Ghazal 377 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
ما شبی دست برآریم و دعایی بکنیمغم هجران تو را چاره ز جایی بکنیم
mâ shabi dast barârim o do'â'i bokonim / gham-e hejrân-e to râ châre ze jâyi bokonim
One night let us raise our hands and say a prayer, and find somewhere a remedy for the sorrow of being apart from you.
COUPLET 2
دلِ بیمار شد از دست، رفیقان مددیتا طبیبش به سر آریم و دوایی بکنیم
del-e bimâr shod az dast, rafighân madadi / tâ tabibash be sar ârim o davâyi bokonim
The sick heart is slipping out of our hands. Friends, help! Let us bring a doctor to its bedside and find it some cure.
COUPLET 3
آن که بی‌جرم برنجید و به تیغم زد و رفتبازش آرید خدا را که صفایی بکنیم
ân ke bi jorm beranjid o be tigham zad o raft / bâzash ârid khodâ râ ke safâyi bokonim
The one who took offense without any fault of mine, struck me with a sword and left: for God's sake, bring that one back so that we can make peace.
COUPLET 4
خشک شد بیخ طرب راه خرابات کجاستتا در آن آب و هوا نشو و نمایی بکنیم
khoshk shod bikh-e tarab, râh-e kharâbât kojâst / tâ dar ân âb o havâ nashv o namâyi bokonim
The root of joy has dried up. Where is the road to the tavern, so that in that air and water we may grow and flourish again?
COUPLET 5
مدد از خاطر رندان طلب ای دل ور نهکار صعب است مبادا که خطایی بکنیم
madad az khâter-e rendân talab ey del var na / kâr sa'b ast mabâdâ ke khatâyi bokonim
O heart, ask the free spirits for the help of their blessing; otherwise the task is hard, and we may make a mistake.
COUPLET 6
سایهٔ طایر کم حوصله کاری نکندطلب از سایهٔ میمون همایی بکنیم
sâye-ye tâyer-e kam-howsele kâri nakonad / talab az sâye-ye meymun-e homâyi bokonim
The shadow of a small-spirited bird can do nothing; let us seek the blessed shadow of a Homa, the bird of fortune.
COUPLET 7
دلم از پرده بشد حافظ خوش‌گوی کجاستتا به قول و غزلش ساز نوایی بکنیم
delam az parde beshod Hâfez-e khosh-gu kojâst / tâ be ghowl o ghazalash sâz-e navâyi bokonim
My heart has fallen out of tune; where is sweet-voiced Hafez, so that we may tune our instruments to his songs and ghazals?
What this fâl tells you
This fal suggests that when the heart is sick and joy has dried at the root, the answer is to pray, ask friends for help and seek out generous, large-spirited people. Tradition reads it as a sign that someone who left in anger may be brought back and peace made. Look for good company and music; the heart will flourish again in a better climate.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bokonim. qâfiye: -âyi (do'â'i, jâyi, davâyi, safâyi, namâyi, khatâyi, homâyi, navâyi). The Homa is the legendary bird whose shadow was said to bring kingship and good fortune.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| shabi | one night dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| do'â'i | a prayer dictionary | |
| bokonim | let us do, let us make dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چاره | châre | remedy, way out dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| jâyi | somewhere dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| bimâr | ill dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| rafighân | friends, companions dictionary | |
| madadi | some help dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| tabibash | a doctor for it (tabib + -ash) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| sar | head; be sar âvardan = to bring to the bedside dictionary | |
| ârim | we bring, turn (ru âvardan = turn one's face) dictionary | |
| davâyi | a cure, a medicine dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| beranjid | took offense, was hurt (رنجید) dictionary | |
| tigham | with a sword (+ -am: me) dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| bâzash | him / her back; bâz âvardan = to bring back dictionary | |
| ârid | bring (you, plural); yâd ârid = remember! dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| safâyi | a moment of clarity, purity dictionary | |
| khoshk | dry, joyless dictionary | |
| bikh | root (ریشه) dictionary | |
| tarab | joy, merriment dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| هوا | havâ | air, weather dictionary |
| namâyi | growth, flourishing; nashv o namâ = growth dictionary | |
| مدد | madad | help dictionary |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| rendân | free spirits, rogues who scorn hypocrisy dictionary | |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| sa'b | hard, difficult (سخت) | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| مبادا | mabâdâ | may it never be! dictionary |
| khatâyi | a wrong, a mistake dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| کم | kam | little; kam-howsele = small-spirited, impatient dictionary |
| howsele-ye | capacity of dictionary | |
| kâri | a deed, what (it) did dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| میمون | meymun | auspicious, blessed (خجسته) dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | veil; also a musical mode (pun): az parde shodan = to fall out of tune dictionary |
| beshod | went, passed away (رفت / گذشت) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| قول | ghowl | song, sung verse dictionary |
| ghazalash | his ghazal dictionary | |
| navâyi | a melody, a tune dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 377. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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