Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 397: ⁧ز در در آ و شبستان ما منور کن⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 397 of Hafez (12 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.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
ز در در آ و شبستان ما منور کنهوای مجلس روحانیان معطر کن
ze dar dar â o shabestân-e mâ monavvar kon / havâ-ye majles-e ruhâniyân mo'attar kon
Come in through the door and light up our night-chamber; perfume the air of this gathering of spiritual souls.
COUPLET 2
اگر فقیه نصیحت کند که عشق مبازپیاله‌ای بدهش گو دماغ را تر کن
agar faghih nasihat konad ke eshgh mabâz / piyâle-i bedehash gu demâgh râ tar kon
If the jurist advises, "Do not play at love," give him a cup and say, "Refresh your brain."
COUPLET 3
به چشم و ابروی جانان سپرده‌ام دل و جانبیا بیا و تماشای طاق و منظر کن
be cheshm o abru-ye jânân seporde-am del o jân / biyâ biyâ o tamâshâ-ye tâgh o manzar kon
I have entrusted heart and soul to the beloved's eyes and brows; come, come, and gaze at that arch and that window.
COUPLET 4
ستاره شب هجران نمی‌فشاند نوربه بام قصر برآ و چراغ مه بر کن
setâre shab-e hejrân nemifeshânad nur / be bâm-e ghasr bar â o cherâgh-e mah bar kon
On the night of separation the stars shed no light; come up onto the palace roof and light the lamp of the moon.
COUPLET 5
بگو به خازن جنت که خاک این مجلسبه تحفه بر سوی فردوس و عود مجمر کن
begu be khâzen-e jannat ke khâk-e in majles / be tohfe bar su-ye ferdows o ud-e mejmar kon
Tell the keeper of paradise to carry the dust of this gathering up to heaven as a gift, and burn it in the censer like aloeswood.
COUPLET 6
از این مزوجه و خرقه نیک در تنگمبه یک کرشمه صوفی‌وشم قلندر کن
az in mozavvaje o kherghe nik dar tangam / be yek kereshme sufi-vasham ghalandar kon
I am thoroughly weary of this patched robe and Sufi cloak; with one glance, turn me, a would-be Sufi, into a free qalandar.
COUPLET 7
چو شاهدان چمن زیردست حسن تواَندکرشمه بر سمن و جلوه بر صنوبر کن
cho shâhedân-e chaman zirdast-e hosn-e to-and / kereshme bar saman o jelve bar sanowbar kon
Since the beauties of the meadow are subjects of your beauty, flirt with the jasmine and show off before the pine.
COUPLET 8
فضول نفس حکایت بسی کند ساقیتو کار خود مده از دست و می به ساغر کن
fozul-e nafs hekâyat basi konad sâghi / to kâr-e khod madeh az dast o mey be sâghar kon
The meddling ego tells many tales, cupbearer; do not let your own work slip from your hands: pour the wine into the cup.
COUPLET 9
حجاب دیده ادراک شد شعاع جمالبیا و خرگه خورشید را منور کن
hejâb-e dide-ye edrâk shod sho'â'-e jamâl / biyâ o khargah-e khorshid râ monavvar kon
The radiance of beauty has become a veil over the eye of understanding; come, and light up the pavilion of the sun.
COUPLET 10
طمع به قند وصال تو حد ما نبودحوالتم به لب لعل همچو شکر کن
tama' be ghand-e vesâl-e to hadd-e mâ nabvad / havâlatam be lab-e la'l-e hamcho shekkar kon
To hope for the sugar of union with you is beyond my measure; refer me instead to your sugar-sweet ruby lip.
COUPLET 11
لب پیاله ببوس آنگهی به مستان دهبدین دقیقه دماغ معاشران تر کن
lab-e piyâle bebus ângahi be mastân deh / bedin daghighe demâgh-e mo'âsherân tar kon
Kiss the lip of the cup, then hand it to the drunk; with this subtle touch, refresh the minds of the companions.
COUPLET 12
پس از ملازمت عیش و عشق مه‌رویانز کارها که کنی شعر حافظ از بر کن
pas az molâzemat-e eysh o eshgh-e mahruyân / ze kâr-hâ ke koni she'r-e Hâfez az bar kon
After devoting yourself to pleasure and to loving the moon-faced, of all the things you do, learn Hafez's poems by heart.

