Ghazal 440 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.
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COUPLET 1
سحر با باد می‌گفتم حدیث آرزومندیخطاب آمد که «واثق شو، به الطاف خداوندی»
sahar bâ bâd migoftam hadis-e ârezumandi / khetâb âmad ke vâsegh sho be altâf-e khodâvandi
At dawn I was telling the wind the story of my longing; a voice answered: "Trust in the kindness of the Lord."
COUPLET 2
دعای صبح و آهِ شب، کلید گنج مقصود استبدین راه و روش می‌رو، که با دلدار پیوندی
do'â-ye sobh o âh-e shab kelid-e ganj-e maghsud ast / bedin râh o ravesh mirow ke bâ deldâr peyvandi
Morning prayer and the night's sigh are the key to the treasure you seek; keep to this road and this way, and you will be joined to the beloved.
COUPLET 3
قلم را آن زبان نَبوَد، که سرِّ عشق گوید بازورای حدّ تقریر است، شرح آرزومندی
ghalam râ ân zabân nabvad ke serr-e eshgh guyad bâz / varâ-ye hadd-e taghrir ast sharh-e ârezumandi
The pen has no tongue to tell the secret of love; describing longing is beyond the limits of words.
COUPLET 4
الا ای یوسف مصری که کردت سلطنت مغرور!پدر را باز پرس آخر، کجا شد مِهرِ فرزندی؟
alâ ey yusof-e mesri ke kardat saltanat maghrur / pedar râ bâz pors âkher, kojâ shod mehr-e farzandi
O Joseph of Egypt, whom kingship has made proud: ask after your father at last. Where has a son's love gone?
COUPLET 5
جهانِ پیرِ رعنا را، ترحّم در جِبِلَّت نیستز مِهر او چه می‌پرسی؟ در او همّت چه می‌بندی؟
jahân-e pir-e ra'nâ râ tarahhom dar jebellat nist / ze mehr-e u che miporsi, dar u hemmat che mibandi
This old, vain world has no pity in its nature; why ask about its love? Why set your hopes on it?
COUPLET 6
همایی چون تو عالی‌قدر، حرص استخوان تا کی؟دریغ آن سایهٔ همّت، که بر نااهل افکندی
homâyi chon to âli-ghadr, hers-e ostokhân tâ key / darigh ân sâye-ye hemmat ke bar nâ-ahl afkandi
A Homa as noble as you: how long this greed for bones? What a pity, that shadow of your aspiration which you cast on the unworthy.
COUPLET 7
در این بازار اگر سودی‌ست، با درویش خرسند استخدایا منعَمم گردان به درویشی و خرسندی
dar in bâzâr agar sudi-st bâ darvish-e khorsand ast / khodâyâ mon'emam gardân be darvishi o khorsandi
If there is any profit in this bazaar, it lies with the contented dervish. O God, make me rich through poverty and contentment.
COUPLET 8
به شعر حافظِ شیراز می‌رقصند و می‌نازندسیه‌چشمان کشمیری و تُرکان سمرقندی
be she'r-e Hâfez-e shirâz miraghsand o minâzand / siyah-cheshmân-e keshmiri o torkân-e samarghandi
The dark-eyed beauties of Kashmir and the Turks of Samarkand dance to the poetry of Hafez of Shiraz and take pride in it.
What this fâl tells you
Your longing has been heard, and this fal answers: trust in God's kindness. Tradition reads it as advice to keep up your morning prayer and night-time hope, which are the key to what you seek. Remember those who love you, do not waste your gifts on the unworthy, and find your wealth in contentment.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none (the closing -i acts as an ending). qâfiye: -andi (ârezumandi, khodâvandi, peyvandi, ârezumandi, farzandi, mibandi, afkandi, khorsandi, samarghandi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sahar | dawn dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| می‌گفتم | migoftam | I used to say dictionary |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| sho | become! be! (بشو) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| altâf | kindnesses, favors dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| shab | night dictionary | |
| کلید | kelid | key dictionary |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bedin | with this, in this (= be in) (با این) | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| ravesh | way, method dictionary | |
| می‌رو | mirow | keep going! (برو) dictionary |
| peyvandi | you will be joined dictionary | |
| قلم | ghalam | pen; ghalam zadan bar = to strike out, cancel dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| گوید | guyad | says, tells dictionary |
| bâz | openly (bâz goftan = to reveal); bâz porsidan = to ask after dictionary | |
| hadd | limit, capacity; hadd-e ... nist = not within the power of dictionary | |
| taghrir | explaining, stating dictionary | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| mesri | of Egypt; yusof-e mesri = Joseph of Egypt dictionary | |
| کردت | kardat | has made you dictionary |
| saltanat | kingship, sovereignty dictionary | |
| مغرور | maghrur | deceived, fooled by dictionary |
| پدر | pedar | father dictionary |
| پرس | pors | ask! (= bepors) (بپرس) dictionary |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | love, kindness dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| پیر | pir | elder; spiritual master dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| jebellat | innate nature (سرشت) | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| miporsi | you ask dictionary | |
| mibandi | you tie; hemmat bastan dar = to set your hopes on dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| hers | greed dictionary | |
| ostokhân | bone dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| darigh | alas, what a pity dictionary | |
| sâye | shade, shadow dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| afkandi | you cast dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâzâr | bazaar, market dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| sudi-st | there is a profit (= sudi ast) dictionary | |
| khorsand | content dictionary | |
| khodâyâ | O God! dictionary | |
| گردان | gardân | make! turn into! (بگردان) dictionary |
| she'r | poem, poetry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| می‌رقصند | miraghsand | they dance dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 440. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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