Ghazal 446 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
صبا تو نکهت آن زلف مشک بو داریبه یادگار بمانی که بوی او داری
sabâ to nakhat-e ân zolf-e moshk-bu dâri / be yâdegâr bemâni ke bu-ye u dâri
Morning breeze, you carry the scent of those musk-scented curls; may you last as a keepsake, for you have the beloved's scent.
COUPLET 2
دلم که گوهر اسرار حسن و عشق در اوستتوان به دست تو دادن گرش نکو داری
delam ke gowhar-e asrâr-e hosn o eshgh dar ust / tavân be dast-e to dâdan garash neku dâri
My heart, which holds the pearl of the secrets of beauty and love, can be placed in your hands, if you will keep it well.
COUPLET 3
در آن شمایل مطبوع هیچ نتوان گفتجز این قدر که رقیبان تندخو داری
dar ân shamâyel-e matbu' hich natavân goft / joz in ghadar ke raghibân-e tondkhu dâri
Nothing can be said against that lovely form, except this much: that you have bad-tempered rivals around you.
COUPLET 4
نوای بلبلت ای گل کجا پسند افتدکه گوش و هوش به مرغان هرزه گو داری
navâ-ye bolbolat ey gol kojâ pasand oftad / ke gush o hush be morghân-e harze-gu dâri
O rose, how could your nightingale's song ever please you, when you give your ear and mind to idly chattering birds?
COUPLET 5
به جرعه تو سرم مست گشت نوشت بادخود از کدام خم است این که در سبو داری
be jor'e-ye to saram mast gasht, nushat bâd / khod az kodâm khom ast in ke dar sabu dâri
One sip of yours made my head drunk, may it do you good! Tell me, from which jar is this that you have in your jug?
COUPLET 6
به سرکشی خود ای سرو جویبار منازکه گر بدو رسی از شرم سر فروداری
be sarkeshi-ye khod ey sarv-e juybâr manâz / ke gar bedu rasi az sharm sar foru dâri
O cypress by the stream, do not be proud of your height, for if you came near the beloved you would bow your head in shame.
COUPLET 7
دم از ممالک خوبی چو آفتاب زدنتو را رسد که غلامان ماه رو داری
dam az mamâlek-e khubi cho âftâb zadan / to râ resad ke gholâmân-e mâh-ru dâri
To boast of ruling the kingdoms of beauty, like the sun, is your right, for you have moon-faced servants.
COUPLET 8
قبای حسن فروشی تو را برازد و بسکه همچو گل همه آیین رنگ و بو داری
ghabâ-ye hosn-forushi to râ barâzad o bas / ke hamcho gol hame â'in-e rang o bu dâri
The robe of displaying beauty suits you and no one else, for like the rose you have every grace of color and scent.
COUPLET 9
ز کنج صومعه حافظ مجوی گوهر عشققدم برون نه اگر میل جست و جو داری
ze konj-e sowme'e Hâfez maju gowhar-e eshgh / ghadam borun neh agar meyl-e jost o ju dâri
Hafez, do not look for the pearl of love in the corner of the cloister; step outside if you truly want to search.
What this fâl tells you
A message or a sign from someone dear is on its way, like a scent carried by the breeze. Tradition reads this fal as advice to give your heart only to someone who will keep it well, and to listen to sincere voices rather than idle chatter. What you seek will not be found sitting in a corner: step out and look for it.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: dâri ("you have"). qâfiye: -u (bu, u, neku, tondkhu, gu, sabu, foru, ru, bu, ju).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| نکهت | nakhat-e | scent of (بوی) |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| bu | scent dictionary | |
| dâri | you have dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bemâni | may you last dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| گوهر | gowhar | pearl, jewel dictionary |
| asrâr | secrets dictionary | |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| u-st | is his (= u ast) dictionary | |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| dâdan | to give; az dast dâdan = to let go dictionary | |
| گرش | garash | if ... him (= agar u râ) dictionary |
| نکو | neku | good (نیکو) |
| مطبوع | matbu' | gifted, pleasing, natural dictionary |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| joz | except, besides dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| raghibân | rivals in love dictionary | |
| tondkhu | bad-tempered dictionary | |
| bolbolat | your nightingale dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| پسند | pasand | pleasing; pasand oftâdan = to be liked dictionary |
| oftad | falls; ghabul oftâdan = to be accepted (بیفتد) dictionary | |
| گوش | gush | ear; gush kon = listen dictionary |
| مرغان | morghân-e | birds dictionary |
| هرزه | harze | vain, idle; be harze = in vain (بیهوده) dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| jor'e | sip, mouthful dictionary | |
| saram | my head; over me dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| نوشت | nushat | to your health (nush + -at; nushat bâd = may it do you good) dictionary |
| bâd | may it be (باشد) dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| کدام | kodâm | which dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| sabu | jug, pitcher dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| مناز | manâz | do not be proud! (نناز) |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| bedu | to her (= be u) (به او) | |
| rasi | you reach, arrive (برسی) dictionary | |
| sharm | shame dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| dam | breath; dam zadan az = to boast of, claim dictionary | |
| ممالک | mamâlek | kingdoms, realms (Arabic plural) (کشورها) dictionary |
| khubi | goodness, beauty dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| zadan | to strike; dam zadan = to boast dictionary | |
| resad | is fitting; to râ resad = it is your right dictionary | |
| gholâmân | servants dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| forushi | selling; hosn-forushi = displaying beauty dictionary | |
| bas | enough; o bas = and no one else dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| rang | color dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| کنج | konj | corner dictionary |
| sowme'e | cloister, hermitage (place of formal piety) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| maju | do not seek! (نجو) dictionary | |
| قدم | ghadam | step dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| نه | neh | put! set! (ghadam borun neh = step out) (بگذار) dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| میل | meyl | desire, appetite dictionary |
| jost | search (jostoju = searching) dictionary | |
| ju | seek! (= bejuy) (بجوی) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 446. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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