghammâzam, âvâzam). A ghazal of homesickness for Shiraz.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
نمازnamâzritual prayer dictionary
shâmevening dictionary
gharibânstrangers, the homeless; shâm-e gharibân = the evening of strangers dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
گریهgeryeweeping dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
قصهghessestory dictionary
پردازمpardâzamI tell (a story); ghesse pardâkhtan = to tell a tale dictionary
یادyâdmemory dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
diyâr-eland of dictionary
begeryamI weep dictionary
zârbitterly (weeping) dictionary
jahânworld dictionary
rahroad, way (short for râh) (راه)
rasmcustom, way dictionary
safarjourney dictionary
barandâzamI abolish, wipe out dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
belâdcities, lands (Arabic plural) (شهرها)
gharibstranger, someone far from home dictionary
rafighânfriends, companions dictionary
khodself; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary
resânbring! deliver! (برسان) dictionary
bâzamme again (= bâz marâ) dictionary
khodâyGod (classical form) (خدا)
madadisome help dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
rafigh-efriend, companion of dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
کویku-yestreet, quarter (of) (کوچه)
میکدهmeykadetavern dictionary
bar afrâzamI raise dictionary
kheradreason, wisdom dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
پیریpiriold age dictionary
hesâbreckoning, account dictionary
bâzagain dictionary
bâwith dictionary
teflchild dictionary
bejozexcept (جز)
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
shemâlamthe north wind (+ -am: me) dictionary
نمی‌شناسدnemishenâsaddoes not know dictionary
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
azizprecious, dear dictionary
bâdwind dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
damsâzammy close companion dictionary
هوایhavâ-yelonging for, desire for dictionary
منزلmanzelstopping place, lodging; house dictionary
âbwater; stream dictionary
biyârbring! dictionary
nasimia breeze dictionary
khâkdust, earth dictionary
sereshkammy tears dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
eybammy fault dictionary
begoftsaid, told dictionary
ruface; ru be ru = to my face dictionary
shekâyatcomplaint dictionary
کهkewhom? (چه کسی)
کنمkonamI make, I do dictionary
khânegi-stis one of my own household (= khânegi ast) dictionary
چنگchangharp dictionary
zohreVenus, the planet of music in old astronomy dictionary
shenidamI heard dictionary
می‌گفتmigoftwas saying dictionary
gholâmservant dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 333. 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.

Become a tutor