Ghazal 36 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.
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COUPLET 1
تا سرِ زلفِ تو در دستِ نسیم افتادستدلِ سودازده از غُصه دو نیم افتادست
tâ sar-e zolf-e to dar dast-e nasim oftâd-ast / del-e sowdâzade az ghosse do nim oftâd-ast
Ever since the tip of your hair fell into the hands of the breeze, my love-crazed heart has been split in two with grief.
COUPLET 2
چَشمِ جادویِ تو خود عینِ سَوادِ سِحْر استلیکن این هست که این نُسخه سَقیم اُفتادست
cheshm-e jâdu-ye to khod eyn-e savâd-e sehr ast / likan in hast ke in noskhe saghim oftâd-ast
Your bewitching eye is itself the very manuscript of magic; only, this copy has turned out sick, languid.
COUPLET 3
در خَمِ زلف تو آن خالِ سیه دانی چیست؟نقطهٔ دوده که در حلقه جیم افتادست
dar kham-e zolf-e to ân khâl-e siyah dâni chist? / noghte-ye dude ke dar halghe-ye jim oftâd-ast
Do you know what that black mole in the curve of your hair is? A dot of ink fallen into the loop of the letter jim.
COUPLET 4
زلفِ مشکینِ تو در گلشنِ فردوسِ عِذارچیست؟ طاووس که در باغِ نعیم افتادست
zolf-e meshkin-e to dar golshan-e ferdows-e ezâr / chist? tâvus ke dar bâgh-e na'im oftâd-ast
What is your musky hair in the paradise garden of your cheek? A peacock that has landed in the Garden of Bliss.
COUPLET 5
دلِ من در هوسِ رویِ تو ای مونس جانخاکِ راهیست که در دستِ نسیم افتادست
del-e man dar havas-e ru-ye to ey munes-e jân / khâk-e râhi-st ke dar dast-e nasim oftâd-ast
My heart, longing for your face, companion of my soul, is dust from the road caught in the hands of the breeze.
COUPLET 6
همچو گَرد این تنِ خاکی نتوانَد برخاستاز سرِ کویِ تو زان رو که عظیم افتادست
hamcho gard in tan-e khâki natavânad barkhâst / az sar-e ku-ye to z-ân ru ke azim oftâd-ast
This body of earth cannot rise like dust from the head of your lane, because it has fallen there so heavily.
COUPLET 7
سایهٔ قَدِّ تو بر قالبم ای عیسی دمعکسِ روحیست که بر عَظمِ رَمیم افتادست
sâye-ye ghadd-e to bar ghâlebam ey isâ-dam / aks-e ruhi-st ke bar azm-e ramim oftâd-ast
O you with the breath of Jesus, the shadow of your figure on my body is like a spirit's light falling on crumbling bones.
COUPLET 8
آن که جز کعبه مُقامش نَبُد از یادِ لبتبر درِ میکده دیدم که مُقیم افتادست
ân ke joz ka'be maghâmash nabod az yâd-e labat / bar dar-e meykade didam ke moghim oftâd-ast
One whose only home was the Kaaba, remembering your lips, I saw lying at the tavern door, settled there for good.
COUPLET 9
حافظِ گمشده را با غمت ای یارِ عزیزاتحادیست که در عهدِ قدیم افتادست
Hâfez-e gomshode râ bâ ghamat ey yâr-e aziz / ettehâdi-st ke dar ahd-e ghadim oftâd-ast
Dear friend, lost Hafez and the grief of you were joined into one in the ancient covenant.
What this fâl tells you
Your heart has been carried off by something lovely, and that is not a misfortune. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that a bond made long ago is still alive, and that a presence, gentle as a breath, can bring new life to tired bones. Let yourself rest at the door you have been drawn to.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: oftâd-ast ("has fallen"). qâfiye: -im (nasim, nim, saghim, jim, na'im, azim, ramim, moghim, ghadim). Beyt 3 compares the mole to the dot written inside the letter ج (jim).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| oftâd-ast | has fallen, turned out (= oftâde ast) (افتاده است) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ghosse | sorrow, worry dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| نیم | nim | half; nim-shab = midnight dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| eyn | the very essence of, pure dictionary | |
| savâd | black ink; a rough draft, manuscript dictionary | |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| لیکن | likan | but (ولی) |
| in | this dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| siyah | black (سیاه) | |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| نقطهٔ | noghte | point; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary |
| dude | soot, ink dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| فردوس | ferdows | paradise dictionary |
| tâvus | peacock dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| هوس | havas | longing, desire dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| râhi-st | is a road (= râhi ast) dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| tan | body dictionary | |
| khâki | a handful of earth; a humble person dictionary | |
| نتواند | natavânad | cannot dictionary |
| barkhâst | rose, got up dictionary | |
| کوی | ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| قالبم | ghâlebam | my body, my frame dictionary |
| isâ | Jesus (whose breath revived the dead) dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| aks | reflection dictionary | |
| ruhi-st | is a spirit (= ruhi ast) dictionary | |
| azm | bone (Arabic) (استخوان) | |
| ramim | decayed, crumbling (Arabic) (پوسیده) | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| مقامش | maghâmash | his station, dwelling dictionary |
| نبد | nabod | was not (نبود) dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| میکده | meykade | tavern dictionary |
| didam | I saw dictionary | |
| مقیم | moghim | resident dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| ettehâdi-st | is a union (= ettehâdi ast) dictionary | |
| ahd | covenant; also era (ahd-e ghadim = the ancient covenant) dictionary | |
| قدیم | ghadim | old, ancient dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 36. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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