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Hafez Ghazal 465: ⁧رفتم به باغ صبحدمی تا چنم گلی⁩

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

Ghazal 465 of Hafez (7 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
رفتم به باغ صبحدمی تا چنم گلیآمد به گوش ناگهم آواز بلبلی
raftam be bâgh sobhdami tâ chenam goli / âmad be gush nâgaham âvâz-e bolboli
One dawn I went into the garden to pick a rose, and suddenly a nightingale's song reached my ear.
COUPLET 2
مسکین چو من به عشق گلی گشته مبتلاو اندر چمن فکنده ز فریاد غلغلی
meskin cho man be eshgh-e goli gashte mobtalâ / v-andar chaman fekande ze faryâd ghalghali
Poor thing, like me it had fallen into love with a rose, and its cries had filled the meadow with clamor.
COUPLET 3
می‌گشتم اندر آن چمن و باغ دم به دممی‌کردم اندر آن گل و بلبل تاملی
migashtam andar ân chaman o bâgh dam be dam / mikardam andar ân gol o bolbol ta'ammoli
I kept walking through that meadow and garden, moment by moment reflecting on that rose and that nightingale.
COUPLET 4
گل یار حسن گشته و بلبل قرین عشقآن را تفضلی نه و این را تبدلی
gol yâr-e hosn gashte o bolbol gharin-e eshgh / ân râ tafazzoli na o in râ tabaddoli
The rose had become beauty's companion, the nightingale love's partner: the one shows no kindness, the other never changes.
COUPLET 5
چون کرد در دلم اثر آواز عندلیبگشتم چنان که هیچ نماندم تحملی
chon kard dar delam asar âvâz-e andalib / gashtam chenân ke hich namândam tahammoli
When the nightingale's song took hold of my heart, I was so moved that I had no patience left.
COUPLET 6
بس گل شکفته می‌شود این باغ را ولیکس بی بلای خار نچیده‌ست از او گلی
bas gol shekofte mishavad in bâgh râ vali / kas bi balâ-ye khâr nachide-st az u goli
Many roses bloom in this garden, but no one has ever picked a rose from it without the pain of thorns.
COUPLET 7
حافظ مدار امید فرج از مدار چرخدارد هزار عیب و ندارد تفضلی
Hâfez madâr omid-e faraj az madâr-e charkh / dârad hezâr eyb o nadârad tafazzoli
Hafez, do not hope for relief from the turning of the sky: it has a thousand faults and no kindness at all.

What this fâl tells you

A morning walk in the garden can open the heart: tradition reads this fal as a sign that your love is faithful even when the other side seems slow to answer. Every rose comes with thorns, so accept a little difficulty for something beautiful. Do not wait on fate alone; your own steadiness will carry you.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: none. qâfiye: -oli (goli, bolboli, ghalghali, ta'ammoli, tabaddoli, tahammoli, tafazzoli). Beyt 7 puns on madâr "do not have" and madâr "orbit".

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
raftamI went dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
bâghgarden dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
چنمchenamI may pick (بچینم) dictionary
golia rose, a flower dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
گوشgushear; gush kon = listen dictionary
âvâzvoice, song dictionary
bolbolia nightingale dictionary
مسکینmeskinpoor, wretched dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
منmanI, me dictionary
گشتهgashtehaving become dictionary
مبتلاmobtalâafflicted dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
andarin (= dar) (در)
چمنchamanmeadow, lawn dictionary
فکندهfekandehaving cast (ghalghali fekande = having raised a clamor) (افکنده) dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
فریادfaryâdcry, shout dictionary
می‌گشتمmigashtamI was walking about dictionary
ânthat dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
می‌کردمmikardamI was doing; rahâ mikardam = I let go dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
bolbolnightingale dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
hosnbeauty dictionary
قرینgharinjoined to, companion of dictionary
نهnanot, no dictionary
inthis dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
کردkarddo (with tavân: can do) dictionary
darin; door dictionary
delammy heart dictionary
asareffect, mark dictionary
andalibnightingale (بلبل)
گشتمgashtamI became dictionary
چنانchenânso, in such a way dictionary
هیچhichany; no dictionary
نماندمnamândamdid not remain to me (hich namândam tahammoli = I had no patience left) dictionary
tahammolipatience, endurance dictionary
basmuch, many dictionary
shekoftebloomed dictionary
می‌شودmishavadbecomes dictionary
valibut dictionary
کسkasanyone; with negative: no one dictionary
biwithout dictionary
balâcalamity, torment dictionary
khârthorn dictionary
نچیده‌ستnachide-sthas not picked (= nachide ast) dictionary
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
مدارmadârdo not have! (old imperative); also "orbit, turning" (pun: madâr omid az madâr-e charkh) dictionary
omidhope dictionary
چرخcharkhwheel; the sky as a turning wheel dictionary
dâradhas; (with arze) shows dictionary
هزارhezârthousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary
eybfault, flaw dictionary
نداردnadâraddoes not have dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 465. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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