Ghazal 38 of Hafez (8 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
بی مِهرِ رُخَت روزِ مرا نور نماندستوز عمر، مرا جز شبِ دیجور نماندست
bi mehr-e rokhat ruz-e marâ nur namând-ast / v-az omr marâ joz shab-e deyjur namând-ast
Without the sun of your face, no light is left in my day, and nothing is left of my life but pitch-dark night.
COUPLET 2
هنگامِ وداعِ تو ز بس گریه که کردمدور از رخِ تو، چشمِ مرا نور نماندست
hengâm-e vedâ'-e to ze bas gerye ke kardam / dur az rokh-e to cheshm-e marâ nur namând-ast
I wept so much when we said goodbye that, far from your face, no light is left in my eyes.
COUPLET 3
می‌رفت خیالِ تو ز چشمِ من و می‌گفتهیهات از این گوشه که معمور نماندست
miraft khiyâl-e to ze cheshm-e man o migoft / heyhât az in gushe ke ma'mur namând-ast
The image of you was leaving my eyes and saying, "Alas for this corner: no one lives here any more."
COUPLET 4
وصلِ تو اَجَل را ز سرم دور همی‌داشتاز دولتِ هجرِ تو کنون دور نماندست
vasl-e to ajal râ ze saram dur hami-dâsht / az dowlat-e hejr-e to konun dur namând-ast
Being with you kept death away from me; now, thanks to the "gift" of your absence, it is no longer far.
COUPLET 5
نزدیک شد آن دم که رقیب تو بگویددور از رُخَت این خستهٔ رنجور نماندست
nazdik shod ân dam ke raghib-e to beguyad / dur az rokhat in khaste-ye ranjur namând-ast
The moment is near when your rival will say, "Far from your face, this weary, suffering one is no more."
COUPLET 6
صبر است مرا چارهٔ هجرانِ تو لیکنچون صبر توان کرد که مقدور نماندست؟
sabr ast marâ châre-ye hejrân-e to likan / chon sabr tavân kard ke maghdur namând-ast?
Patience is my only remedy for your absence, but how can I be patient when I no longer have the strength?
COUPLET 7
در هِجرِ تو گر چشمِ مرا آبِ روان استگو خونِ جگر ریز که معذور نماندست
dar hejr-e to gar cheshm-e marâ âb-e ravân ast / gu khun-e jegar riz ke ma'zur namând-ast
If my eyes run with water while you are away, tell them to shed my heart's blood, for they have no excuse left.
COUPLET 8
حافظ، ز غم از گریه نپرداخت به خندهماتم زده را داعیهٔ سور نماندست
Hâfez ze gham az gerye napardâkht be khande / mâtam-zade râ dâ'iye-ye sur namând-ast
Hafez, in his grief, has had no time to turn from tears to laughter; a mourner has no wish for a feast.
What this fâl tells you
You are missing someone deeply, and the days feel dark without them. Tradition reads this fal as a gentle acknowledgment of sorrow: tears are allowed, and patience, even when it feels used up, is still the remedy. Like every night, this one will give way to morning; let others comfort you meanwhile.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: namând-ast ("is not left"). qâfiye: -ur (nur, deyjur, ma'mur, dur, ranjur, maghdur, ma'zur, sur).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| bi | without dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| rokhat | your face dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| نماندست | namând-ast | is not left, does not remain (= namânde ast) (نمانده است) dictionary |
| وز | v-az | and from (= va az) (و از) |
| omr | life, lifetime dictionary | |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| هنگام | hengâm | time (of) dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| گریه | gerye | weeping dictionary |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| می‌رفت | miraft | was going on dictionary |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| می‌گفت | migoft | was saying dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گوشه | gushe | corner dictionary |
| saram | my head; over me dictionary | |
| همی‌داشت | hami-dâsht | kept, used to keep (می‌داشت) dictionary |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| کنون | konun | now (اکنون) |
| نزدیک | nazdik | near dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| beguyad | will say dictionary | |
| khaste | tired, wounded dictionary | |
| ranjur | ill, suffering dictionary | |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| چارهٔ | châre | remedy, way out dictionary |
| لیکن | likan | but (ولی) |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| مقدور | maghdur | possible, within one's power dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| jegar | liver; khun-e jegar = deep grief dictionary | |
| riz | pour! shed! (بریز) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| نپرداخت | napardâkht | did not turn to, had no time for dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| khande | laughter dictionary | |
| ماتم | mâtam | mourning; mâtam-zade = mourner dictionary |
| zade | has set up (a throne, a tent) dictionary | |
| sur | feast, celebration dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 38. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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