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Hafez Ghazal 459: ⁧زین خوش رقم که بر گل رخسار می‌کشی⁩

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

Ghazal 459 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
زین خوش رقم که بر گل رخسار می‌کشیخط بر صحیفهٔ گل و گلزار می‌کشی
z-in khosh ragham ke bar gol-e rokhsâr mikeshi / khatt bar sahife-ye gol o golzâr mikeshi
With this lovely line you draw on the rose of your cheek, you strike a line through the whole page of the rose and the rose garden.
COUPLET 2
اشک حرم‌نشین نهان‌خانهٔ مرازان سوی هفت‌پرده به بازار می‌کشی
ashk-e haram-neshin-e nahân-khâne-ye marâ / z-ân su-ye haft-parde be bâzâr mikeshi
My tears, which sit veiled in my hidden chamber, you drag from beyond seven curtains out into the marketplace.
COUPLET 3
کاهل روی چو باد صبا را به بوی زلفهر دم به قید سلسله در کار می‌کشی
kâhel-ravi cho bâd-e sabâ râ be bu-ye zolf / har dam be ghayd-e selsele dar kâr mikeshi
Even a slow wanderer like the morning breeze you bind with the scent of your curls and put to work every moment, chained.
COUPLET 4
هر دم به یاد آن لب میگون و چشم مستاز خلوتم به خانهٔ خمار می‌کشی
har dam be yâd-e ân lab-e meygun o cheshm-e mast / az khalvatam be khâne-ye khammâr mikeshi
Every moment, with the memory of those wine-colored lips and drunken eyes, you drag me from my retreat to the wine-seller's house.
COUPLET 5
گفتی سر تو بستهٔ فتراک ما شودسهل است اگر تو زحمت این بار می‌کشی
gofti sar-e to baste-ye fetrâk-e mâ shavad / sahl ast agar to zahmat-e in bâr mikeshi
You said: "Your head will be tied to our saddle strap." That is a small matter, if you will bear the trouble of this load.
COUPLET 6
با چشم و ابروی تو چه تدبیر دل کنم؟وه زین کمان که بر من بیمار می‌کشی
bâ cheshm o abru-ye to che tadbir-e del konam? / vah z-in kamân ke bar man-e bimâr mikeshi
Against your eyes and eyebrows, what can my heart plan? Ah, this bow you draw against me, sick as I am!
COUPLET 7
بازآ که چشم بد ز رخت دفع می‌کندای تازه گل که دامن از این خار می‌کشی
bâz â ke cheshm-e bad ze rokhat daf' mikonad / ey tâze gol ke dâman az in khâr mikeshi
Come back, for this thorn wards off the evil eye from your face, O fresh rose who pull your hem away from it.
COUPLET 8
حافظ دگر چه می‌طلبی از نعیم دهرمی می‌خوری و طرهٔ دلدار می‌کشی
Hâfez degar che mitalabi az na'im-e dahr? / mey mikhori o torre-ye deldâr mikeshi
Hafez, what more do you ask from the blessings of the world? You drink wine, and you hold the beloved's curl.

What this fâl tells you

You already hold much of what you longed for: tradition reads this fal as a call to gratitude rather than asking for more. Someone's charm may draw you out of solitude, and that is not a bad thing. Do not pull away from the plain, thorny friend who quietly protects you.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: mikeshi. qâfiye: -âr (rokhsâr, golzâr, bâzâr, kâr, khammâr, bâr, bimâr, khâr, deldâr).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
z-infrom this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این)
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
raghamwriting, mark dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
rokhsârcheek, face dictionary
mikeshiyou draw, pull, drag; you bear (zahmat keshidan = to bear trouble) dictionary
khattline; the first down on the cheek; khatt keshidan bar = to cross out (a pun) dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
ashktear dictionary
مراmarâme; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من)
z-ânfrom that (= az ân) (از آن)
su-yetoward dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
bâzârbazaar, market dictionary
کاهلkâhellazy, slow dictionary
ravi-goer, one who goes (kâhel-ravi = slow wanderer) dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
bâdwind dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
bu-yescent of (ezafe) dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
selselechain dictionary
darin; door dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
یادyâdmemory dictionary
ânthat dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
مستmastdrunk dictionary
khalvatammy private room, my solitude dictionary
khânehouse dictionary
goftiyou said; you composed dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
toyou dictionary
baste-yebound by, captive of dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
shavadbecomes dictionary
sahleasy, a small matter dictionary
astis dictionary
agarif dictionary
zahmattrouble, burden dictionary
inthis dictionary
bârburden, weight dictionary
bâwith dictionary
abru-yeeyebrow of dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
tadbirplan, course of action dictionary
delheart dictionary
کنمkonamI make, I do dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
bimârill dictionary
bâz âcome back! dictionary
badbad dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
rokhatyour face dictionary
daf'driving away dictionary
می‌کندmikonaddoes, is doing dictionary
eyO (vocative) dictionary
tâzefresh, new dictionary
khârthorn dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
degaragain; other (= digar) (دیگر)
mitalabiyou seek, you ask for dictionary
dahrtime, the world, fate dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
mikhoriyou drink dictionary
torrelock of hair, curl dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 459. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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