Ghazal 54 of Hafez (9 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
ز گریه مَردمِ چشمم نشسته در خون استببین که در طلبت حالِ مَردمان چون است
ze gerye mardom-e cheshmam neshaste dar khun ast / bebin ke dar talabat hâl-e mardomân chon ast
From weeping, the pupil of my eye sits in blood; see what state people are in while they seek you.
COUPLET 2
به یادِ لعلِ تو و چشمِ مستِ میگونتز جامِ غم، می لعلی که می‌خورم خون است
be yâd-e la'l-e to o cheshm-e mast-e meygunat / ze jâm-e gham mey-e la'li ke mikhoram khun ast
In memory of your ruby lips and your drunken, wine-colored eyes, the ruby wine I drink from the cup of grief is blood.
COUPLET 3
ز مشرقِ سرِ کو، آفتابِ طلعتِ تواگر طلوع کند، طالعم همایون است
ze mashregh-e sar-e ku âftâb-e tal'at-e to / agar tolu' konad tâle'am homâyun ast
If the sun of your face rises in the east at the head of the street, my fortune will be blessed.
COUPLET 4
حکایتِ لبِ شیرین، کلام فرهاد استشِکَنجِ طُرِّهٔ لیلی مقام مجنون است
hekâyat-e lab-e shirin kalâm-e farhâd ast / shekanj-e torre-ye leyli maghâm-e majnun ast
The tale of Shirin's lips is all that Farhad speaks of; the twists of Leyli's curls are Majnun's home.
COUPLET 5
دلم بجو که قدت همچو سروِ دلجوی استسخن بگو که کلامت لطیف و موزون است
delam beju ke ghaddat hamcho sarv-e deljuy ast / sokhan begu ke kalâmat latif o mowzun ast
Comfort my heart, for your stature is like a heart-pleasing cypress; speak, for your words are graceful and well measured.
COUPLET 6
ز دورِ باده به جان، راحتی رسان ساقیکه رنجِ خاطرم از جورِ دورِ گردون است
ze dowr-e bâde be jân râhati resân sâghi / ke ranj-e khâteram az jowr-e dowr-e gardun ast
Cupbearer, with a round of wine bring some comfort to my soul, for the pain in my mind comes from the cruelty of the turning sky.
COUPLET 7
از آن دمی که ز چشمم برفت رودِ عزیزکنارِ دامنِ من همچو رودِ جیحون است
az ân dami ke ze cheshmam beraft rud-e aziz / kenâr-e dâman-e man hamcho rud-e jeyhun ast
Ever since my dear one went from my sight, the lap of my robe has been like the river Oxus.
COUPLET 8
چگونه شاد شود اندرونِ غمگینم؟به اختیار، که از اختیار بیرون است
chegune shâd shavad andarun-e ghamginam / be ekhtiyâr, ke az ekhtiyâr birun ast
How can my sad heart become happy by choice, when this is beyond all choosing?
COUPLET 9
ز بیخودی طلبِ یار می‌کند حافظچو مفلسی که طلبکارِ گنجِ قارون است
ze bikhodi talab-e yâr mikonad Hâfez / cho moflesi ke talabkâr-e ganj-e ghârun ast
Beside himself, Hafez seeks the beloved, like a pauper demanding the treasure of Qarun.
What this fâl tells you
You may be passing through a time of longing or grief, and tradition reads this fal tenderly: fortune can turn the moment the face you are waiting for appears. Seek gentle words and good company, for some sorrows cannot be willed away but they can be shared. Do not give up hoping for what seems too great.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: ast. qâfiye: -un (khun, chon, meygun, homâyun, majnun, mowzun, gardun, jeyhun, birun, ghârun). Beyt 7 plays on rud "dear child" and rud "river"; many readers take it as Hafez's grief for a son.
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| گریه | gerye | weeping dictionary |
| مردم | mardom | pupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary |
| چشمم | cheshmam | my eye dictionary |
| نشسته | neshaste | sitting, seated dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| bebin | see! look! dictionary | |
| talabat | seeking you (= talab + -at) dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| مردمان | mardomân | people dictionary |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| mey | wine (شراب) dictionary | |
| la'li | a ruby dictionary | |
| می‌خورم | mikhoram | I drink dictionary |
| مشرق | mashregh | east dictionary |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| کو | ku | street (کوی) dictionary |
| âftâb | sun dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| tolu' | rising (of the sun) dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| tâle'am | my fortune dictionary | |
| همایون | homâyun | blessed; morgh-e homâyun = the Homa, bird of good fortune dictionary |
| hekâyat | tale dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| کلام | kalâm | speech, words dictionary |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| مقام | maghâm | place, station dictionary |
| مجنون | majnun | Majnun, the lover driven mad by love for Leyli dictionary |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| beju | seek! here: comfort, win over (del jostan) dictionary | |
| قدت | ghadat | your stature dictionary |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| begu | tell! say! dictionary | |
| کلامت | kalâmat | your words dictionary |
| لطیف | latif | gentle, delicate dictionary |
| موزون | mowzun | well measured, rhythmic dictionary |
| dowr | turn; the passing round of the cup; the age dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| râhati | ease, comfort dictionary | |
| resân | bring! deliver! (برسان) dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| ranj | pain, suffering dictionary | |
| khâteram | my mind dictionary | |
| گردون | gardun | the turning sky; fortune dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| dami | a moment dictionary | |
| beraft | went away (رفت) dictionary | |
| rud | dear one, child (also "river", pun) (فرزند) dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| کنار | kenâr | bank, side dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| rud | river dictionary | |
| چگونه | chegune | how dictionary |
| shâd | happy; shâd kardan = cheer up dictionary | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| andarun | inside, the inner self dictionary | |
| ghamginam | my sad (heart) dictionary | |
| birun | outside dictionary | |
| talab | request, search dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| می‌کند | mikonad | does, is doing dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| talabkâr | one who demands, claimant dictionary | |
| گنج | ganj | treasure dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 54. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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