What this fâl tells you

Someone's arrival will bring light into a dark room, and you are asked to open the door. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that a visit, a reunion or a bright idea will lift the gathering around you. Do not let busy talk distract you from your own task, and share your joy with others.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: kon ("do!, make!"). qâfiye: -ar (monavvar, mo'attar, tar, manzar, bar, mejmar, ghalandar, sanowbar, sâghar, shekkar).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
darin; door dictionary
âcome! (forud â = come down) (بیا) dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
کنkondo! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary
havâ-yeair of dictionary
مجلسmajlesgathering, feast dictionary
ruhâniyânthe spiritual ones; angels dictionary
agarif dictionary
فقیهfaghihjurist, expert in religious law dictionary
نصیحتnasihatadvice dictionary
کندkonaddoes; makes dictionary
مبازmabâzdo not play! (نباز)
piyâle-ia cup dictionary
bedehashgive him! dictionary
گوgusay! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary
tarwet, fresh dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
abru-yeeyebrow of dictionary
jânânthe beloved (معشوق)
seporde-amI have entrusted dictionary
delheart dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
biyâcome! dictionary
tamâshâ-yewatching, the sight of dictionary
tâgharch, vault dictionary
منظرmanzarwindow, belvedere (here: the eyes) dictionary
setârestar dictionary
shabnight dictionary
نمی‌فشاندnemifeshânaddoes not scatter, does not shed dictionary
نورnurlight dictionary
قصرghasrpalace dictionary
چراغcherâghlamp dictionary
مهmahmoon (= mâh) (ماه)
barup; cherâgh bar kardan = to light a lamp dictionary
begutell! say! dictionary
jannatparadise (بهشت)
khâkdust, earth dictionary
inthis dictionary
tohfegift dictionary
barcarry! (= bebar) (ببر) dictionary
su-yetoward dictionary
فردوسferdowsparadise dictionary
udaloeswood, burned as incense dictionary
kherghedervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary
نیکnikvery, thoroughly dictionary
tangamI am fed up (dar tang = distressed, weary) dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
کرشمهkereshmeflirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه)
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
shâhedânthe beauties dictionary
چمنchamanmeadow, lawn dictionary
hosnbeauty dictionary
to-andare (subject to) you (= to hastand) (تو هستند)
baron, upon dictionary
jelvedisplay, showing oneself dictionary
sanowbarpine dictionary
فضولfozulmeddler, busybody dictionary
hekâyattale dictionary
sâghicupbearer dictionary
toyou dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
khodself; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary
مدهmadedo not give! (نده) dictionary
dasthand dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
sâgharcup dictionary
hejâbveil, curtain dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
edrâkperception, understanding dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
jamâlbeauty dictionary
khargahpavilion, royal tent (خرگاه)
tama'expectation; greed dictionary
وصالvesâlunion with the beloved dictionary
haddlimit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary
نبودnabvadis not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
لعلla'lruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary
همچوhamcholike (مثل)
shekarsugar dictionary
پیالهpiyâlecup dictionary
bebuskiss! dictionary
ângahithen, after that (آنگاه)
مستانmastânthe drunk ones dictionary
dehgive! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary
bedinwith this, in this (= be in) (با این)
daghighesubtle point, nicety dictionary
معاشرانmo'âsherâncompanions, drinking friends dictionary
پسpasafter; pas az = after dictionary
ملازمتmolâzematattendance, constant devotion dictionary
eyshpleasure, enjoyment dictionary
کارهاkâr-hâthings, works dictionary
koniyou do, you make dictionary
she'rpoem, poetry dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
barbosom, memory; az bar kardan = to learn by heart dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 397. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack

Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.

Become a tutor