Ghazal 412 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
مرا چشمی‌ست خون‌افشان ز دست آن کمان‌ابروجهان بس فتنه خواهد دید از آن چشم و از آن ابرو
marâ cheshmi-st khun-afshân ze dast-e ân kamân-abru / jahân bas fetne khâhad did az ân cheshm o az ân abru
I have an eye that weeps blood because of that bow-browed one; the world will see much turmoil from that eye and that eyebrow.
COUPLET 2
غلام چشم آن ترکم که در خوابِ خوشِ مستینگارین گلشنش روی است و مشکین سایبان ابرو
gholâm-e cheshm-e ân tork-am ke dar khâb-e khosh-e masti / negârin golshanash ru-y ast o moshkin sâyebân abru
I am the servant of the eye of that Turk who, in the sweet sleep of drunkenness, has her face for a painted rose garden and her brow for a musky canopy.
COUPLET 3
هلالی شد تنم زین غم که با طغرا‌ی ابرو‌یشکه باشد مه که بنماید ز طاق آسمان ابرو؟
helâli shod tanam z-in gham ke bâ toghrâ-ye abru-yash / ke bâshad mah ke benmâyad ze tâgh-e âsemân abru
My body has grown thin as a crescent from this grief: beside the royal seal of her eyebrow, who is the moon, to show its brow from the arch of the sky?
COUPLET 4
رقیبان غافل و ما را از آن چشم و جبین هر دمهزاران گونه پیغام است و حاجب در میان، ابرو
raghibân ghâfel o mâ râ az ân cheshm o jabin har dam / hezârân gune peyghâm ast o hâjeb dar miyân abru
The rivals notice nothing, while every moment that eye and forehead send us a thousand kinds of messages, with the eyebrow as the go-between.
COUPLET 5
روانِ گوشه‌گیران را جبینش طرفه گلزار‌ی‌ستکه بر طرْف سمن‌زارش همی گردد چمان ابرو
ravân-e gushe-girân râ jabinash torfe golzâri-st / ke bar tarf-e saman-zârash hami gardad chamân abru
For the souls of recluses her forehead is a wondrous rose garden, along whose jasmine bed the eyebrow strolls gracefully.
COUPLET 6
دگر حور و پری را کس نگوید با چنین حسنیکه این را این چنین چشم است و آن را آن چنان ابرو
degar hur o pari râ kas naguyad bâ chonin hosni / ke in râ in chonin cheshm ast o ân râ ân chonân abru
With such beauty in the world, no one will ever again say of the houri or the fairy, "This one has such eyes, and that one such brows."
COUPLET 7
تو کافر‌دل نمی‌بندی نقاب زلف و می‌ترسمکه محرابم بگرداند خم آن دل‌ستان ابرو
to kâfar-del nemibandi neghâb-e zolf o mitarsam / ke mehrâbam begardânad kham-e ân delsetân abru
You, merciless one, do not tie on the veil of your curl, and I fear the curve of that heart-stealing eyebrow will turn my prayer niche around.
COUPLET 8
اگر چه مرغ زیرک بود حافظ در هوادار‌یبه تیر غمزه صیدش کرد چشم آن کمان‌ابرو
agarche morgh-e zirak bud Hâfez dar havâdâri / be tir-e ghamze seydash kard cheshm-e ân kamân-abru
Though Hafez was a clever bird in matters of devotion, the eye of that bow-browed one brought him down with the arrow of a glance.
What this fâl tells you
A powerful attraction is at work, and even the cleverest heart can be caught by it. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that silent messages are passing between you and someone, unseen by others. Enjoy the wonder of it, but keep your inner compass steady so that it does not turn you from your path.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: abru ("eyebrow"). qâfiye: -ân (kamân, sâyebân, âsemân, miyân, chamân, chonân, delsetân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| چشمی‌ست | cheshmi-st | there is an eye (= cheshmi ast); marâ cheshmi-st = I have an eye dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| فتنه | fetne | turmoil, strife dictionary |
| khâhad | will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| abru | eyebrow dictionary | |
| gholâm | servant dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| masti | intoxication dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| sâyebân | canopy, awning dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| tanam | my body dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| abruyash | her eyebrow dictionary | |
| bâshad | is (ke bâshad = who is?) dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| benmâyad | shows dictionary | |
| tâgh | arch, vault dictionary | |
| raghibân | rivals in love dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| jabin | forehead, brow (پیشانی) | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| هزاران | hezârân | thousands dictionary |
| گونه | gune | kind, sort dictionary |
| پیغام | peyghâm | message dictionary |
| hâjeb | chamberlain, go-between; also "eyebrow" in Arabic (pun) dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | middle; dar miyân = in between, as go-between dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| taraf | side, region dictionary | |
| hami | old prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می) | |
| گردد | gardad | goes around, strolls dictionary |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| نگوید | naguyad | does not say, will not say dictionary |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| hosni | a beauty dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| nemibandi | you do not tie dictionary | |
| نقاب | neghâb | veil dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| می‌ترسم | mitarsam | I fear dictionary |
| محرابم | mehrâbam | my prayer niche dictionary |
| begardânad | turns away dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| zirak | clever dictionary | |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| tir | arrow dictionary | |
| seydash | (made) him prey dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 412. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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