Ghazal 438 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.
Read it word by wordTake your own fâl
COUPLET 1
سَبَتْ سَلْمیٰ بِصُدْغَیها فُؤاديو رُوحي کُلَّ یَومٍ لي یُنادي
sabat salmâ be-sodghayhâ fo'âdi / va ruhi kolla yowmin li yonâdi
Salma has taken my heart captive with her temple-locks, and every day my soul cries out to me.
COUPLET 2
نگارا بر من بی‌دل ببخشایو واصِلْني علی رَغْمِ الْأَعادي
negârâ bar man-e bidel bebakhshây / va vâselni alâ raghmi-l-a'âdi
O beauty, have mercy on me, who has lost my heart, and be united with me in spite of the enemies.
COUPLET 3
حبیبا در غم سودای عشقتتَوَکَّلْنا علی رَبِّ الْعِبادِ
habibâ dar gham-e sodâ-ye eshghat / tavakkalnâ alâ rabbi-l-ebâdi
Beloved, in the grief of longing for your love we have put our trust in the Lord of all servants.
COUPLET 4
أَ مَنْ اَنْکَرْتَني عَن عشق سَلْمیٰتُزَاوَّل آن روی نِهْکو بِوادی
a-man ankartani an eshgh-e salmâ / tozâval ân ru-ye nehku bevâdi
You who blamed me for loving Salma, you should first have seen that lovely face,
COUPLET 5
که همچون مُت به بوتَن دل وَ اِی رَهغَریقُ الْعِشقِ في بَحْرِ الْوِدادِ
ke hamchon mot be butan del va-y rah / gharigho-l-eshghi fi bahri-l-vedâdi
so that your heart, like mine, would be on this road: drowned in love in the sea of affection.
COUPLET 6
به پی‌ماچان غَرامت بِسپُریمَنغَرَت یک وی رَوِشتی از اَما دی
be pey-mâchân gharâmat besporimen / gharat yek vey ravesh-i az amâ di
We will pay the penalty, kissing your feet, if you have seen even one wrong step from us.
COUPLET 7
غم این دل بِواتَت خورد ناچارو غَر نه او بِنی آنچَت نَشادی
gham-e in del bevâtat khord nâchâr / va ghar na u beni ânchat nashâdi
You will have to take care of this heart's grief, like it or not; otherwise you will see from it what will not please you.
COUPLET 8
دل حافظ شد اندر چین زلفتبِلَیلٍ مُظْلِمٍ وَ اللّهُ هادي
del-e Hâfez shod andar chin-e zolfat / be-laylin mozlemin va-llâho hâdi
Hafez's heart went into the folds of your curls on a dark night, and God is the guide.
What this fâl tells you
Even when a love seems hard to explain to others, this fal says your trust is in the right place. Tradition reads it as advice to put your trust in God, ask kindly for a reconciliation, and let critics see for themselves before they judge. On a dark night, the way will still be shown.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âdi (fo'âdi, yonâdi, a'âdi, ebâdi, bevâdi, vedâdi, di, nashâdi, hâdi). A molamma' mixing Persian, Arabic and the old Shirazi dialect (beyts 4.2 to 7); the dialect readings follow the usual commentaries and are uncertain.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sabat | has taken captive (Arabic) (اسیر کرد) | |
| be-sodghayhâ | with her two temple-locks (Arabic) (با زلف‌های بناگوشش) | |
| فؤادي | fo'âdi | my heart (Arabic) (دلم) |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ruhiya | my soul (Arabic) dictionary | |
| کل | kolla | every (Arabic) (هر) |
| یوم | yowmin | day (Arabic) (روز) |
| لي | li | to me (Arabic) (مرا) |
| ینادي | yonâdi | calls out (Arabic) (ندا می‌دهد) |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bebakhshây | have mercy! forgive! (ببخش) | |
| واصلني | vâselni | be united with me (Arabic) (به من بپیوند) |
| al-a'âdi | the enemies (Arabic) (دشمنان) | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| sodâ-ye | passion, longing for dictionary | |
| tavakkalnâ | we have put our trust (Arabic) (توکل کردیم) | |
| al-ebâd | the servants (of God), all people (Arabic) (بندگان) | |
| من | man | who; a-man = you who (Arabic) dictionary |
| ankartani | you blamed me, denied me (Arabic) (مرا انکار کردی) | |
| tozâval | you should first (Shirazi dialect; reading uncertain) (نخست باید) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| نهکو | nehku | fair, lovely (Shirazi dialect) (نیکو) |
| bevâdi | you should see (Shirazi dialect; uncertain) (ببینی) | |
| همچون | hamchon | like (مثل) |
| مت | mot | me (Shirazi dialect; hamchon mot = like me) (من) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| butan | would be (Shirazi dialect) (بودی) | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| i | this (Shirazi dialect; va-y rah = in this road) (این) | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| bahr | sea (دریا) dictionary | |
| al-vedâd | affection, love (Arabic) (مهر) | |
| پی‌ماچان | pey-mâchân | kissing the feet (Shirazi dialect) (پای‌بوسان) |
| besporimen | we will hand over, pay (Shirazi dialect) (بسپاریم) dictionary | |
| gharat | if you (Shirazi dialect) (اگر تو) | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| vey | time, instance (Shirazi dialect; uncertain) (بار) | |
| ravesh-i | a (wrong) step, a way of acting (Shirazi dialect; uncertain) (روشی) | |
| amâ | us (Shirazi dialect) (ما) | |
| di | you see, have seen (Shirazi dialect) (ببینی) | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bevâtat | you must (Shirazi dialect) (بایدت) | |
| khord | eat, endure (gham khordan = to care for, grieve over) dictionary | |
| ناچار | nâchâr | having no choice, helplessly dictionary |
| ghar | if (Shirazi dialect); va ghar na = or else (اگر) | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| beni | will see (Shirazi dialect) (ببینی) | |
| ânchat | what ... to you (Shirazi dialect) (آنچه تو را) | |
| nashâdi | would not be fitting (Shirazi dialect) (نشاید) | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| andar | in (= dar) (در) | |
| چین | chin | China; also a curl, fold (pun) dictionary |
| zolfat | your curls dictionary | |
| be-laylin | in a night (Arabic) (در شبی) | |
| مظلم | mozlemin | dark (Arabic) (تاریک) |
| allâho | God (Arabic) (خدا) | |
| هادي | hâdi | guide (Arabic) (راهنما) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 438. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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