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Hafez Ghazal 494: ⁧ای دل! گر از آن چاه زنخدان به درآیی⁩

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

Ghazal 494 of Hafez (8 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
اِی دِل! گَر از آن چاهِ زَنَخْدان به دَرآییهر جا که رَوی، زود، پَشیمان به دَرآیی
ey del gar az ân châh-e zanakhdân be dar âyi / har jâ ke ravi zud pashimân be dar âyi
O heart, if you come out of that well in the chin, wherever you go you will soon come out full of regret.
COUPLET 2
هُش دار که گَر وَسْوَسِهٔ عَقْل کُنی گوشآدَم‌صِفَت از روضِهٔ رِضْوان به دَرآیی
hosh dâr ke gar vasvase-ye aghl koni gush / âdam-sefat az rowze-ye rezvân be dar âyi
Be careful: if you listen to the whispers of reason, like Adam you will be put out of the garden of paradise.
COUPLET 3
شایَد که به آبی، فَلَکَت، دَسْت نَگیردگر تِشْنِه‌لَب از چَشْمِهٔ حِیوان به دَرآیی
shâyad ke be âbi falakat dast nagirad / gar teshne-lab az cheshme-ye heyvân be dar âyi
It may be that heaven will not help you even to a drop of water, if you come away thirsty from the fountain of life.
COUPLET 4
جان می‌دَهم از حَسْرَتِ دیدارِ تو، چون صُبْحباشَد که چو خورشید درخشان به دَرآیی
jân midaham az hasrat-e didâr-e to chon sobh / bâshad ke cho khorshid-e derakhshân be dar âyi
Like the dawn, I am giving up my soul in longing to see you, in the hope that you will rise like the shining sun.
COUPLET 5
چَنْدان، چو صَبا بَر تو گُمارم دَمِ هِمَّتکز غُنْچِه چو گُل، خُرَّم و خَنْدان به دَرآیی
chandân cho sabâ bar to gomâram dam-e hemmat / k-az ghonche cho gol khorram o khandân be dar âyi
Like the morning breeze, I will breathe my blessing on you until you come out of the bud like a rose, happy and smiling.
COUPLET 6
در تیره‌شَبِ هِجْرِ تو، جانَم به لَب آمَدوَقْت است که همچون مَهِ تابان به دَرآیی
dar tire-shab-e hejr-e to jânam be lab âmad / vaght ast ke hamchon mah-e tâbân be dar âyi
In the dark night of separation from you, my soul has come up to my lips; it is time for you to appear like the shining moon.
COUPLET 7
بَر رَهْگُذَرَت بَسْتِه‌ام از دیده، دو صَد جویتا بو که تو چون سَرْوِ خُرامان به دَرآیی
bar rahgozarat baste'am az dide do sad juy / tâ bu ke to chon sarv-e kharâmân be dar âyi
Along your path I have set two hundred streams flowing from my eyes, in the hope that you will come forth like a swaying cypress.
COUPLET 8
حافِظ! مَکُن اَنْدیشِه که آن یوسُفِ مَه‌روبازآیَد و از کُلْبِهٔ اَحْزان به دَرآیی!
Hâfez makon andishe ke ân yusof-e mahru / bâz âyad o az kolbe-ye ahzân be dar âyi
Hafez, do not worry: that moon-faced Joseph will come back, and you will come out of the hut of sorrows.

What this fâl tells you

This fal is full of hope after a long night: like Jacob waiting for Joseph, you will leave your house of sorrow. Tradition reads it as a promise that what you are waiting for will appear, like the sun after dawn or a rose opening from its bud. Do not let cold calculation pull you away from the source of your happiness; stay faithful and patient.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: be dar âyi. qâfiye: -ân (zanakhdân, pashimân, rezvân, heyvân, derakhshân, khandân, tâbân, kharâmân, ahzân).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
eyO (vocative) dictionary
delheart dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
ânthat dictionary
چاهchâhwell, pit dictionary
zanakhdânchin; "apple of the chin" with a dimple ("well") is a classic image (چانه)
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
jâplace dictionary
raviyou go dictionary
zudsoon, quickly dictionary
پشیمانpashimânregretful dictionary
هشhoshawareness; hosh dâr = be careful (هوش)
dârkeep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary
وسوسهٔvasvase-yewhispering, nagging of dictionary
aghlreason, intellect dictionary
koniyou do, you make dictionary
گوشgushear; gush kon = listen dictionary
shâyadit is fitting; it may be dictionary
âbia drop of water dictionary
فلکتfalakatheaven ... you (heaven helped you) dictionary
dasthand; dast gereftan = to help dictionary
نگیردnagiraddoes not take (dast nagirad = does not help) dictionary
چشمهٔcheshmespring, fountain dictionary
heyvânlife; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
می‌دهمmidahamI give dictionary
didârface; meeting dictionary
toyou dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
sobhmorning dictionary
bâshadmay it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
derakhshânshining dictionary
چندانchandânso long, only so much dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
baron, upon dictionary
گمارمgomâramI set, I direct (dam-e hemmat gomâshtan = to breathe a blessing on) dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
کزk-azthat from (= ke az) (که از)
ghonchebud, rosebud dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
khorramcheerful dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
khandânsmiling, laughing dictionary
darin; door dictionary
jânammy soul dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
âmadcame dictionary
وقتvaghttime dictionary
astis dictionary
همچونhamchonlike (مثل)
مهmahmoon (= mâh) (ماه)
tâbânshining dictionary
baste'amI have set (streams) flowing dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
dotwo dictionary
sadhundred dictionary
juystream (جوی) dictionary
tâto, until; so that dictionary
buperhaps; tâ bu ke = in the hope that dictionary
sarvcypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary
kharâmânstrolling gracefully dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
مکنmakondo not do! (نکن) dictionary
andishethought dictionary
bâz âyadcomes back dictionary
کلبهٔkolbehut dictionary
ahzânsorrows; kolbe-ye ahzân = the hut where Jacob mourned Joseph (غم‌ها)

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 494. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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