Ghazal 476 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
نسیم صبح سعادت! بدان نشان که تو دانیگذر به کوی فلان کن، در آن زمان که تو دانی
nasim-e sobh-e sa'âdat bedân neshân ke to dâni / gozar be ku-ye folân kon dar ân zamân ke to dâni
O breeze of the happy morning, by the sign that you know, pass by a certain someone's street at the hour that you know.
COUPLET 2
تو پیک خلوت رازی و دیده بر سر راهتبه مردمی نه به‌فرمان چنان بران که تو دانی
to peyk-e khalvat-e râzi o dide bar sar-e râhat / be mardomi na be farmân chenân berân ke to dâni
You are the messenger of the secret chamber, and my eyes are fixed on your road; go out of kindness, not by command, the way you know.
COUPLET 3
بگو که جان عزیزم ز دست رفت، خدا راز لعل روح‌فزایش ببخش آن که تو دانی
begu ke jân-e azizam ze dast raft khodâ râ / ze la'l-e ruh-fazâyash bebakhsh ân ke to dâni
Say: "My dear life has slipped from my hands; for God's sake, from those soul-reviving ruby lips grant what you know."
COUPLET 4
من این حروف نوشتم، چنان که غیر ندانستتو هم ز روی کرامت، چنان بخوان که تو دانی
man in horuf neveshtam chenân ke gheyr nadânest / to ham ze ru-ye kerâmat chenân bekhân ke to dâni
I wrote these letters so that no outsider would understand; you too, out of generosity, read them the way you know.
COUPLET 5
خیال تیغ تو با ما، حدیث تشنه و آب استاسیر خویش گرفتی، بکُش چنان که تو دانی
khiyâl-e tigh-e to bâ mâ hadis-e teshne o âb ast / asir-e khish gerefti bekosh chenân ke to dâni
My thought of your sword is like the story of the thirsty man and water. You have made me your captive: kill me in the way you know.
COUPLET 6
امید در کمرِ زَرکِشَت چگونه ببندم؟دقیقه‌ای است نگارا در آن میان که تو دانی
omid dar kamar-e zarkashat chegune bebandam / daghighe'i-st negârâ dar ân miyân ke to dâni
How can I tie my hopes to your gold-threaded belt? There is a subtle secret, my beauty, in that waist, as you know.
COUPLET 7
یکی است تُرکی و تازی، در این معامله حافظحدیث عشق بیان کن، بدان زبان که تو دانی
yeki-st torki o tâzi dar in mo'âmele Hâfez / hadis-e eshgh bayân kon bedân zabân ke to dâni
In this matter, Hafez, Turkish and Arabic are the same; tell the story of love in whatever language you know.
What this fâl tells you
This fal is a message carried by the morning breeze: someone understands you without long explanations. Tradition reads it as encouragement to send your word gently and trust the other person's understanding. Speak about love and longing in your own natural way; sincerity matters more than fine language.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ke to dâni. qâfiye: -ân (neshân, zamân, berân, ân, bekhân, bekosh chenân, miyân, zabân). In beyt 6, miyân means both "waist" and "middle".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| sa'âdat | happiness, good fortune dictionary | |
| bedân | by that, with that (= be ân) (به آن) | |
| نشان | neshân | sign dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| گذر | gozar | passage dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| ku-ye | street, quarter (of) (کوچه) | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| پیک | peyk-e | messenger of dictionary |
| khalvat | private room, solitude dictionary | |
| râzi | a secret (that) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| râhat | your road dictionary | |
| mardomi | humanity, kindness dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| be farmân | by order, under command dictionary | |
| چنان | chenân | so, in such a way dictionary |
| berân | drive on! go! dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| azizam | my dear dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| bebakhsh | grant! give! dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| horuf | letters dictionary | |
| نوشتم | neveshtam | I wrote dictionary |
| gheyr | other; gheyr az = apart from dictionary | |
| ندانست | nadânest | did not know dictionary |
| هم | ham | also, too dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| کرامت | kerâmat | nobility, generosity dictionary |
| bekhân | read! sing! recite! dictionary | |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| tigh | sword, blade dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| teshne | thirsty dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| khish | one's own (خود) dictionary | |
| gerefti | you took, conquered dictionary | |
| bekosh | kill! dictionary | |
| omid | hope dictionary | |
| کمر | kamar | waist; belt; kamar bastan = to get ready to set out dictionary |
| چگونه | chegune | how dictionary |
| bebandam | I tie dictionary | |
| daghighe'i | a subtle point, a fine secret dictionary | |
| میان | miyân | waist; middle (pun) dictionary |
| yeki | one and the same dictionary | |
| torki | Turkish dictionary | |
| tâzi | Arabic (عربی) dictionary | |
| معامله | mo'âmele | dealing, exchange dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| bayân | description, expression dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 476. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack
Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.