Ghazal 406 of Hafez (7 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
گفتا برون شدی به تماشای ماهِ نواز ماهِ ابروانِ مَنت شرم باد رو
goftâ borun shodi be tamâshâ-ye mâh-e now / az mâh-e abrovân-e manat sharm bâd, row
She said: "You went out to look at the new moon? Be ashamed before the moon of my eyebrows, and go!"
COUPLET 2
عمری‌ست تا دلت ز اسیرانِ زلفِ ماستغافل ز حفظِ جانبِ یارانِ خود مشو
omri-st tâ delat ze asirân-e zolf-e mâ-st / ghâfel ze hefz-e jâneb-e yârân-e khod mashow
"For a lifetime now your heart has been a captive of my curls; do not forget to stand by your own friends."
COUPLET 3
مَفروش عطرِ عقل به هِندوی زلفِ ماکان‌جا هزار نافهٔ مُشکین به نیم‌جو
mafrush atr-e aghl be hendu-ye zolf-e mâ / k-ânjâ hezâr nâfe-ye moshkin be nim-jow
"Do not try to sell the perfume of reason to the dark Indian of my curl: there, a thousand musky musk pods are worth half a grain of barley."
COUPLET 4
تخمِ وفا و مهر در این کهنه کشته‌زارآن‌گه عیان شود که بود موسمِ درو
tokhm-e vafâ o mehr dar in kohne keshtezâr / ângah ayân shavad ke bovad mowsem-e derow
The seed of faithfulness and love sown in this old field will show itself when the harvest season comes.
COUPLET 5
ساقی بیار باده که رمزی بگویمتاز سرِّ اخترانِ کهن‌سیر و ماهِ نو
sâghi biyâr bâde ke ramzi beguyamat / az serr-e akhtarân-e kohan-seyr o mâh-e now
Cupbearer, bring wine, so that I can tell you a hint of the secret of the ancient wheeling stars and the new moon.
COUPLET 6
شکلِ هلالِ هر سرِ مه می‌دهد نشاناز افسرِ سیامک و ترکِ کلاهِ زو
shekl-e helâl har sar-e mah midahad neshân / az afsar-e siyâmak o tark-e kolâh-e zow
At the start of every month the shape of the crescent recalls the crown of Siyamak and the crest of Zav's helmet.
COUPLET 7
حافظ جنابِ پیرِ مغان مأمنِ وفاستدرسِ حدیثِ عشق بر او خوان و زو شنو
Hâfez jenâb-e pir-e moghân ma'man-e vafâ-st / dars-e hadis-e eshgh bar u khân o z-u shenow
Hafez, the court of the elder of the Magi is the safe haven of faithfulness: recite the lesson of love to him, and hear it from him.
What this fâl tells you
Do not let passing distractions pull you away from the people who love you. Tradition reads this fal as a reminder that faithfulness is a seed: what you sow in kindness now will show itself at harvest time. Take your question to someone wise and trustworthy, and listen to what they say.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -ow (now, row, mashow, jow, derow, zow, shenow). Siyamak and Zav are kings of the Shahnameh, whose crowns the crescent moon recalls.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| گفتا | goftâ | (he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| shodi | you became dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tamâshâ-ye | watching, the sight of dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| نو | now | new dictionary |
| abrovân | eyebrows dictionary | |
| sharm | shame dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be; sharm bâd = shame on you (باشد) dictionary | |
| row | go! (= borow) (برو) dictionary | |
| omri-st | it has been a lifetime (= omri ast) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| delat | your heart dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| hefz | protection, keeping dictionary | |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| مشو | masho | do not be, do not become (نشو) dictionary |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (here: do not show off) (نفروش) dictionary |
| atr | perfume dictionary | |
| aghl | reason, intellect dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| کان‌جا | k-ânjâ | for there (= ke ânjâ) (که آنجا) |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| tokhm | seed dictionary | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| کهنه | kohne | old, worn dictionary |
| کشته‌زار | keshtezâr | sown field (کشتزار) |
| ângah | then, when (آنگاه) | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| ramzi | a hint, a secret sign dictionary | |
| beguyamat | I will tell you dictionary | |
| serr | secret, mystery (راز) | |
| akhtarân | stars dictionary | |
| shekl-e | form, figure of dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sar | head, beginning; sar-e mah = the start of the month dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| می‌دهد | midahad | gives; neshân midahad = describes dictionary |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| afsar | crown dictionary | |
| tark | top, crest (of a helmet) dictionary | |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| jenâb | threshold, court; presence of a great person (آستانه) dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| مأمن | ma'man | safe haven, refuge dictionary |
| وفاست | vafâ-st | of faithfulness (= vafâ ast) dictionary |
| dars | lesson, study dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| khân | recite! read! (بخوان) dictionary | |
| z-u | from it (= az u) (از او) | |
| shenow | hear! (بشنو) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 406. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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