Ghazal 344 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.
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COUPLET 1
عمریست تا من در طلب، هر روز گامی می‌زنمدستِ شفاعت هر زمان در نیک نامی می‌زنم
omri-st tâ man dar talab har ruz gâmi mizanam / dast-e shefâ'at har zamân dar nik-nâmi mizanam
For a lifetime I have taken a step in the search every day, and every moment I reach out to some person of good name to plead for me.
COUPLET 2
بی ماهِ مِهرافروزِ خود، تا بُگذَرانَم روزِ خوددامی به راهی می‌نهم، مرغی به دامی می‌زنم
bi mâh-e mehr-afruz-e khod tâ bogzarânam ruz-e khod / dâmi be râhi minaham morghi be dâmi mizanam
Without my love-kindling moon, just to get through my days, I set a trap on some road and lure some bird into a net.
COUPLET 3
اورنگ کو؟ گُلچهر کو؟ نقشِ وفا و مِهر کو؟حالی من اندر عاشقی، داوِ تمامی می‌زنم
owrang ku golchehr ku naghsh-e vafâ o mehr ku / hâli man andar âsheghi dâv-e tamâmi mizanam
Where is Owrang? Where is Golchehr? Where is any trace of faith and love? For now, in love, I am staking everything I have.
COUPLET 4
تا بو که یابم آگهی از سایهٔ سَروِ سَهیگلبانگِ عشق از هر طرف، بر خوش خرامی می‌زنم
tâ bu ke yâbam âgahi az sâye-ye sarv-e sahi / golbâng-e eshgh az har taraf bar khosh-khorâmi mizanam
Hoping to get some news of the shade of that straight cypress, I call out a song of love on every side to anyone who walks gracefully.
COUPLET 5
هرچند کـ‌آن آرامِ دل، دانم نبخشد کامِ دلنقشِ خیالی می‌کشم، فالِ دوامی می‌زنم
harchand k-ân ârâm-e del dânam nabakhshad kâm-e del / naghsh-e khiyâli mikesham fâl-e davâmi mizanam
Although I know that the one who calms my heart will not grant my heart's wish, I draw a dream picture and cast an omen for lasting love.
COUPLET 6
دانم سر آرد غُصِّه را، رنگین برآرد قِصِّه رااین آهِ خون افشان که من، هر صبح و شامی می‌زنم
dânam sar ârad ghosse râ rangin barârad ghesse râ / in âh-e khun-afshân ke man har sobh o shâmi mizanam
I know that this blood-scattering sigh I heave every morning and evening will bring my sorrow to an end and give the story color.
COUPLET 7
با آن که از وی غایبم، وز مِی چو حافظ تایبمدر مجلسِ روحانیان، گَه گاه جامی می‌زنم
bâ ân ke az vey ghâyebam v-az mey cho Hâfez tâyebam / dar majles-e ruhâniyân gah gâh jâmi mizanam
Though I am far from the beloved and, like Hafez, have sworn off wine, now and then I raise a cup in the gathering of spirits.
What this fâl tells you
Keep taking one step a day: steady seeking is never wasted. Tradition reads this fal as encouragement to keep hope alive with good omens and kind people who can speak for you, even when the one you long for seems far away. Your sighs and efforts will one day turn into a story with color in it.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: mizanam ("I strike, I make"). qâfiye: -âmi (gâmi, nâmi, dâmi, tamâmi, khorâmi, davâmi, shâmi, jâmi). Every beyt also has an inner rhyme in the first half-line (ruz-e khod / ruz-e khod, golchehr ku / mehr ku, ghosse râ / ghesse râ...). Owrang and Golchehr are the lovers of an old Persian romance.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| omri-st | it has been a lifetime (= omri ast) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| gâmi | a step dictionary | |
| می‌زنم | mizanam | I strike; gâm zadan = to take a step; jâm zadan = to drink a cup; fâl zadan = to cast an omen dictionary |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| نیک | nik | good; nik-nâmi = a person of good name dictionary |
| nâmi | name; nik-nâmi = good name, reputation dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| bogzarânam | I pass (the time) dictionary | |
| dâmi | a net, a trap dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| râhi | a road dictionary | |
| می‌نهم | minaham | I set, place dictionary |
| morghi | a bird dictionary | |
| کو | ku | where is? (کجاست) dictionary |
| نقش | naghsh | image, shape dictionary |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| âsheghi | love, being a lover dictionary | |
| tamâmi | all; dâv-e tamâmi zadan = to stake everything dictionary | |
| bu | hope; tâ bu ke = in the hope that dictionary | |
| یابم | yâbam | I find, receive dictionary |
| âgahi | knowledge, information (آگاهی) dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| هرچند | harchand | although dictionary |
| کـ‌آن | k-ân | for that (= ke ân) (که آن) |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dânam | I know dictionary | |
| نبخشد | nabakhshad | does not give dictionary |
| کام | kâm | wish, desire; be kâm = as one wishes dictionary |
| khiyâli | a fancy, a dream dictionary | |
| می‌کشم | mikesham | I draw (a picture) dictionary |
| فال | fâl | omen, fortune reading dictionary |
| davâmi | persistence, lasting dictionary | |
| sar | end; sar âvardan = to bring to an end dictionary | |
| ârad | brings; be dast ârad = takes in hand, wins (بیاورد) dictionary | |
| ghosse | sorrow, worry dictionary | |
| rangin | colored; stained dictionary | |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| shâmi | an evening dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| vey | it, him, her (= u) (او) | |
| ghâyebam | I am absent, far away dictionary | |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| ruhâniyân | the spiritual ones; angels dictionary | |
| گه | gah | time; har gah = whenever (= gâh) (گاه) |
| گاه | gâh | sometimes dictionary |
| jâmi | a cup dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 344. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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