Ghazal 463 of Hafez (12 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
سَلامُ اللّهِ ما کَرَّ اللَّیاليو جاوَبَتِ الْمثاني و الْمِثالي
salâmollâhe mâ karral-layâli / va jâvabatel-masâni val-masâli
(Arabic) God's peace, for as long as the nights come round and the lute's second and third strings answer one another,
COUPLET 2
عَلیٰ وادِي الْأَراک و مَن عَلَیهاو دارٍ بِاللَّویٰ فوقَ الرِّمالِ
alâ vâdil-arâki va man alayhâ / va dârin bel-levâ fowghar-remâli
(Arabic) upon the Valley of the Arak trees and all who dwell there, and upon a house at al-Liwa, above the sands.
COUPLET 3
دعاگوی غریبان جهانمو أَدعُو بِالتَّواتُر و التَّوالي
do'âgu-ye gharibân-e jahânam / va ad'u bet-tavâtori vat-tavâli
I am one who prays for the strangers of the world, (Arabic) and I pray continually, again and again.
COUPLET 4
به هر منزل که رو آرد خدا رانگه دارش به لطف لایزالی
be har manzel ke ru ârad khodâ râ / negah dârash be lotf-e lâyazâli
At every stopping place he turns his face toward, for God's sake, keep him safe with your eternal grace.
COUPLET 5
منال ای دل که در زنجیر زلفشهمه جمعیت است آشفته حالی
manâl ey del ke dar zanjir-e zolfash / hame jam'iyyat ast âshofte-hâli
Do not moan, O heart: in the chain of the beloved's curls, being distraught is perfect peace of mind.
COUPLET 6
ز خطت صد جمال دیگر افزودکه عمرت باد صد سال جلالی
ze khattat sad jamâl-e digar afzud / ke omrat bâd sad sâl-e jalâli
The first down on your cheek has added a hundred more beauties; may your life last a hundred glorious years.
COUPLET 7
تو می‌باید که باشی ور نه سهل استزیانِ مایهٔ جاهی و مالی
to mibâyad ke bâshi var na sahl ast / ziyân-e mâye-ye jâhi o mâli
It is you who must remain; otherwise the loss of one's capital in rank and wealth is a small matter.
COUPLET 8
بر آن نقاش قدرت آفرین بادکه گرد مه کشد خط هلالی
bar ân naghghâsh-e ghodrat âfarin bâd / ke gerd-e mah keshad khatt-e helâli
Praise be to that painter of power who draws a crescent line around the moon.
COUPLET 9
فَحُبُّک راحَتي في کُلِّ حینٍو ذِکرُک مونِسي في کُلِّ حالِ
fa-hobboka râhati fi kolle hinin / va zekroka munesi fi kolle hâli
(Arabic) Your love is my comfort at every moment, and the thought of you my companion in every state.
COUPLET 10
سویدای دل من تا قیامتمباد از شوق و سودای تو خالی
soveydâ-ye del-e man tâ ghiyâmat / mabâd az showgh o sodâ-ye to khâli
Until the Day of Resurrection, may the very core of my heart never be empty of longing and passion for you.
COUPLET 11
کجا یابم وصال چون تو شاهیمن بدنامِ رندِ لااُبالی
kojâ yâbam vesâl-e chon to shâhi / man-e badnâm-e rend-e lâobâli
How could I find union with a king like you, I, a disreputable and carefree rogue?
COUPLET 12
خدا داند که حافظ را غرض چیستو عِلْمُ اللّهِ حَسْبي مِن سُؤالي
khodâ dânad ke Hâfez râ gharaz chist / va elmollâhe hasbi men so'âli
God knows what Hafez wishes for, (Arabic) and God's knowledge is enough for me, so I need not ask.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a prayer for travelers and for those far from home: tradition reads it as a sign that someone you care about is being kept safe on the road. Love and good memories are your companions in every state. Leave your wishes in God's hands; what you need is already known.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âli (layâli, masâli, remâli, tavâli, lâyazâli, hâli, jalâli, mâli, helâli, khâli, lâobâli, so'âli). A macaronic ghazal: beyts 1, 2 and 9, and the second half of beyts 3 and 12, are Arabic. Jalâli in beyt 6 can mean both "glorious" and "of the Jalali calendar".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| salâm | greeting dictionary | |
| allâh | God (Arabic) dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | as long as (Arabic) dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| وادي | vâdi | valley dictionary |
| من | men | from; instead of (Arabic) (از) |
| gharibân | strangers, the homeless; shâm-e gharibân = the evening of strangers dictionary | |
| jahânam | world ... I am (do'âgu-ye gharibân-e jahânam = I pray for the world's strangers) dictionary | |
| at-tavâli | one after another (Arabic) dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| ru | face; z-ân ru = for that reason dictionary | |
| ârad | brings; be dast ârad = takes in hand, wins (بیاورد) dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| نگه | negah | negah dâshtan = to keep, to protect (نگاه) |
| dârash | hold him! dictionary | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| منال | manâl | do not moan! (ننال) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| zanjir | chain dictionary | |
| zolfash | her curls dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| âshofte | disordered, tangled, distraught dictionary | |
| hâli | state, condition dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| khatat | your cheek-down, the first fine hair on the face dictionary | |
| sad | hundred dictionary | |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| afzud | added dictionary | |
| omrat | your life dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| sâl | year dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| bâshi | you are, you remain dictionary | |
| ور | var | and if (= va agar) (و اگر) |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| sahl | easy, a small matter dictionary | |
| ziyân | loss dictionary | |
| مایهٔ | mâye | source, capital dictionary |
| jâhi | of rank dictionary | |
| mâli | of wealth dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| نقاش | naghghâsh | painter; here God, the Creator dictionary |
| قدرت | ghodrat | power dictionary |
| âfarin | bravo, praise dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| کشد | keshad | draws dictionary |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| râhati | ease, comfort dictionary | |
| zekroka | remembering you (Arabic) dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| sodâ-ye | passion, longing for dictionary | |
| khâli | empty, free dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| یابم | yâbam | I find, receive dictionary |
| وصال | vesâl | union with the beloved dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| shâhi | a king dictionary | |
| badnâm | of bad name, disreputable dictionary | |
| rend | free spirit, rogue who scorns hypocrisy dictionary | |
| dânad | knows dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| gharaz | aim, wish; dast dâdan = to come about dictionary | |
| elm | knowledge dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 463. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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