Ghazal 58 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
سرِ ارادتِ ما و آستانِ حضرت دوستکه هر چه بر سرِ ما می‌رود ارادتِ اوست
sar-e erâdat-e mâ o âstân-e hazrat-e dust / ke har che bar sar-e mâ miravad erâdat-e ust
Our devoted head belongs at the beloved's threshold, for whatever befalls us is that one's will.
COUPLET 2
نظیرِ دوست ندیدم، اگر چه از مَه و مِهرنهادم آینه‌ها در مقابلِ رخِ دوست
nazir-e dust nadidam agarche az mah o mehr / nahâdam âyene-hâ dar moghâbel-e rokh-e dust
I never found the beloved's equal, though I set up the moon and the sun as mirrors before that face.
COUPLET 3
صبا ز حالِ دلِ تنگِ ما چه شرح دهد؟که چون شِکَنجِ ورق‌هایِ غنچه تو بر توست
sabâ ze hâl-e del-e tang-e mâ che sharh dahad / ke chon shekanj-e varagh-hâ-ye ghonche tu bar tu-st
How could the morning breeze describe the state of my anxious heart, folded layer upon layer like the petals of a rosebud?
COUPLET 4
نه من سَبوکش این دیرِ رندسوزم و بسبسا سَرا که در این کارخانه سنگ و سبوست
na man sabukesh-e in deyr-e rendsuzam o bas / basâ sar-â ke dar in kârkhâne sang o sabu-st
I am not the only jug-carrier in this monastery that burns its free spirits; in this workshop many a head has turned to stone and jug.
COUPLET 5
مگر تو شانه زدی زلفِ عنبرافشان را؟که بادْ غالیه‌سا گشت و خاکْ عنبربوست
magar to shâne zadi zolf-e anbar-afshân râ / ke bâd ghâliye-sâ gasht o khâk anbar-bu-st
Did you perhaps comb your ambergris-scattering hair, that the wind is perfumed and the earth smells of ambergris?
COUPLET 6
نثارِ رویِ تو هر برگِ گل که در چمن استفدای قَدِّ تو هر سروبُن که بر لبِ جوست
nesâr-e ru-ye to har barg-e gol ke dar chaman ast / fadâ-ye ghadd-e to har sarvbon ke bar lab-e ju-st
Every rose petal in the meadow is scattered before your face; every cypress on the stream's bank is a sacrifice to your stature.
COUPLET 7
زبانِ ناطقه در وصفِ شوق نالان استچه جای کِلکِ بریده‌زبانِ بیهُده‌گوست؟
zabân-e nâteghe dar vasf-e showgh nâlân ast / che jâ-ye kelk-e boride-zabân-e bihude-gu-st
Even the power of speech groans in describing this longing; what then of the split-tongued reed pen that babbles on?
COUPLET 8
رخِ تو در دلم آمد مراد خواهم یافتچرا که حالِ نکو در قَفایِ فالِ نکوست
rokh-e to dar delam âmad morâd khâham yâft / cherâ ke hâl-e neku dar ghafâ-ye fâl-e neku-st
Your face came into my heart, so I will find what I wish for, because a good outcome follows a good omen.
COUPLET 9
نه این زمان دلِ حافظ در آتشِ هوس استکه داغدار ازل همچو لالهٔ خودروست
na in zamân del-e Hâfez dar âtash-e havas ast / ke dâghdâr-e azal hamcho lâle-ye khodru-st
Hafez's heart has not been burning with longing only now: like the wild tulip, it has been branded since before time began.
What this fâl tells you
This fal contains its own good omen: Hafez says that a good outcome follows a good fal. Tradition reads it as a sign that what you wish for will come, so accept what happens with an open heart. Your feelings run deep and are long-standing; let them guide you.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -st (ast, contracted). qâfiye: -u (dust, ust, tu, sabu, anbar-bu, ju, bihude-gu, neku, khodru). Several half-lines end in dust "the beloved".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| hazrat | presence, court dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| می‌رود | miravad | is going dictionary |
| u-st | is his (= u ast) dictionary | |
| نظیر | nazir | equal, match dictionary |
| ندیدم | nadidam | I did not see, did not find dictionary |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| مه | mah | moon (= mâh) (ماه) |
| مهر | mehr | sun dictionary |
| نهادم | nahâdam | I laid, I placed (گذاشتم) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| مقابل | moghâbel | opposite, in front of dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| sharh-e | account of dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| ورق‌های | varagh-hâ | leaves, petals dictionary |
| ghonche | bud, rosebud dictionary | |
| tu | fold, layer; tu bar tu = layer upon layer (لایه) dictionary | |
| tu-st | is (fold upon) fold dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bas | much, many dictionary | |
| sar-â | head; basâ sar-â = many a head (سر) dictionary | |
| کارخانه | kârkhâne | workshop (here: the world) dictionary |
| sang | stone dictionary | |
| sabu-st | is a jug dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| shâne | comb; shâne zadan = to comb dictionary | |
| zadi | you shot, you struck dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| bâd | wind dictionary | |
| گشت | gasht | became dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| نثار | nesâr-e | scattered as an offering on (فدای) |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| barg | leaf, petal dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| ju-st | is the stream dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| وصف | vasf | description dictionary |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| نالان | nâlân | groaning, lamenting dictionary |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| کلک | kelk | reed pen (قلم) |
| delam | my heart dictionary | |
| âmad | came dictionary | |
| مراد | morâd | wish, desire dictionary |
| khâham | I will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| نکو | neku | good (نیکو) |
| فال | fâl | omen, fortune reading dictionary |
| zamân | time dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| هوس | havas | longing, desire dictionary |
| dâghdâr | branded, marked with grief dictionary | |
| همچو | hamcho | like (مثل) |
| khodru-st | is wild, self-grown dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 58. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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