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Hafez Ghazal 414: ⁧گلبن عیش می‌دمد ساقی گل‌عذار کو؟⁩

Hafez poetry book, pomegranate and candle in a Persian garden at night.

Ghazal 414 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
گلبن عیش می‌دمد ساقی گل‌عذار کو؟باد بهار می‌وزد بادهٔ خوش‌گوار کو؟
golbon-e eysh midamad sâghi-ye gol-ezâr ku / bâd-e bahâr mivazad bâde-ye khosh-gavâr ku
The rosebush of pleasure is blooming: where is the rose-cheeked cupbearer? The spring wind is blowing: where is the smooth wine?
COUPLET 2
هر گل نو ز گل‌رخی یاد همی کند ولیگوش سخن‌شنو کجا؟ دیدهٔ اعتبار کو؟
har gol-e now ze gol-rokhi yâd hami konad vali / gush-e sokhan-shenow kojâ dide-ye e'tebâr ku
Every new rose recalls some rose-faced beauty, but where is the ear that listens, where is the eye that learns the lesson?
COUPLET 3
مجلس بزم عیش را غالیهٔ مراد نیستای دمِ صبحِ خوش‌نفس نافهٔ زلف یار کو؟
majles-e bazm-e eysh râ ghâliye-ye morâd nist / ey dam-e sobh-e khosh-nafas nâfe-ye zolf-e yâr ku
The feast of pleasure lacks the perfume it longs for; O sweet breath of morning, where is the musk of the beloved's curl?
COUPLET 4
حُسن‌فروشیِ گلم نیست تحمل ای صبادست زدم به خون دل بهر خدا نگار کو؟
hosn-forushi-ye golam nist tahammol ey sabâ / dast zadam be khun-e del bahr-e khodâ negâr ku
O morning breeze, I cannot bear the rose showing off its beauty; I have plunged my hand in my heart's blood: for God's sake, where is my beloved?
COUPLET 5
شمع سحرگهی اگر لاف ز عارض تو زدخصم زبان دراز شد خنجر آبدار کو؟
sham'-e saharghi agar lâf ze ârez-e to zad / khasm zabân-derâz shod khanjar-e âbdâr ku
If the dawn candle boasted of being like your cheek, the rival has grown insolent: where is a gleaming dagger?
COUPLET 6
گفت «مگر ز لعل من بوسه نداری آرزو؟»مُردم از این هوس ولی قدرت و اختیار کو؟
goft magar ze la'l-e man buse nadâri ârezu / mordam az in havas vali ghodrat o ekhtiyâr ku
She said, "Do you not long for a kiss from my ruby lips?" I am dying of that desire, but where is the power, where the choice?
COUPLET 7
حافظ اگر چه در سخن خازن گنج حکمت استاز غم روزگارِ دون، طبعِ سخن‌گزار کو؟
Hâfez agarche dar sokhan khâzen-e ganj-e hekmat ast / az gham-e ruzgâr-e dun tab'-e sokhan-gozâr ku
Though Hafez is the keeper of the treasure of wisdom in speech, under the sorrows of this mean age, where is the spirit to compose?

What this fâl tells you

Spring has come and everything is ready except the one thing you are longing for. Tradition reads this fal as a time of waiting for the missing piece: a person, a chance or the right mood. Keep an open ear and a learning eye; what you seek is near, and the season is in your favor.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: ku ("where is?"). qâfiye: -âr (ezâr, gavâr, e'tebâr, yâr, negâr, âbdâr, ekhtiyâr, gozâr).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
گلبنgolbon-erosebush of dictionary
eyshpleasure, enjoyment dictionary
می‌دمدmidamadblooms, opens dictionary
sâghicupbearer dictionary
کوkuwhere is? (کجاست) dictionary
bâdwind dictionary
bahârspring dictionary
می‌وزدmivazadblows dictionary
bâdewine dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
نوnownew dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
یادyâdmemory dictionary
hamiold prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می‌)
کندkonaddoes; makes dictionary
valibut dictionary
گوشgushear; gush kon = listen dictionary
کجاkojâwhere; how? (rhetorical) dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
e'tebârtaking heed, learning a lesson dictionary
مجلسmajlesgathering, feast dictionary
bazmfeast, party dictionary
مرادmorâdwish, desire dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
sobhmorning dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
گلمgolamme (from) the rose dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
dasthand dictionary
zadamI struck; lâf zadan = to boast dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
khunblood dictionary
delheart dictionary
bahrsake; ze bahr-e = for the sake of (برای)
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
saharghahiof dawn (سحرگاهی)
agarif dictionary
لافlâfboast dictionary
ârazcheek (گونه)
toyou dictionary
zadstruck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary
khasmenemy, rival (دشمن) dictionary
zabântongue; language dictionary
derâzlong dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
khanjardagger dictionary
âbdârsharp, gleaming (of a blade) dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
مگرmagarperhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary
لعلla'lruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
busekiss dictionary
nadâriyou do not have dictionary
مردمmordamI am dying (lit. I died) dictionary
inthis dictionary
هوسhavaslonging, desire dictionary
قدرتghodratpower dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
darin; door dictionary
sokhanspeech, words dictionary
گنجganjtreasure dictionary
hekmatwisdom, philosophy dictionary
astis dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
ruzegârtime, days dictionary
dunbase, low, mean (پست) dictionary
tab'-enature, temperament dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 414. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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