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Hafez Ghazal 416: ⁧خنک نسیم معنبر شمامه‌ای دل‌خواه⁩

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

Ghazal 416 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
خنک نسیم معنبر شمامه‌ای دل‌خواهکه در هوای تو برخاست بامداد پگاه
khonok nasim-e mo'anbar shamâme-i delkhâh / ke dar havâ-ye to barkhâst bâmdâd-e pegâh
Blessed is the ambergris-scented breeze, a longed-for breath of perfume, that rose at earliest dawn in longing for you.
COUPLET 2
دلیل راه شو ای طایر خجسته‌لقاکه دیده آب شد از شوق خاک آن درگاه
dalil-e râh sho ey tâyer-e khojaste-leghâ / ke dide âb shod az showgh-e khâk-e ân dargâh
Be my guide on the road, O bird of auspicious face, for my eyes have turned to water with longing for the dust of that threshold.
COUPLET 3
به یاد شخصِ نزارم که غرقِ خونِ دل استهلال را ز کنار افق کنید نگاه
be yâd-e shakhs-e nezâram ke gharg-e khun-e del ast / helâl râ ze kenâr-e ofogh konid negâh
To remember my wasted body, drowned in the heart's blood, look at the crescent moon at the edge of the horizon.
COUPLET 4
منم که بی تو نفس می‌کشم، زهی خجلتمگر تو عفو کنی ور نه چیست عذر گناه؟
manam ke bi to nafas mikesham zehi khejlat / magar to afv koni varna chist ozr-e gonâh
I am the one who goes on breathing without you: what shame! Unless you forgive, what excuse is there for this sin?
COUPLET 5
ز دوستان تو آموخت در طریقت مهرسپیده دم که صبا چاک زد شعار سیاه
ze dustân-e to âmukht dar tarighat mehr / sepide-dam ke sabâ châk zad she'âr-e siyâh
It was from your friends that the dawn learned love on the path, at daybreak, when the morning breeze tore open night's black garment.
COUPLET 6
به عشق روی تو روزی که از جهان برومز تربتم بدمد سرخ‌گل به جای گیاه
be eshgh-e ru-ye to ruzi ke az jahân beravam / ze torbatam bedamad sorkh-gol be jâ-ye giyâh
On the day I leave this world in love with your face, red roses will spring from my grave instead of grass.
COUPLET 7
مده به خاطر نازک ملالت از من زودکه حافظ تو خود این لحظه گفت «بسم الله»
madeh be khâter-e nâzok malâlat az man zud / ke Hâfez-e to khod in lahze goft besmellâh
Do not let your delicate heart grow tired of me so soon: your Hafez has only just now said "In the name of God."

What this fâl tells you

A fresh morning breeze is rising for you, bringing a fragrant message and a guide for the road. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your longing is sincere and that love will bear red roses in the end. Be patient with beginnings: you have only just said "In the name of God", and the story is still to unfold.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âh (delkhâh, pegâh, dargâh, negâh, gonâh, siyâh, giyâh, besmellâh).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
نسیمnasimbreeze dictionary
delkhâhlovely, desirable dictionary
darin; door dictionary
havâ-yelonging for, desire for dictionary
toyou dictionary
barkhâstrose, got up dictionary
bâmdâdearly morning, dawn dictionary
dalilguide (راهنما) dictionary
râhway, road dictionary
shobecome! be! (بشو) dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
âbwater; stream dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
showghlonging, eagerness dictionary
khâkdust, earth dictionary
ânthat dictionary
dargâhcourt, threshold dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
یادyâdmemory dictionary
shakhsperson, self dictionary
gharghdrowned, immersed dictionary
khunblood dictionary
delheart dictionary
astis dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
کنارkenârbank, side dictionary
ofoghhorizon dictionary
کنیدkonidmake! (plural) dictionary
نگاهnegâhlook; negâh dâshtan = to keep dictionary
منمmanamI am (the one) dictionary
biwithout dictionary
نفسnafasbreath; nafas keshidan = to breathe dictionary
می‌کشمmikeshamI draw (breath) dictionary
مگرmagarperhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary
afvforgiveness dictionary
koniyou do, you make dictionary
ورvarand if (= va agar) (و اگر)
نهnanot, no dictionary
گناهgonâhsin dictionary
dustânfriends dictionary
âmukhttaught dictionary
tarighatthe Sufi path dictionary
مهرmehrlove; also "the sun" (pun) dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
چاکchâktear, slit dictionary
zadstruck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary
siyâhblack dictionary
ru-yeface of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary
jahânworld dictionary
beravamI go dictionary
bedamadblooms, springs up dictionary
sorkh-golred rose (گل سرخ)
jâ-yeplace of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary
گیاهgiyâhplant dictionary
مدهmadedo not give! (نده) dictionary
khâtermind, heart dictionary
نازکnâzokdelicate dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
zudsoon, quickly dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
khodindeed, just dictionary
inthis dictionary
لحظهlahzemoment dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
allâhGod; besmellâh = in the name of God dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 416. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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