Ghazal 457 of Hafez (10 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
هزار جهد بکردم که یار من باشیمرادبخش دل بی‌قرار من باشی
hezâr jahd bekardam ke yâr-e man bâshi / morâdbakhsh-e del-e bigharâr-e man bâshi
A thousand times I tried to make you my companion, to be the one who grants the wishes of my restless heart,
COUPLET 2
چراغِ دیدهٔ شب‌زنده‌دار من گردیانیسِ خاطر امّیدوار من باشی
cherâgh-e dide-ye shab-zende-dâr-e man gardi / anis-e khâter-e ommidvâr-e man bâshi
to become the lamp of my sleepless eyes, the close companion of my hopeful mind.
COUPLET 3
چو خسروانِ ملاحت، به بندگان نازندتو در میانه، خداوندگار من باشی
cho khosrovân-e malâhat be bandegân nâzand / to dar miyâne khodâvandgâr-e man bâshi
When the kings of charm show off before their servants, may you, among them, be my lord.
COUPLET 4
از آن عقیق که خونین‌دلم ز عشوهٔ اواگر کنم گله‌ای غم‌گسار من باشی
az ân aghigh ke khunin-delam ze eshve-ye u / agar konam gele'i ghamgosâr-e man bâshi
If I complain of that carnelian lip whose teasing leaves my heart bleeding, may you be the one who comforts me.
COUPLET 5
در آن چمن که بتان، دست عاشقان گیرندگرت ز دست برآید، نگار من باشی
dar ân chaman ke botân dast-e âsheghân girand / garat ze dast bar âyad negâr-e man bâshi
In that meadow where the beauties take lovers by the hand, if you can manage it, be my beloved.
COUPLET 6
شبی به کلبهٔ احزانِ عاشقان آییدمی انیسِ دلِ سوگوارِ من باشی
shabi be kolbe-ye ahzân-e âsheghân âyi / dami anis-e del-e sugvâr-e man bâshi
May you come one night to the lovers' house of sorrows and for a moment keep my mourning heart company.
COUPLET 7
شود غزالهٔ خورشید، صید لاغر منگر آهویی چو تو یک دم، شکار من باشی
shavad ghazâle-ye khorshid seyd-e lâghar-e man / gar âhuyi cho to yek dam shekâr-e man bâshi
The gazelle of the sun would be only my thin prey, if a deer like you were my catch for a single moment.
COUPLET 8
سه بوسه کز دو لبت، کرده‌ای وظیفهٔ مناگر ادا نکنی، قرض‌دار من باشی
se buse k-az do labat karde'i vazife-ye man / agar adâ nakoni gharzdâr-e man bâshi
The three kisses from your two lips that you set as my allowance: if you do not pay them, you will be in my debt.
COUPLET 9
من این مراد ببینم به خود که نیم‌شبیبه جای اشک روان، در کنار من باشی
man in morâd bebinam be khod ke nimshabi / be jâ-ye ashk-e ravân dar kenâr-e man bâshi
May I live to see this wish come true: that one midnight, instead of my flowing tears, you will be in my arms.
COUPLET 10
من ار چه حافظ شهرم، جویی نمی‌ارزممگر تو از کرم خویش، یار من باشی
man arche Hâfez-e shahram jovi nemiarzam / magar to az karam-e khish yâr-e man bâshi
Though I am the Hafez of the city, I am not worth a grain of barley, unless, out of your own generosity, you become my friend.
What this fâl tells you
Your sincere effort to win someone's heart is not lost: tradition reads this fal as hope that the companion you long for may come to comfort you. Speak openly about what troubles you. A promise once made still stands, and a midnight of tears can turn into a time of closeness.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: man bâshi. qâfiye: -âr (yâr, bigharâr, ommidvâr, khodâvandgâr, ghamgosâr, negâr, sugvâr, shekâr, gharzdâr, kenâr).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| bekardam | I made (hezâr jahd bekardam = I tried a thousand times) (کردم) dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| bâshi | you are, you may be dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| bigharâr-e | restless dictionary | |
| چراغ | cherâgh | lamp dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| gardi | you become dictionary | |
| khâter | mind, heart dictionary | |
| ommidvâr-e | hopeful dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| bandegân | servants dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| میانه | miyâne | the middle; dar miyâne = in the midst, at that moment dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| eshve | flirting, coaxing; eshve dâdan = to deceive with charm; eshve kharidan = to be taken in dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| کنم | konam | I make, I do dictionary |
| gele'i | a complaint dictionary | |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| botân | idols: the beauties dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| گیرند | girand | they take; ayâr gereftan = to assay dictionary |
| گرت | garat | if ... you (= agar to-râ) (اگر به تو) |
| bar âyad | rises; comes true; comes out (برمی‌آید) | |
| shabi | one night dictionary | |
| کلبهٔ | kolbe | hut dictionary |
| ahzân | sorrows; kolbe-ye ahzân = the hut where Jacob mourned Joseph (غم‌ها) | |
| âyi | you come dictionary | |
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| sugvâr | mourning dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| seyd | prey; hunting dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| âhuyi | a deer, a gazelle dictionary | |
| یک | yek | one dictionary |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| shekâr | prey, catch dictionary | |
| se | three; do se = two or three dictionary | |
| buse | kiss dictionary | |
| کز | k-az | that from (= ke az) (که از) |
| do | two dictionary | |
| لبت | labat | your lips dictionary |
| karde'i | you have made; ragham kardan = to write dictionary | |
| وظیفهٔ | vazife | allowance, stipend dictionary |
| adâ | payment; adâ kardan = to pay (a debt) dictionary | |
| nakoni | you do not do dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| bebinam | I see dictionary | |
| khod | self; be khod = for myself, in my own life dictionary | |
| nimshabi | one midnight dictionary | |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = instead of dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| کنار | kenâr | side; embrace, arms dictionary |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| shahram | of the city ... I am (Hâfez-e shahram = I am the city's Hafez) dictionary | |
| jovi | a grain of barley (jovi nemiarzam = I am not worth a barleycorn) dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | unless dictionary |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 457. 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.