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Hafez Ghazal 443: ⁧چو سرو اگر بخرامی دمی به گلزاری⁩

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

Ghazal 443 of Hafez (7 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
چو سرو اگر بخرامی دمی به گلزاریخورد ز غیرت روی تو هر گلی خاری
cho sarv agar bekharâmi dami be golzâri / khorad ze gheyrat-e ru-ye to har goli khâri
If you strolled like a cypress into a rose garden for a moment, every rose would be pricked by a thorn of jealousy for your face.
COUPLET 2
ز کفر زلف تو، هر حلقه‌ای و آشوبیز سحر چشم تو، هر گوشه‌ای و بیماری
ze kofr-e zolf-e to har halghe'i o âshubi / ze sehr-e cheshm-e to har gushe'i o bimâri
From the unbelief of your curls, a turmoil in every ring; from the magic of your eyes, a sick one in every corner.
COUPLET 3
مرو چو بخت من ای چشم مست یار به خوابکه در پی است ز هر سویت آه بیداری
marow cho bakht-e man ey cheshm-e mast-e yâr be khâb / ke dar pey ast ze har suyat âh-e bidâri
O drunken eye of the beloved, do not fall asleep like my fortune, for from every side the sigh of a sleepless one is following you.
COUPLET 4
نثار خاک رهت نقد جان من هر چندکه نیست نقد روان را بر تو مقداری
nesâr-e khâk-e rahat naghd-e jân-e man har chand / ke nist naghd-e ravân râ bar-e to meghdâri
The cash of my life is scattered as an offering on the dust of your path, though the coin of the soul has no value to you.
COUPLET 5
دلا! همیشه مزن لاف زلف دلبندانچو تیره‌رأی شوی کی گشایدت کاری؟
delâ hamishe mazan lâf-e zolf-e delbandân / cho tire-ra'y shavi key goshâyadat kâri
O heart, do not keep boasting about the curls of heart-binding beauties; once your judgment grows dark, how will anything open up for you?
COUPLET 6
سرم برفت و زمانی به سر نرفت این کاردلم گرفت و نبودت غم گرفتاری
saram beraft o zamâni be sar naraft in kâr / delam gereft o nabudat gham-e gereftâri
My head is gone, and still this affair has not come to an end; my heart grew heavy, and you had no care for a captive.
COUPLET 7
چو نقطه گفتمش «اندر میان دایره آی»به خنده گفت که «ای حافظ! این چه پرگاری»
cho noghte goftamash andar miyân-e dâyere ây / be khande goft ke ey Hâfez in che pargâri
I said to the beloved: "Come into the middle of the circle, like the point." Laughing, the beloved said: "Hafez, what kind of compass game is this?"

What this fâl tells you

Your admiration for someone is clear, and this fal asks you to keep your eyes open and your judgment clear. Tradition reads it as advice not to boast or chase in circles, but to wait with good humor. Even a laughing answer is an answer; keep the conversation going.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -âri (golzâri, khâri, bimâri, bidâri, meghdâri, kâri, gereftâri, pargâri).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
sarvcypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary
agarif dictionary
bekharâmiyou stroll gracefully dictionary
damia moment dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
khoradeats, suffers; khâr khordan = to be pricked by a thorn dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
gheyratjealousy (of love); zeal dictionary
ru-yeface of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary
toyou dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
golia rose, a flower dictionary
khâria thorn dictionary
کفرkofrunbelief dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
halghe'ia ring, a curl dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
âshubia turmoil dictionary
sehrmagic dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
gushe'ia corner dictionary
bimâria sick one dictionary
مروmarowdo not go! (نرو) dictionary
bakhtfortune, luck dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
مستmastdrunk dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
khâbsleep dictionary
darin; door dictionary
peyafter; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary
astis dictionary
suyatyour side, toward you dictionary
bidârisomeone awake (a wakeful, pious person) dictionary
نثارnesâr-escattered as an offering on (فدای)
khâkdust, earth dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
چندchandhar chand = although, however much dictionary
نیستnistis not; there is not dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
meghdâriany value, worth dictionary
delâO heart! dictionary
همیشهhamishealways dictionary
مزنmazando not strike; do not tie dictionary
لافlâfboast dictionary
shaviyou become dictionary
گشایدتgoshâyadatopens for you dictionary
kâriany affair, anything dictionary
sarammy head; over me dictionary
beraftwent away (رفت) dictionary
zamânia moment dictionary
sarhead; be sar raftan = to come to an end dictionary
نرفتnaraftdid not go dictionary
inthis dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
delammy heart dictionary
گرفتgereftgrew heavy; del gereftan = to feel low dictionary
نبودتnabudatyou did not have dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
gereftâria captive (in love) dictionary
نقطهnoghtepoint; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary
گفتمشgoftamashI said to him dictionary
andarin (= dar) (در)
میانmiyânmiddle dictionary
dâyere-yecircle of dictionary
âycome! (بیا) dictionary
khandelaughter dictionary
گفتgoftsay (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
pargâricompass-work, circling (pargâr = a compass) dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 443. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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