Ghazal 437 of Hafez (9 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
ای قصهٔ بهشت ز کویت حکایتیشرح جمال حور ز رویت روایتی
ey ghesse-ye behesht ze kuyat hekâyati / sharh-e jamâl-e hur ze ruyat revâyati
The story of paradise is only one tale about your street; the description of the houris' beauty is only one account of your face.
COUPLET 2
انفاس عیسی از لب لعلت لطیفه‌ایآب خضر ز نوش لبانت کنایتی
anfâs-e isâ az lab-e la'lat latife'i / âb-e khezr ze nush-e labânat kenâyati
The breath of Jesus is a faint trace from your ruby lips; the water of Khizr, an allusion to the sweetness of your lips.
COUPLET 3
هر پاره از دل من و از غصه قصه‌ایهر سطری از خصال تو و از رحمت آیتی
har pâre az del-e man o az ghosse ghesse'i / har satri az khesâl-e to v-az rahmat âyati
Every piece of my heart tells a story of grief; every line about your qualities is a verse of mercy.
COUPLET 4
کی عطرسای مجلس روحانیان شدی؟گل را اگر نه بوی تو کردی رعایتی
key atr-sâ-ye majles-e ruhâniyân shodi / gol râ agar na bu-ye to kardi re'âyati
How could the rose ever have perfumed the gathering of angels, if your scent had not taken care of it?
COUPLET 5
در آرزوی خاک در یار سوختیمیاد آور ای صبا که نکردی حمایتی
dar ârezu-ye khâk-e dar-e yâr sukhtim / yâd âvar ey sabâ ke nakardi hemâyati
We burned with longing for the dust of the beloved's door; remember, O breeze, that you gave us no help.
COUPLET 6
ای دل به هرزه دانش و عمرت به باد رفتصد مایه داشتی و نکردی کفایتی
ey del be harze dânesh o omrat be bâd raft / sad mâye dâshti o nakardi kefâyati
O heart, your learning and your life went to the wind in vain: you had a hundred talents and they did you no good.
COUPLET 7
بوی دل کباب من آفاق را گرفتاین آتش درون بکند هم سرایتی
bu-ye del-e kabâb-e man âfâgh râ gereft / in âtash-e darun bekonad ham serâyati
The smell of my burning heart has filled the horizons; this inner fire will spread to others too.
COUPLET 8
در آتش ار خیال رخش دست می‌دهدساقی بیا که نیست ز دوزخ شکایتی
dar âtash ar khiyâl-e rokhash dast midahad / sâghi biyâ ke nist ze duzakh shekâyati
If even in the fire the image of the beloved's face comes to me, come, cupbearer: I have no complaint against hell.
COUPLET 9
دانی مراد حافظ از این درد و غصه چیست؟از تو کرشمه‌ای و ز خسرو عنایتی
dâni morâd-e Hâfez az in dard o ghosse chist / az to karashme'i o ze khosrow enâyati
Do you know what Hafez wants from all this pain and grief? From you, one glance; and from the king, a favor.
What this fâl tells you
What you long for is worth more to you than paradise, and this fal honors that longing. Tradition reads it as advice to put your many talents to real use instead of letting time slip by. Your wish is small and clear: a kind look from someone dear, and a little help from someone with power. Both may come.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âyati (hekâyati, revâyati, kenâyati, âyati, re'âyati, hemâyati, kefâyati, serâyati, shekâyati, enâyati).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| قصهٔ | ghesse | story dictionary |
| behesht | paradise dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کویت | kuyat | your street dictionary |
| hekâyati | a story dictionary | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| ruyat | your face dictionary | |
| revâyati | an account, a report dictionary | |
| anfâs | breaths dictionary | |
| isâ | Jesus (whose breath revived the dead) dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| لعلت | la'lat | your ruby (lips) dictionary |
| latife'i | a subtle hint, a fine trace dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| نوش | nush | sweetness, honey dictionary |
| لبانت | labânat | your lips dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| پاره | pâre | piece dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ghosse | sorrow, worry dictionary | |
| ghesse'i | a story dictionary | |
| satri | a line dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| rahmat | mercy dictionary | |
| âyati | a verse (of the Quran), a sign dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| ruhâniyân | the spiritual ones; angels dictionary | |
| shodi | would have become dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| kardi | had done, had given dictionary | |
| re'âyati | care, attention dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| sukhtim | we burned dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| âvar | bring!; yâd âvar = remember! (بیاور) dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| nakardi | you did not do, did not give dictionary | |
| hemâyati | any help, support dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هرزه | harze | vain, idle; be harze = in vain (بیهوده) dictionary |
| dânesh | knowledge, learning dictionary | |
| omrat | your life dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| مایه | mâye | source, capital dictionary |
| dâshti | you had dictionary | |
| کباب | kabâb | roasted, burning (hearts) dictionary |
| âfâgh | horizons; the whole world dictionary | |
| گرفت | gereft | took; gushe gereft = withdrew dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| darun | inside dictionary | |
| bekonad | does, will do dictionary | |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| serâyati | spreading, contagion dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| rokhash | his/her face dictionary | |
| dast | hand; dast dâdan = to become possible, come to hand dictionary | |
| می‌دهد | midahad | gives; neshân midahad = describes dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| duzakh | hell dictionary | |
| shekâyati | a complaint dictionary | |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 437. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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