Ghazal 402 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
نکته‌ای دلکَش بگویم خالِ آن مَه‌رو ببینعقل و جان را بستهٔ زنجیرِ آن گیسو ببین
nokte-i delkash beguyam khâl-e ân mahru bebin / aghl o jân râ baste-ye zanjir-e ân gisu bebin
Let me tell you a charming secret: look at the mole of that moon-faced one, and see reason and soul bound in the chain of those tresses.
COUPLET 2
عیبِ دل کردم که وحشی‌وضع و هرجایی مباشگفت چشمِ شیرگیر و غنجِ آن آهو ببین
eyb-e del kardam ke vahshi-vaz' o harjâyi mabâsh / goft cheshm-e shirgir o ghonj-e ân âhu bebin
I scolded my heart: "Do not be so wild and wander everywhere." It said, "Look at the lion-catching eye and the coy grace of that gazelle."
COUPLET 3
حلقهٔ زلفش تماشاخانهٔ باد صباستجانِ صد صاحب‌دل آن جا بستهٔ یک مو ببین
halghe-ye zolfash tamâshâkhâne-ye bâd-e sabâ-st / jân-e sad sâheb-del ânjâ baste-ye yek mu bebin
The ring of her curl is the playhouse of the morning breeze; see there the souls of a hundred wise hearts tied to a single hair.
COUPLET 4
عابدانِ آفتاب از دلبرِ ما غافل‌اندای ملامت‌گو خدا را رو مبین آن رو ببین
âbedân-e âftâb az delbar-e mâ ghâfel-and / ey malâmat-gu khodâ râ ru mabin ân ru bebin
The sun-worshippers know nothing of our beloved; O blamer, for God's sake, do not look at that face (the sun): look at this one.
COUPLET 5
زلفِ دل‌دزدش صبا را بند بر گردن نهادبا هوادارانِ ره رو حیلهٔ هندو ببین
zolf-e del-dozdash sabâ râ band bar gardan nahâd / bâ havâdârân-e rah-row hile-ye hendu bebin
Her heart-stealing curl has put a rope around the neck of the morning breeze; see the tricks this dark Indian plays on the devoted travelers of the road.
COUPLET 6
این‌که من در جست‌وجوی او ز خود فارغ شدمکس ندیده‌ست و نبیند مثلش از هر سو ببین
in ke man dar jostoju-ye u ze khod fâregh shodam / kas nadide-st o nabinad mesl-ash az har su bebin
I have lost myself in searching for her; no one has seen her like, nor ever will: look in every direction.
COUPLET 7
حافظ ار در گوشهٔ محراب می‌نالد رواستای نصیحت‌گو خدا را آن خمِ ابرو ببین
Hâfez ar dar gushe-ye mehrâb minâlad ravâst / ey nasihat-gu khodâ râ ân kham-e abru bebin
If Hafez moans in the corner of the prayer niche, it is only right; O adviser, for God's sake, look at the curve of that eyebrow.
COUPLET 8
از مرادِ شاه منصور ای فلک سر برمتابتیزیِ شمشیر بنگر قوّتِ بازو ببین
az morâd-e shâh mansur ey falak sar bar matâb / tizi-ye shamshir bengar ghovvat-e bâzu bebin
O sky, do not turn your head from the wishes of Shah Mansur: look at the sharpness of his sword, see the strength of his arm.
What this fâl tells you
Something or someone has captured your heart, and it is no use scolding yourself for it. Tradition reads this fal as reassurance that what attracts you is worth the search, and that critics who have not seen it cannot judge. Look at the matter with your own eyes, and trust strong, fair-minded support.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: bebin ("see!"). qâfiye: -u (mahru, gisu, âhu, mu, ru, hendu, su, abru, bâzu). Shah Mansur was the last Mozaffarid ruler of Shiraz.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| nokte-i | a subtle point dictionary | |
| beguyam | (that) I say dictionary | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| bebin | see! look! dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| baste-ye | bound by, captive of dictionary | |
| zanjir | chain dictionary | |
| گیسو | gisu | long hair, tresses dictionary |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| کردم | kardam | I did, I made dictionary |
| مباش | mabâsh | do not be! (نباش) dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| âhu | gazelle dictionary | |
| halghe | circle, ring dictionary | |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| tamâshâkhâne-ye | playhouse, place of spectacle of dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| مو | mu | hair dictionary |
| âbedân | worshippers dictionary | |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| delbar | heart-stealer, the beloved dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| ghâfel-and | are unaware (غافل هستند) | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| مبین | mabin | do not look (old imperative) (نگاه نکن) dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| گردن | gardan | neck dictionary |
| نهاد | nahâd | put, placed dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| هواداران | havâdârân | devoted friends, lovers dictionary |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| row | going; rah-row = traveler, wayfarer dictionary | |
| hile | trick, ruse dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| shodam | I became dictionary | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| ندیده‌ست | nadide-st | has not seen (= nadide ast) dictionary |
| نبیند | nabinad | does not see dictionary |
| مثلش | mesl-ash | her like, her equal dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| su | direction, side dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| محراب | mehrâb-e | prayer niche of dictionary |
| می‌نالد | minâlad | moans, laments dictionary |
| ravâst | it is fitting, no wonder (= ravâ ast) dictionary | |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| منصور | mansur | Mansur (Shah Mansur, Mozaffarid prince); also "victorious" dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| shamshir | sword dictionary | |
| bengar | look! (نگاه کن) dictionary | |
| قوت | ghovvat | strength (قدرت) dictionary |
| bâzu | arm; strength of arm dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 402. 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.