Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 426: ⁧از خون دل نوشتم، نزدیک دوست نامه⁩

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

Ghazal 426 of Hafez (6 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
از خون دل نوشتم، نزدیک دوست نامه«اِنّی رَأیتُ دَهراً، مِن هَجْرِکَ القیامه»
az khun-e del neveshtam nazdik-e dust nâme / enni ra'aytu dahran min hajreka-l-ghiyâme
I wrote a letter to the beloved in my heart's blood: "Truly, in being apart from you, I have lived through an age like the Day of Resurrection."
COUPLET 2
دارم من از فراقش، در دیده صد علامتلَیسَت دُموعُ عَینی، هٰذا لَنا العلامه؟
dâram man az ferâghash dar dide sad alâmat / laysat domu'o ayni hâzâ lanâ-l-alâme
From separation I carry a hundred signs in my eyes: are not my eye's tears the sign for us?
COUPLET 3
هر چند کآزمودم، از وی نبود سودممَن جَرَّبَ المُجَرَّب، حَلَّت به الندامه
har chand k-âzmudam az vey nabud sudam / man jarraba-l-mojarrab hallat behe-n-nadâme
However much I tried, I gained nothing from the beloved: whoever tries what has already been tried, regret comes down on him.
COUPLET 4
پرسیدم از طبیبی، احوال دوست گفتا«فی بُعدها عذابٌ، فی قُربها السلامه»
porsidam az tabibi ahvâl-e dust, goftâ / fi bo'dihâ azâbon, fi ghorbihâ-s-salâme
I asked a physician about the beloved; he said: "In her distance is torment, in her nearness is wellbeing."
COUPLET 5
گفتم «ملامت آید، گر گِرد دوست گردم»و اللهِ ما رَأینا، حُباً بِلا ملامه
goftam malâmat âyad gar gerd-e dust gardam / va-llâhi mâ ra'aynâ hobban belâ malâme
I said: "Blame will come if I wander around the beloved." By God, we have never seen a love without blame.
COUPLET 6
حافظ چو طالب آمد، جامی به جان شیرینحَتّیٰ یَذوقَ مِنهُ، کأساً مِن الکرامه
Hâfez cho tâleb âmad jâmi be jân-e shirin / hattâ yazugha minho ka'san mena-l-karâme
Since Hafez came seeking a cup at the price of his sweet life, (give it to him) so that he may taste from it a cup of grace.

What this fâl tells you

The letter you wrote with your heart is not lost; this fal says longing itself is a sign of true love. Tradition reads it as advice not to fear people's blame, since no love is free of it, and not to keep repeating what has already failed. Seek nearness: in nearness is peace.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âme (nâme, ghiyâme, alâme, nadâme, salâme, malâme, karâme). A molamma' ghazal: every second half-line is Arabic.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
khunblood dictionary
delheart dictionary
نوشتمneveshtamI wrote dictionary
نزدیکnazdiknear dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
نامهnâmeletter dictionary
ennitruly I (Arabic) (من)
ra'aytuI have seen (Arabic) (دیدم)
dahranan age, a long time (Arabic) (روزگاری)
منminfrom, in (Arabic) (از)
هجرکhajrekayour separation, being away from you (Arabic) (هجر تو)
al-ghiyâmethe Resurrection (Arabic) (قیامت)
dâramI have dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
darin; door dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
sadhundred dictionary
alâmatsign dictionary
لیستlaysatis (it) not (Arabic) (نیست)
domu'otears (Arabic) (اشک‌ها)
aynimy eye (Arabic) (چشمم)
هذاhâzâthis (Arabic) (این)
لناlanâto us (Arabic) (برای ما)
al-alâmethe sign (Arabic) (نشانه)
هرharevery dictionary
چندchandhar chand = although, however much dictionary
کآزمودمk-âzmudamthat I tried (= ke âzmudam) (که آزمودم) dictionary
veyit, him, her (= u) (او)
نبودnabudwas not dictionary
sudammy profit dictionary
منmanwhoever (Arabic) (هر که) dictionary
jarrabahas tried (Arabic) (آزمود)
al-mojarrabwhat has been tried (Arabic) (آزموده)
hallathas come down on, befallen (Arabic) (فرود آمد)
beheon him (Arabic) (بر او)
an-nadâmeregret (Arabic) (پشیمانی)
پرسیدمporsidamI asked dictionary
tabibia physician dictionary
گفتاgoftâ(he/she) said (poetic form of goft) (گفت) dictionary
bo'dihâher distance (Arabic) (دوری او)
azâbtorment dictionary
قربهاghorbihâher nearness (Arabic) (نزدیکی او)
as-salâmesafety, wellbeing (Arabic) (سلامت)
گفتمgoftamI said dictionary
ملامتmalâmatblame, reproach dictionary
âyadcomes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
گردمgardamI wander around dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
allâhGod; va-llâhi = by God (Arabic) (به خدا) dictionary
ماmânot (Arabic negation) (نه) dictionary
ra'aynâwe have seen (Arabic) (دیدیم)
hobbana love (Arabic) (عشقی)
belâwithout (Arabic) (بی)
ملامهmalâmeblame (Arabic) (ملامت)
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
tâlebseeker dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
jâmia cup dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
hattâArabic: until dictionary
یذوقyazughahe may taste (Arabic) (بچشد)
منهminhofrom it (Arabic) (از آن)
کأساka'sana cup (Arabic) (جام)
منminaof (Arabic) (از)
al-karâmegrace, generosity (Arabic) (کرامت)

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 426. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack

Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.

Become a tutor