Ghazal 365 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
عمریست تا به راهِ غَمَت رو نهاده‌ایمروی و ریایِ خَلق به یک سو نهاده‌ایم
omri-st tâ be râh-e ghamat ru nahâde-im / ru-y o riyâ-ye khalgh be yek su nahâde-im
For a lifetime now we have set our face toward the road of your sorrow, and we have put aside people's show and hypocrisy.
COUPLET 2
طاق و رواقِ مدرسه و قال و قیلِ عِلمدر راهِ جام و ساقیِ مَه رو نهاده‌ایم
tâgh o ravâgh-e madrese o ghâl o ghil-e elm / dar râh-e jâm o sâghi-ye mah-ru nahâde-im
The arches and porches of the school and all the "he said, it was said" of scholarship we have laid down on the road of the cup and the moon-faced cupbearer.
COUPLET 3
هم جان بِدان دو نرگسِ جادو سپرده‌ایمهم دل بدان دو سُنبلِ هندو نهاده‌ایم
ham jân bedân do narges-e jâdu seporde-im / ham del bedân do sonbol-e hendu nahâde-im
We have entrusted our soul to those two bewitching narcissus eyes, and laid our heart in those two dark hyacinth curls.
COUPLET 4
عمری گذشت تا به امیدِ اشارتیچشمی بدان دو گوشهٔ ابرو نهاده‌ایم
omri gozasht tâ be omid-e eshârati / cheshmi bedân do gushe-ye abru nahâde-im
A lifetime has passed while, hoping for a sign, we have kept an eye on the corners of those two eyebrows.
COUPLET 5
ما مُلکِ عافیت نه به لشکر گرفته‌ایمما تختِ سلطنت نه به بازو نهاده‌ایم
mâ molk-e âfiyat na be lashkar gerefte-im / mâ takht-e saltanat na be bâzu nahâde-im
We did not win the kingdom of well-being with an army, nor did we set up our royal throne by strength of arm.
COUPLET 6
تا سِحْرِ چَشم یار چه بازی کند که بازبنیاد بر کرشمهٔ جادو نهاده‌ایم
tâ sehr-e cheshm-e yâr che bâzi konad ke bâz / bonyâd bar kereshme-ye jâdu nahâde-im
Let us see what game the magic of the beloved's eye will play, for once again we have built our foundation on a bewitching glance.
COUPLET 7
بی زلفِ سرکشش سرِ سودایی از ملالهمچون بنفشه بر سرِ زانو نهاده‌ایم
bi zolf-e sarkeshash sar-e sowdâyi az malâl / hamchon banafshe bar sar-e zânu nahâde-im
Without that unruly curl, we have laid our love-crazed head on our knee in sorrow, like the drooping violet.
COUPLET 8
در گوشهٔ امید چو نَظّارگانِ ماهچَشمِ طلب بر آن خَمِ ابرو نهاده‌ایم
dar gushe-ye omid cho nazzâregân-e mâh / cheshm-e talab bar ân kham-e abru nahâde-im
In the corner of hope, like those who watch for the new moon, we have fixed our searching eyes on the curve of that eyebrow.
COUPLET 9
گفتی که حافظا دل سرگشته‌ات کجاست؟در حلقه‌هایِ آن خَمِ گیسو نهاده‌ایم
gofti ke Hâfezâ del-e sargashte-at kojâst? / dar halghe-hâ-ye ân kham-e gisu nahâde-im
You asked, "Hafez, where is your wandering heart?" We have laid it in the rings of those curling tresses.
What this fâl tells you
This fal belongs to someone who has set aside show and empty debate to follow the heart. Tradition reads it as patience rewarded: like people waiting for the new moon, keep watching for the sign you hope for, and it will appear. What you gain will not come by force but by sincerity and gentle persistence.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: nahâde-im. qâfiye: -u (ru, su, hendu, abru, bâzu, jâdu, zânu, gisu). The drooping violet with its head on its "knee" is a classic image of a sorrowful lover.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| omri-st | it has been a lifetime (= omri ast) dictionary | |
| tâ | since; omri-st tâ = it has been a lifetime since dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| ru | face; ru nahâdan = to turn toward, set out dictionary | |
| نهاده‌ایم | nahâde-im | we have laid down dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| riyâ-ye | hypocrisy of; ru-y o riyâ = show and hypocrisy dictionary | |
| khalgh | people, the public (مردم) dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| su | direction, side dictionary | |
| tâgh | arch, vault dictionary | |
| مدرسه | madrese | religious school dictionary |
| elm | knowledge dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| ru | face; mah-ru = moon-faced dictionary | |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| bedân | to that (point) (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| jâdu | magic; bewitching dictionary | |
| seporde-im | we have entrusted dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| omri | a life, a lifetime dictionary | |
| گذشت | gozasht | passed dictionary |
| tâ | while, since dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| cheshmi | an eye dictionary | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| گرفته‌ایم | gerefte-im | we have taken, conquered dictionary |
| takht | throne dictionary | |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| bâzu | arm; strength of arm dictionary | |
| tâ | (let us see) what; tâ ... che = we shall see what dictionary | |
| sehr | magic dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| bâzi | game; trick dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| bâz | again dictionary | |
| bonyâd | foundation dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| sarkeshash | her unruly, rebellious (curl) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| sowdâyi | love-crazed, full of passion dictionary | |
| همچون | hamchon | like (مثل) |
| zânu | knee dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| gofti | you said; you composed dictionary | |
| halghe-hâ-ye | rings of, curls of dictionary | |
| گیسو | gisu | long hair, tresses dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 365. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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