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Hafez Ghazal 51: ⁧لعل سیراب به‌خون‌تشنه‌، لب یار من است⁩

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

Ghazal 51 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
لعلِ سیرابِ به‌خون‌تشنه‌، لب یار من استوز پی دیدنِ او دادنِ جان کار من است
la'l-e sirâb-e be-khun-teshne lab-e yâr-e man ast / v-az pey-e didan-e u dâdan-e jân kâr-e man ast
The moist ruby that thirsts for blood is my beloved's lip; giving my life to see it is my work.
COUPLET 2
شرم از آن چشمِ سیه بادش و مژگان درازهر که دل بردنِ او دید و در انکارِ من است
sharm az ân cheshm-e siyah bâdash o mozhgân-e derâz / har ke del bordan-e u did o dar enkâr-e man ast
Let him be ashamed before those black eyes and long lashes, whoever has seen how they steal hearts and still finds fault with me.
COUPLET 3
ساروان رَخت به دروازه مَبَر‌، کان سرِ کوشاهراهی‌ست که منزلگهِ دلدارِ من است
sârvân rakht be darvâze mabar k-ân sar-e ku / shâhrâhi-st ke manzelgah-e deldâr-e man ast
Camel driver, do not take the baggage to the city gate, for that end of the street is the highway where my sweetheart lives.
COUPLET 4
بندهٔ طالعِ خویشم که در این قحطِ وفاعشق آن لولیِ سرمست‌، خریدار من است
bande-ye tâle'-e khisham ke dar in ghaht-e vafâ / eshgh-e ân luli-ye sarmast kharidâr-e man ast
I am thankful to my own fortune: in this famine of faithfulness, the love of that tipsy gypsy beauty values me.
COUPLET 5
طَبلِهٔ عطرِ گل و زلفِ عبیر افشانشفیضِ یک شَمِّه ز بوی خوشِ عطارِ من است
tabla-ye atr-e gol o zolf-e abir-afshânash / feyz-e yek shamme ze bu-ye khosh-e attâr-e man ast
The rose's perfume box and her ambergris-scattering curls are the gift of a single whiff of my perfumer's sweet scent.
COUPLET 6
باغبان همچو نسیمم ز درِ خویش مرانکآبِ گلزارِ تو از اشکِ چو گلنارِ من است
bâghbân hamcho nasimam ze dar-e khish marân / k-âb-e golzâr-e to az ashk-e cho golnâr-e man ast
Gardener, do not drive me from your gate as you would the breeze, for the water of your rose garden comes from my tears, red as pomegranate blossom.
COUPLET 7
شربتِ قند و گلاب از لبِ یارم فرمودنرگس او که طبیبِ دلِ بیمارِ من است
sharbat-e ghand o golâb az lab-e yâram farmud / narges-e u ke tabib-e del-e bimâr-e man ast
Her narcissus eye, the doctor of my sick heart, prescribed me a syrup of sugar and rose water from my beloved's lips.
COUPLET 8
آن که در طرزِ غزل نکته به حافظ آموختیارِ شیرین‌سخنِ نادره‌گفتارِ من است
ân ke dar tarz-e ghazal nokte be Hâfez âmukht / yâr-e shirin-sokhan-e nâdere-goftâr-e man ast
The one who taught Hafez the fine points of the ghazal is my sweet-spoken beloved, whose words are rare.

What this fâl tells you

Someone who truly values you is near, even at a time when faithfulness is rare. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that your devotion will be answered, and that the place you seek is closer than the long road you were about to take. Let love teach you; your own words will grow sweeter for it.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: man ast ("is mine"). qâfiye: -âr (yâr, kâr, enkâr, deldâr, kharidâr, attâr, golnâr, bimâr, goftâr).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
لعلla'lruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary
لبlablip dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
astis dictionary
وزv-azand from (= va az) (و از)
peyafter; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary
didanto see dictionary
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
dâdanto give; az dast dâdan = to let go dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
sharmshame dictionary
ânthat dictionary
چشمcheshmeye dictionary
siyahblack (سیاه)
bâdashmay (shame) be on him dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
مژگانmozhgâneyelashes dictionary
derâzlong dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
delheart dictionary
bordantaking; del bordan = stealing hearts dictionary
didsaw dictionary
darin; door dictionary
enkârdenial dictionary
sârvâncamel driver, caravan leader (ساربان)
rokhatyour face dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
darvâzecity gate dictionary
mabardo not take; az yâd mabar = do not forget (نبر) dictionary
کانk-ânfor that (= ke ân) (که آن)
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
کوkustreet (کوی) dictionary
shâhrâhi-stis a highway dictionary
منزلگهmanzelgahdwelling place (منزلگاه)
bandeservant; humble "I" dictionary
tâle'horoscope, fate, fortune (بخت) dictionary
khishammy own dictionary
inthis dictionary
وفاvafâloyalty, faithfulness dictionary
sarmastdrunk, intoxicated dictionary
kharidârbuyer; one who values dictionary
atrperfume dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
zolfcurl, lock of hair dictionary
afshânashher scattering (abir-afshân = ambergris-scattering) dictionary
فیضfeyzgrace, abundance dictionary
یکyekone dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
bu-yescent of (ezafe) dictionary
khoshwell, sweetly; pleasant dictionary
attârperfumer, druggist dictionary
bâghbângardener dictionary
همچوhamcholike (مثل)
نسیممnasimamme, like the breeze (nasim = breeze) dictionary
khishone's own (خود) dictionary
مرانmarândo not drive away! (نران) dictionary
کآبk-âbfor the water of (= ke âb) (که آب)
toyou dictionary
ashktear dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
sharbatsyrup, cordial dictionary
گلابgolâbrose water dictionary
یارمyârammy beloved dictionary
فرمودfarmudprescribed, ordered dictionary
نرگسnargesnarcissus (image of the beloved's languid eye) dictionary
tabibdoctor (پزشک) dictionary
bimârill dictionary
tarzstyle, manner dictionary
ghazalghazal, lyric poem dictionary
نکتهnoktepoint, subtle point dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
âmukhttaught dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 51. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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