Ghazal 461 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
کَتَبتُ قِصَّةَ شَوقی و مَدمَعی باکیبیا که بی تو به جان آمدم ز غمناکی
katabto ghessata showghi va madma'i bâki / biyâ ke bi to be jân âmadam ze ghamnâki
(Arabic) I wrote the story of my longing while my eyes were weeping. Come, for without you I am worn out with sorrow.
COUPLET 2
بسا که گفته‌ام از شوق با دو دیدهٔ خودأیا مَنازِلَ سَلمیٰ فَأینَ سَلماکِ؟
basâ ke gofte'am az showgh bâ do dide-ye khod / ayâ manâzela salmâ fa-ayna salmâki?
How often, out of longing, I have said to my own two eyes: (Arabic) "O dwellings of Salma, where is your Salma?"
COUPLET 3
عجیب واقعه‌ای و غریب حادثه‌ایأنَا اصْطَبَرتُ قَتیلاً و قاتِلی شاکی
ajib vâghe'e-i o gharib hâdese-i / anâ estabarto ghatilan va ghâteli shâki
A wondrous event, a strange happening: (Arabic) I, the slain one, have stayed patient, and my killer is the one complaining.
COUPLET 4
که را رسد که کند عیب دامن پاکت؟که همچو قطره که بر برگ گل چکد پاکی
ke râ resad ke konad eyb-e dâman-e pâkat? / ke hamcho ghatre ke bar barg-e gol chekad pâki
Who has the right to find fault with your pure hem? For you are as pure as a drop that falls on a rose petal.
COUPLET 5
ز خاک پای تو داد آب، روی لاله و گلچو کِلک صُنع رقم زد به آبی و خاکی
ze khâk-e pâ-ye to dâd âb ru-ye lâle o gol / cho kelk-e son' ragham zad be âbi o khâki
It was from the dust of your feet that the face of the tulip and the rose was given its freshness, when the pen of creation wrote upon water and earth.
COUPLET 6
صبا عبیرفشان گشت ساقیا برخیزو هاتِ شَمسَةَ کَرْمٍ مُطَیَّبٍ زاکی
sabâ abirfeshân gasht sâghiyâ barkhiz / va hâti shamsata karmin motayyabin zâki
The breeze has begun to scatter perfume: cupbearer, rise, (Arabic) and bring the sun of the vine, fragrant and pure.
COUPLET 7
دَعِ التَّکاسُلَ تَغْنَمْ فَقَد جَری مَثَلٌکه زادِ راهروان چستی است و چالاکی
da'it-takâsola taghnam fa-ghad jarâ masalon / ke zâd-e rahravân chosti ast o châlâki
(Arabic) Leave laziness and you will gain, for the proverb goes: the provision of travelers is quickness and agility.
COUPLET 8
اثر نماند ز من، بی شمایلت، آریأرَی مَآثِرَ مَحیایَ مِن مُحَیّاکِ
asar namând ze man bi shamâyelat âri / arâ ma'âsera mahyâya men mohayyâki
Without your lovely form, no trace of me remains; yes, (Arabic) I see the signs of my life in your face.
COUPLET 9
ز وصف حسن تو حافظ چگونه نطق زند؟که همچو صنع خدایی ورای ادراکی
ze vasf-e hosn-e to Hâfez chegune notgh zanad? / ke hamcho son'-e khodâyi varâ-ye edrâki
How could Hafez put your beauty into words, when, like God's own handiwork, you are beyond understanding?
What this fâl tells you
Your longing has been written and heard: tradition reads this fal as a sign that patience in love is never wasted. The breeze is already carrying perfume, so leave laziness behind and move with quickness and energy. What you love is purer and greater than words can say, and it gives life back to you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âki (bâki, ghamnâki, salmâki, shâki, pâki, khâki, zâki, châlâki, mohayyâki, edrâki). A macaronic ghazal: the first half of beyts 1 and 7 and the second half of beyts 2, 3, 6 and 8 are Arabic.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| قصة | ghessata | the story of (Arabic) dictionary |
| showghi | my longing (Arabic) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| âmadam | I came dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| ghamnâki | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| گفته‌ام | gofte'am | I have said dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| khod | own dictionary | |
| vâghe'e-i | an event dictionary | |
| gharib | strange dictionary | |
| hâdese-i | a happening, an incident dictionary | |
| ghâteli | my killer (Arabic) dictionary | |
| shâki | complaining (Arabic) dictionary | |
| resad | reaches (برسد) dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| eyb | fault, flaw dictionary | |
| پاکت | pâkat | your pure dictionary |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| barg | leaf, petal dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| چکد | chekad | drips, falls dictionary |
| pâki | pure ... you are (pâk + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| pâ | foot; az pâ oftâdan = to collapse dictionary | |
| dâd | gave dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| ragham | writing, mark dictionary | |
| zad | struck; dam zad = breathed out, shone; âtash zad = set on fire dictionary | |
| âbi | a drop of water dictionary | |
| khâki | a handful of earth; a humble person dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| sâghiyâ | O cupbearer (sâghi + vocative -â) dictionary | |
| barkhiz | rise! get up! dictionary | |
| هات | hât | bring! (Arabic) (بیاور) |
| da' | leave! (Arabic imperative) (رها کن) | |
| masal | example; be masal = as a comparison dictionary | |
| zâd | provisions; zâd-e safar = provisions for the journey dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| châlâki | agility, nimbleness dictionary | |
| asar | effect, mark dictionary | |
| نماند | namând | did not remain, ran out dictionary |
| من | men | from (Arabic) (از) |
| وصف | vasf | description dictionary |
| hosn | beauty dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چگونه | chegune | how dictionary |
| نطق | notgh | speech; notgh zadan = to speak dictionary |
| zanad | strikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary | |
| khodâyi | divine, of God dictionary | |
| edrâki | understanding ... you are (varâ-ye edrâki = you are beyond understanding) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 461. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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