Ghazal 52 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
روزْگاری‌ست که سودایِ بُتان، دینِ من استغَمِ این کار، نِشاطِ دِلِ غَمْگینِ من است
ruzgâri-st ke sowdâ-ye botân din-e man ast / gham-e in kâr neshât-e del-e ghamgin-e man ast
For a long time now, passion for the idols of beauty has been my religion; the sorrow of this pursuit is the joy of my sad heart.
COUPLET 2
دیدنِ رویِ تو را دیده‌یِ جان‌بین بایدوین کجا مَرْتَبِه‌یِ چَشْمِ جَهان‌بینِ من است؟
didan-e ru-ye to râ dide-ye jân-bin bâyad / v-in kojâ martabe-ye cheshm-e jahân-bin-e man ast
Seeing your face takes an eye that sees the soul; how could my eye, which sees only the world, reach that rank?
COUPLET 3
یارِ من باش که زیبِ فَلَک و زینتِ دَهْراز مَهِ رویِ تو و اَشْکِ چو پَروینِ من است
yâr-e man bâsh ke zib-e falak o zinat-e dahr / az mah-e ru-ye to o ashk-e cho parvin-e man ast
Be my beloved, for the beauty of the sky and the ornament of the age come from your moon face and my tears like the Pleiades.
COUPLET 4
تا مرا عشقِ تو، تعلیمِ سُخَن‌گفتن کردخَلق را وِردِ زبان، مَدْحَت و تَحسینِ من است
tâ marâ eshgh-e to ta'lim-e sokhan-goftan kard / khalgh râ verd-e zabân madhat o tahsin-e man ast
Since love for you taught me how to speak, people repeat my praise on their tongues like a daily prayer.
COUPLET 5
دولتِ فَقْر خدایا به من ارزانی دارکاین کِرامت، سَبَبِ حِشْمَت و تَمکینِ من است
dowlat-e faghr khodâyâ be man arzâni dâr / k-in kerâmat sabab-e heshmat o tamkin-e man ast
O God, grant me the blessing of poverty, for this gift is the source of my dignity and standing.
COUPLET 6
واعِظِ شِحنه‌شناس، این عَظِمَت گو مَفُروشزان که مَنْزِلْگَهِ سُلطان، دِلِ مِسْکینِ من است
vâ'ez-e shahne-shenâs in azemat gu maforush / z-ân ke manzelgah-e soltân del-e meskin-e man ast
Tell the preacher who courts the police chief not to parade such grandeur, for my humble heart is where the sultan dwells.
COUPLET 7
یا رب این کَعْبِه‌یِ مَقْصود، تَماشاگَهِ کیست؟که مُغِیلانِ طَریقش، گُل و نَسْرینِ من است
yâ rab in ka'be-ye maghsud tamâshâgah-e kist / ke moghilân-e tarighash gol o nasrin-e man ast
O Lord, whose sight is this Kaaba of my desire, where the thorns along the road are my roses and wild roses?
COUPLET 8
«حافظ» از حشمتِ پرویز، دگر، قِصِّه مَخوانکه لَبَش، جُرْعِه‌کَشِ خُسروِ شیرینِ من است
Hâfez az heshmat-e parviz degar ghesse makhân / ke labash jor'e-kesh-e khosrov-e shirin-e man ast
Hafez, tell no more stories of Parviz's grandeur, for his lips only drink the last drops left by my sweet Khosrow.
What this fâl tells you
Your love and devotion are your true wealth, even when the road has thorns. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that sincere feeling will give you eloquence and respect, and that humility brings more dignity than pride. Keep your goal in sight and the hard parts of the road will feel like roses.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: man ast ("is mine"). qâfiye: -in (din, ghamgin, jahân-bin, parvin, tahsin, tamkin, meskin, nasrin, shirin).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ruzgâri-st | it has been a long time dictionary | |
| sodâ-ye | passion, longing for dictionary | |
| botân | idols: the beauties dictionary | |
| din | religion, faith dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary | |
| نشاط | neshât | joy, high spirits dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ghamgin | sad dictionary | |
| didan | to see dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| وین | v-in | and this (= va in) (و این) |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| مرتبه‌ی | martabe-ye | rank of dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| bâsh | be! dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| dahr | time, the world, fate dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| ta'lim | teaching dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| khalgh | people dictionary | |
| ورد | verd-e | litany, recited prayer of dictionary |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| مدحت | madhat | praise dictionary |
| tahsin | praise, applause dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| فقر | faghr | poverty dictionary |
| khodâyâ | O God! dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| dâr | keep! hold! (imperative of dâshtan) dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| کرامت | kerâmat | nobility, generosity dictionary |
| sabab | reason dictionary | |
| tamkin | standing, dignity dictionary | |
| واعظ | vâ'ez | preacher dictionary |
| گو | gu | say! tell! (= begu) (بگو) dictionary |
| مفروش | maforush | do not sell! (here: do not show off) (نفروش) dictionary |
| z-ân | from that (= az ân) (از آن) | |
| منزلگه | manzelgah | dwelling place (منزلگاه) |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| مسکین | meskin | poor, wretched dictionary |
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| مقصود | maghsud | goal, what one longs for dictionary |
| tamâshâgah | viewing place (تماشاگاه) | |
| tarighash | its road dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| degar | again; other (= digar) (دیگر) | |
| قصه | ghesse | story dictionary |
| مخوان | makhân | do not recite! do not read! (نخوان) dictionary |
| لبش | labash | her lip dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 52. 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.