Ghazal 472 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.
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COUPLET 1
اَحمَدُ اللهَ عَلی مَعْدِلَةِ السُلطانِاحمدِ شیخ اُوِیسِ حسنِ ایلخانی
ahmadollâha alâ ma'delatis-soltâni / ahmad-e sheykh oveys-e hasan-e ilkhâni
(Arabic) I praise God for the justice of the Sultan, Ahmad, son of Sheikh Oveys, son of Hasan the Ilkhanid.
COUPLET 2
خانِ بِنْ خان و شهنشاهِ شهنشاه‌نژادآن که می‌زیبد اگر جان جهانش خوانی
khân-e ben khân o shahanshâh-e shahanshâh-nezhâd / ân ke mizibad agar jân-e jahânash khâni
A khan son of a khan, a king of kings born of kings of kings: one whom it suits if you call him the soul of the world.
COUPLET 3
دیده نادیده به اقبال تو ایمان آوردمرحبا ای به چنین لطف خدا ارزانی
dide nâdide be eghbâl-e to imân âvard / marhabâ ey be chenin lotf-e khodâ arzâni
Without even seeing you, the eye has come to believe in your good fortune; welcome, you who are worthy of such grace from God!
COUPLET 4
ماه اگر بی تو برآید به دو نیمش بزننددولت احمدی و معجزهٔ سبحانی
mâh agar bi to bar âyad be do nimash bezanand / dowlat-e ahmadi o mo'jeze-ye sobhâni
If the moon rises without you, they will split it in two: such is the fortune of Ahmad and the miracle of God.
COUPLET 5
جلوهٔ بخت تو دل می‌برد از شاه و گداچشم بد دور که هم جانی و هم جانانی
jelve-ye bakht-e to del mibarad az shâh o gedâ / cheshm-e bad dur ke ham jâni o ham jânâni
The splendor of your fortune steals the hearts of king and beggar alike; may the evil eye stay far, for you are both the soul and the beloved.
COUPLET 6
برشکن کاکل ترکانه که در طالع توستبخشش و کوشش خاقانی و چنگزخانی
barshekan kâkol-e torkâne ke dar tâle'-e tost / bakhshesh o kushesh-e khâghâni o changizkhâni
Tilt your Turkish forelock proudly, for your stars hold the generosity of the Khaqans and the striving of Genghis Khan.
COUPLET 7
گر چه دوریم به یاد تو قدح می‌گیریمبُعد منزل نبود در سفر روحانی
garche durim be yâd-e to ghadah migirim / bo'd-e manzel nabvad dar safar-e ruhâni
Though we are far away, we raise the cup in your memory; on a journey of the spirit, distance does not count.
COUPLET 8
از گل پارسیم غنچهٔ عیشی نشکفتحبّذا دجله بغداد و می ریحانی
az gel-e pârsiyam ghonche-ye eyshi nashkoft / habbazâ dejle-ye baghdâd o mey-e reyhâni
From the clay of Pars no bud of joy has blossomed for me; how fine are the Tigris of Baghdad and its fragrant wine!
COUPLET 9
سر عاشق که نه خاک در معشوق بودکی خلاصش بود از محنت سرگردانی
sar-e âshegh ke na khâk-e dar-e ma'shugh bovad / key khalâsash bovad az mehnat-e sargardâni?
A lover's head that is not dust at the beloved's door: how will it ever be freed from the hardship of wandering?
COUPLET 10
ای نسیم سحری خاک در یار بیارکه کند حافظ از او دیدهٔ دل نورانی
ey nasim-e sahari khâk-e dar-e yâr biyâr / ke konad Hâfez az u dide-ye del nurâni
O dawn breeze, bring dust from the beloved's door, so that Hafez may make the eye of his heart bright with it.
What this fâl tells you
Good news may come from far away: tradition reads this fal as a sign that a generous, powerful helper is on your side, even if you have never met. Distance does not break a bond of the spirit, so keep the people you love in your thoughts. If joy has not blossomed where you are, a change of place may open new doors.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âni (soltâni, ilkhâni, khâni, arzâni, sobhâni, jânâni, changizkhâni, ruhâni, reyhâni, sargardâni, nurâni). The first half-line is Arabic. A praise poem for Sultan Ahmad Jalayir of Baghdad; beyt 4 alludes to the Prophet Ahmad's miracle of splitting the moon.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| allâha | God (Arabic) dictionary | |
| as-soltân | the Sultan (Arabic) dictionary | |
| sheykh | Sheikh (part of the name Sheikh Oveys) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| می‌زیبد | mizibad | suits, befits (برازنده است) |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| jahânash | the world ... him (jân-e jahânash khâni = you call him the soul of the world) dictionary | |
| khâni | you call dictionary | |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| نادیده | nâdide | unseen, what has not been seen dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| eghbâl-e | good fortune of dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| imân | faith dictionary | |
| âvard | brought dictionary | |
| مرحبا | marhabâ | welcome! (Arabic) dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| چنین | chenin | such, so dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| ماه | mâh | moon (image for a beautiful face) dictionary |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| bar âyad | rises; comes true; comes out (برمی‌آید) | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| نیمش | nimash | halves ... it (be do nimash bezanand = they split it in two) dictionary |
| bezanand | they strike, they split dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| معجزهٔ | mo'jeze | miracle dictionary |
| jelve | display, showing oneself dictionary | |
| bakht | fortune, luck dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| می‌برد | mibarad | takes away dictionary |
| shâh | king dictionary | |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| bad | bad dictionary | |
| dur | far dictionary | |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| jâni | soul ... you are (jân + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| bar shekan | tilt! (a cap worn at a jaunty angle is a sign of pride and charm) dictionary | |
| کاکل | kâkol | forelock, lock of hair dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| tâle' | horoscope, fate, fortune (بخت) dictionary | |
| tost | yours (= to ast) dictionary | |
| bakhshesh | gift, grace dictionary | |
| کوشش | kushesh | effort dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| durim | we are far dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| قدح | ghadah | cup, goblet dictionary |
| می‌گیریم | migirim | we take, we raise dictionary |
| منزل | manzel | stopping place, lodging; house dictionary |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| safar | journey dictionary | |
| ruhâni | spiritual dictionary | |
| گل | gel | clay, earth dictionary |
| ghonche | bud, rosebud dictionary | |
| eyshi | joy, pleasure dictionary | |
| نشکفت | nashkoft | did not blossom dictionary |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| bovad | is, will be (old form of bâshad) (باشد) dictionary | |
| محنت | mehnat | hardship, suffering dictionary |
| sargardâni | wandering, bewilderment dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| nurâni | full of light dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 472. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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