Ghazal 442 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
به جان او که گرم دسترس به جان بودیکمینه پیشکش بندگانش آن بودی
be jân-e u ke garam dastras be jân budi / kamine pishkash-e bandegânash ân budi
By the beloved's life: if I had power over my own life, it would be the least gift I could offer the beloved's servants.
COUPLET 2
بگفتمی که «بها چیست خاک پایش را؟»اگر حیات گران مایه جاودان بودی
begoftami ke bahâ chist khâk-e pâyash râ / agar hayât-e gerân-mâye jâvedân budi
I would ask what price the dust of the beloved's feet would fetch, if precious life lasted forever.
COUPLET 3
به بندگی قدش سرو معترف گشتیگرش چو سوسن آزاده ده زبان بودی
be bandegi-ye ghaddash sarv mo'taref gashti / garash cho susan-e âzâde dah zabân budi
The cypress would confess itself a servant of that stature, if, like the free lily, it had ten tongues.
COUPLET 4
به خواب نیز نمی‌بینمش چه جای وصالچو این نبود و ندیدیم باری آن بودی
be khâb niz nemibinamash che jâ-ye vesâl / cho in nabud o nadidim bâri ân budi
I do not see the beloved even in dreams, let alone in union; since this was not to be, and we did not see it, at least that might have been.
COUPLET 5
اگر دلم نشدی پایبند طرهٔ اوکی‌اش قرار در این تیره‌خاکدان بودی؟
agar delam nashodi pâyband-e torre-ye u / key-ash gharâr dar in tire-khâkdân budi
If my heart had not become bound to the beloved's curl, how could it ever have found rest in this dark dust-heap of a world?
COUPLET 6
به رخ چو مهرِ فلک بی‌نظیرِ آفاق استبه دل دریغ که یک ذره مهربان بودی
be rokh cho mehr-e falak bi-nazir-e âfâgh ast / be del darigh ke yek zarre mehrabân budi
In face the beloved is matchless in the world, like the sun in the sky; alas, if only that heart were kind even a little.
COUPLET 7
درآمدی ز درم کاشکی چو لمعهٔ نورکه بر دو دیدهٔ ما حکم او روان بودی
dar âmadi ze daram kâshki cho lam'e-ye nur / ke bar do dide-ye mâ hokm-e u ravân budi
I wish the beloved would come in through my door like a gleam of light, so that that command might rule over both our eyes.
COUPLET 8
ز پرده نالهٔ حافظ برون کی افتادی؟اگر نه همدم مرغان صبح خوان بودی
ze parde nâle-ye Hâfez borun key oftâdi / agar na hamdam-e morghân-e sobh-khân budi
How would Hafez's lament have broken out from behind the veil, if he were not the companion of the birds that sing at dawn?
What this fâl tells you
This fal speaks of a deep devotion that asks very little in return, a kind look, a visit, even a dream. Tradition reads it as a sign that your longing is sincere and will be heard. Keep company with those who rise early and sing; their hope will carry yours.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: budi ("would be"). qâfiye: -ân (jân, ân, jâvedân, zabân, ân, khâkdân, mehrabân, ravân, khân).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| گرم | garam | if... me (= agar ... marâ) (اگر مرا) |
| budi | would be (wish form) dictionary | |
| bandegânash | the beloved's servants dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| begoftami | I would say, ask dictionary | |
| bahâ | price, value dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| پایش | pâyash | his/her foot dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| hayât | life; âb-e hayât = the water of life dictionary | |
| گران | gerân | heavy; sar gerân kardan = act haughty, turn away dictionary |
| مایه | mâye | source, capital dictionary |
| jâvedân | forever (همیشه) | |
| قدش | ghaddash | her/his stature dictionary |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| معترف | mo'taref | confessing, admitting dictionary |
| gashti | would become dictionary | |
| گرش | garash | if ... him (= agar u râ) dictionary |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| âzâde | free, noble; susan-e âzâde = the "free" lily, whose petals look like tongues dictionary | |
| dah | ten dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| نیز | niz | also dictionary |
| نمی‌بینمش | nemibinamash | I do not see (the beloved) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| jâ-ye | place of; che jâ-ye = let alone dictionary | |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| نبود | nabud | was not dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ندیدیم | nadidim | we did not see dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| nashodi | had not become dictionary | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| کی‌اش | key-ash | how ever ... its (key + -ash) dictionary |
| قرار | gharâr | calm, rest, peace of mind dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| مهر | mehr | sun; mehr-e falak = the sun in the sky dictionary |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| bi-nazir | matchless dictionary | |
| âfâgh | horizons; the whole world dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| darigh | alas, what a pity dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| مهربان | mehrabân | kind dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| daram | my door (dar + -am) dictionary | |
| kâshki | if only (کاش) | |
| نور | nur | light dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| hokm | command, control dictionary | |
| پرده | parde | curtain, veil dictionary |
| نالهٔ | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| oftâdi | would fall, would break out dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| همدم | hamdam | close friend, companion dictionary |
| مرغان | morghân-e | birds dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| khân | singing; sobh-khân = singing at dawn dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 442. 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.