Ghazal 400 of Hafez (10 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
بالابلندِ عِشْوِه‌گرِ نقش‌بازِ منکوتاه کرد قصّهٔ زُهْدِ درازِ من
bâlâ-boland-e eshve-gar-e naghsh-bâz-e man / kutâh kard ghesse-ye zohd-e derâz-e man
My tall, flirtatious, trick-playing beloved cut short the long story of my piety.
COUPLET 2
دیدی دلا که آخرِ پیری و زُهْد و عِلْمبا من چه کَرْد دیدهٔ معشوقه‌بازِ من؟
didi delâ ke âkher-e piri o zohd o elm / bâ man che kard dide-ye ma'shughe-bâz-e man
Did you see, O heart, what my beauty-loving eye did to me at the end of old age, piety and learning?
COUPLET 3
می‌ترسم از خرابیِ ایمان که می‌بَرَدمِحْرابِ ابرویِ تو، حُضورِ نمازِ من
mitarsam az kharâbi-ye imân ke mibarad / mehrâb-e abru-ye to hozur-e namâz-e man
I fear for the ruin of my faith, for the prayer niche of your eyebrow steals the heart's presence from my prayer.
COUPLET 4
گفتم به دَلْقِ زَرْق بپوشم نشانِ عشقغَمّاز بود اَشْک و عَیان کرد رازِ من
goftam be dalgh-e zargh bepusham neshân-e eshgh / ghammâz bud ashk o ayân kard râz-e man
I meant to hide the signs of love under a cloak of pretense; but my tears were tell-tales and laid my secret bare.
COUPLET 5
مست است یار و یادِ حریفان نمی‌کُنَدذکرش به خیر، ساقیِ مِسْکین‌نوازِ من
mast ast yâr o yâd-e harifân nemikonad / zekrash be kheyr, sâghi-ye meskin-navâz-e man
The beloved is drunk and does not remember the companions; yet may he be remembered well, my cupbearer who is kind to the poor.
COUPLET 6
یا رب کی آن صبا بِوَزَد کز نسیمِ آنگَرْدَد شمامهٔ کَرَمَش، کارسازِ من؟
yâ rab key ân sabâ bevazad k-az nasim-e ân / gardad shamâme-ye karamash kârsâz-e man
O Lord, when will that morning breeze blow, on whose breath the fragrance of his generosity will set my affairs right?
COUPLET 7
نقشی بر آب می‌زنم از گریه، حالیاتا کی شود قرینِ حقیقت، مجازِ من
naghshi bar âb mizanam az gerye hâliyâ / tâ key shavad gharin-e haghighat majâz-e man
For now, with my weeping, I draw pictures on water, waiting for the day my illusion is joined to the truth.
COUPLET 8
بر خود، چو شمع، خنده‌زنان، گریه می‌کنمتا با تو سنگ‌دل چه کُنَد سوز و سازِ من؟
bar khod cho sham' khande-zanân gerye mikonam / tâ bâ to sang-del che konad suz o sâz-e man
Like a candle, laughing, I weep over myself, to see what my burning and my music can do to you, stone-hearted one.
COUPLET 9
زاهد؛ چو از نمازِ تو کاری نمی‌رودهم مستیِ شبانه و راز و نیازِ من
zâhed cho az namâz-e to kâri nemiravad / ham masti-ye shabâne o râz o niyâz-e man
Ascetic, since nothing is achieved by your prayer, then neither is anything by my nightly drunkenness and my whispered pleas.
COUPLET 10
«حافظ»، زِ گریه سوخت بگو حالش ای صبابا شاهِ دوست‌پرورِ دشمن‌گُدازِ من
Hâfez ze gerye sukht, begu hâlash ey sabâ / bâ shâh-e dust-parvar-e doshman-godâz-e man
Hafez has burned away with weeping; O morning breeze, tell his state to my king, who cherishes friends and melts enemies.
What this fâl tells you
A strong attraction or a new love may be shaking up old habits and long-held certainties. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that hiding your feelings will not work; honesty serves you better. Wait for the kind breeze that will carry your news to the right person and set things right.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: man ("my, me"). qâfiye: -âz (bâz, derâz, namâz, râz, navâz, kârsâz, majâz, sâz, niyâz, godâz).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| eshve-gar | flirtatious, coquettish dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| کوتاه | kutâh | short dictionary |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| قصهٔ | ghesse | story dictionary |
| derâz | long dictionary | |
| didi | you saw dictionary | |
| delâ | O heart! dictionary | |
| piri | old age dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| elm | knowledge dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| می‌ترسم | mitarsam | I fear dictionary |
| imân | faith dictionary | |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes away dictionary |
| محراب | mehrâb-e | prayer niche of dictionary |
| abru-ye | eyebrow of dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| hozur | presence (of heart) dictionary | |
| نماز | namâz | ritual prayer dictionary |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| zargh | pretense, sanctimonious show (ریا) dictionary | |
| bepusham | (that) I cover dictionary | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| râz | secret dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| harifân | companions, drinking friends dictionary | |
| نمی‌کند | nemikonad | does not do dictionary |
| zekrash | his mention, remembrance of him dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| bevazad | blows dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| گردد | gardad | becomes (بشود) dictionary |
| naghshi | an image dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| می‌زنم | mizanam | I strike; naghsh bar âb zadan = to draw on water (do something vain) dictionary |
| گریه | gerye | weeping dictionary |
| hâliyâ | for now (فعلاً) | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| قرین | gharin | joined to, companion of dictionary |
| haghighat | truth dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| sham' | candle dictionary | |
| می‌کنم | mikonam | I do, I make dictionary |
| sangdel-e | stone-hearted dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| zâhed | ascetic, outwardly pious man dictionary | |
| kâri | a deed, what (it) did dictionary | |
| نمی‌رود | nemiravad | does not go dictionary |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| مستی | masti | intoxication dictionary |
| shabâne | of the night, nightly dictionary | |
| نیاز | niyâz | need, humble pleading dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| sukht | burned dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| hâlash | his/her state dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| shâh | king dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 400. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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