Ghazal 409 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
ای خونبهای نافه چین خاک راه توخورشید سایه‌پرور طرف کلاه تو
ey khunbahâ-ye nâfe-ye chin khâk-e râh-e to / khorshid sâye-parvar-e tarf-e kolâh-e to
O you whose road-dust is worth the blood-price of the musk of China, the sun is raised in the shade of your cap's brim.
COUPLET 2
نرگس کرشمه می‌برد از حد برون خرامای من فدای شیوه چشم سیاه تو
narges kereshme mibarad az hadd borun khorâm / ey man fadâ-ye shive-ye cheshm-e siyâh-e to
The narcissus is flirting beyond all limits: step out gracefully, you for whose dark eyes' ways I would give my life.
COUPLET 3
خونم بخور که هیچ مَلَک با چنان جمالاز دل نیایدش که نویسد گناه تو
khunam bekhor ke hich malak bâ chonân jamâl / az del nayâyadash ke nevisad gonâh-e to
Drink my blood if you like: no angel, faced with such beauty, would have the heart to write down your sin.
COUPLET 4
آرام و خواب خلق جهان را سبب توییزان شد کنار دیده و دل تکیه‌گاه تو
ârâm o khâb-e khalgh-e jahân râ sabab to'i / z-ân shod kenâr-e dide o del tekyegâh-e to
You are the cause of the world's rest and sleep; that is why the lap of eye and heart became your resting place.
COUPLET 5
با هر ستاره‌ای سر و کار است هر شبماز حسرت فروغ رخ همچو ماه تو
bâ har setâre-i sar o kâr ast har shabam / az hasrat-e forugh-e rokh-e hamcho mâh-e to
Every night I have dealings with every star, out of longing for the light of your moonlike face.
COUPLET 6
یاران همنشین همه از هم جدا شدندماییم و آستانه دولت پناه تو
yârân-e hamneshin hame az ham jodâ shodand / mâyim o âstâne-ye dowlat-panâh-e to
The companions have all gone their separate ways; here we are, with only your threshold, the refuge of fortune.
COUPLET 7
حافظ طمع مبُر ز عنایت که عاقبتآتش زند به خرمن غم دود آه تو
Hâfez tama' mabor ze enâyat ke âghebat / âtash zanad be kharman-e gham dud-e âh-e to
Hafez, do not give up hope of grace: in the end, the smoke of your sighs will set fire to the harvest of grief.
What this fâl tells you
You may feel alone, sleepless with longing while others have drifted away. Tradition reads this fal as a promise not to give up hope of grace: in the end your sighs will burn away the heap of sorrow. Stay faithful at the door you trust; it is a refuge.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: to ("your"). qâfiye: -âh (râh, kolâh, siyâh, gonâh, tekyegâh, mâh, panâh, âh).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| khunbahâ-ye | blood-money, the price of dictionary | |
| چین | chin | China; also a curl, fold (pun) dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| کلاه | kolâh | cap, hat dictionary |
| نرگس | narges | narcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary |
| کرشمه | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes away dictionary |
| hadd | limit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary | |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| khorâm | stroll!, walk gracefully! (بخرام) dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| shive | manner, way dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| khunam | my blood dictionary | |
| bokhor | drink! dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| ملک | malak | angel (فرشته) |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| نیایدش | nayâyadash | does not come to him (az del nayâyadash = he would not have the heart) dictionary |
| نویسد | nevisad | writes dictionary |
| گناه | gonâh | sin dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| khalgh | people (مردم) dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| sabab | reason dictionary | |
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| کنار | kenâr | bank, side dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| tekyegâh | resting place, support dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| setâre-i | a star dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| shabam | my night dictionary | |
| فروغ | forugh | light, radiance dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| یاران | yârân | friends dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| هم | ham | each other; az ham = from one another dictionary |
| jodâ | apart, separate dictionary | |
| shodand | became dictionary | |
| ماییم | mâyim | here we are, we are dictionary |
| âstâne | threshold dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| پناه | panâh | refuge; din-panâh = protector of the faith dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| مبر | mabor | do not cut! (tama' boridan = to give up hope) (نبر) dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| âghebat | end, outcome dictionary | |
| zanad | strikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| kharman | harvest, threshing heap dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| dud | smoke dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 409. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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