Ghazal 4 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
صبا به لُطف بگو آن غزالِ رَعنا راکه سَر به کوه و بیابان تو داده‌ای ما را
sabâ be lotf begu ân ghazâl-e ra'nâ râ / ke sar be kuh o biyâbân to dâde'i mâ râ
Morning breeze, tell that graceful gazelle gently: it is you who have sent us off to wander the mountains and the desert.
COUPLET 2
شِکر فُروش که عُمرَش دراز باد چراتَفَقُّدی نَکُنَد طوطیِ شِکرخا را؟
shekar-forush ke omrash derâz bâd, cherâ / tafaghghodi nakonad tuti-ye shekarkhâ râ
Why does the sugar seller, may he live long, never ask after the parrot who loves sugar?
COUPLET 3
غرورِ حُسنت اجازَت مَگَر نداد اِی گُلکه پُرسِشی نکُنی عَندَلیب شیدا را
ghorur-e hosnat ejâzat magar nadâd ey gol / ke porseshi nakoni andalib-e sheydâ râ
Did the pride of your beauty not let you, O rose, ask even once after the lovesick nightingale?
COUPLET 4
به خُلق و لطف توان کرد صیدِ اهلِ نظربه بند و دام نگیرند مرغِ دانا را
be kholgh o lotf tavân kard seyd-e ahl-e nazar / be band o dâm nagirand morgh-e dânâ râ
People of insight can be won with good nature and kindness; nobody catches a wise bird with ropes and nets.
COUPLET 5
ندانم از چه سبب رنگِ آشنایی نیستسَهی‌قَدانِ سیَه‌‌چشمِ ماه‌سیما را
nadânam az che sabab rang-e âshenâyi nist / sahi-ghadân-e siyah-cheshm-e mâh-simâ râ
I do not know why the tall, dark-eyed, moon-faced beauties show no color of friendship.
COUPLET 6
چو با حبیب نِشینی و باده پِیماییبه یاد دار مُحِبّانِ بادپیما را
cho bâ habib neshini o bâde peymâyi / be yâd dâr mohebbân-e bâdpeymâ râ
When you sit with your love and pour the wine, remember the friends who are out wandering with the wind.
COUPLET 7
جُز این قَدَر نَتوان گفت در جَمالِ تو عیبکه وضع مِهر و وفا نیست رویِ زیبا را
joz in ghadar natavân goft dar jamâl-e to eyb / ke vaz'-e mehr o vafâ nist ru-ye zibâ râ
Only this much can be said against your beauty: a lovely face has no habit of love and loyalty.
COUPLET 8
در آسمان نه عجب گَر به گفتهٔ حافظسُرودِ زُهره به رقص آورد مسیحا را
dar âsmân na ajab gar be gofte-ye Hâfez / sorud-e zohre be raghs âvarad masihâ râ
No wonder if up in the sky, to the words of Hafez, the song of Venus sets even the Messiah dancing.
What this fâl tells you
Someone may have gone quiet on you, or you on them. Tradition reads this fal as a nudge to reach out gently: hearts are won with warmth and good manners, never with pressure. And when life is sweet, remember the friends who are far away.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: râ. qâfiye: -â (ra'nâ, mâ, shekarkhâ, sheydâ, dânâ, simâ, peymâ, zibâ, masihâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ghazâl | gazelle (image of the beloved) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کوه | kuh | mountain dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dâde'i | you have given, sent dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| shekar | sugar dictionary | |
| فروش | forush | seller (in compounds) dictionary |
| omrash | his life dictionary | |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be (old wish form of budan) (باشد) dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| tafaghghodi | a kind inquiry, looking in on someone (احوال‌پرسی) | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| ghorur | pride dictionary | |
| hosnat | your beauty dictionary | |
| ejâzat | permission (= ejâze) (اجازه) | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| نداد | nadâd | did not give dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| porseshi | an inquiry, a question dictionary | |
| nakoni | you do not do dictionary | |
| andalib | nightingale (بلبل) | |
| sheydâ | madly in love dictionary | |
| kholgh | good nature, character (اخلاق) dictionary | |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| seyd | prey; hunting dictionary | |
| ahl | people (of) dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| dâm | trap, net dictionary | |
| نگیرند | nagirand | (they) do not catch dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| dânâ | wise dictionary | |
| ندانم | nadânam | I do not know (نمی‌دانم) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| sabab | reason dictionary | |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| âshenâyi | friendship, familiarity dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| sahi-ghadân | those with straight, tall figures (بلندقامتان) | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| neshini | you sit dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| peymâyi | you measure out, pour (wine) dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory; be yâd dâr = keep in mind dictionary |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| محبان | mohebbân | lovers, friends (دوستداران) |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| وضع | vaz' | manner, way dictionary |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| zibâ | beautiful dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| ajab | wonder, strange dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| گفتهٔ | gofte | words, what is said dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sorud | song dictionary | |
| zohre | Venus, the planet of music in old astronomy dictionary | |
| raghs | dance dictionary | |
| âvarad | brings (present tense) dictionary | |
| مسیحا | masihâ | the Messiah, Jesus dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 4. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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