Ghazal 6 of Hafez (7 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
به مُلازِمانِ سلطان، که رساند این دعا را؟که به شُکرِ پادشاهی، زِ نظر مَران گدا را
be molâzemân-e soltân, ke resânad in do'â râ? / ke be shokr-e pâdshâhi ze nazar marân gedâ râ
Who will carry this prayer to the sultan's attendants: "In thanks for your kingship, do not drive the beggar from your sight"?
COUPLET 2
ز رقیبِ دیوسیرت، به خدای خود پناهممَگَر آن شهابِ ثاقِب مددی دهد، خدا را!
ze raghib-e div-sirat be khodâ-ye khod panâham / magar ân shahâb-e sâgheb madadi dahad, khodâ râ!
From the demon-natured rival I take refuge in my God. Perhaps that piercing shooting star will come to my aid, for God's sake!
COUPLET 3
مُژِه‌یِ سیاهت اَرْ کرد به خونِ ما اشارتز فریبِ او بیندیش و غلط مکن، نگارا
mozhe-ye siyâhat ar kard be khun-e mâ eshârat / ze farib-e u biyandish o ghalat makon, negârâ
If your dark eyelashes have signalled for my blood, beware of their deceit and do not make a mistake, my beauty.
COUPLET 4
دلِ عالمی بِسوزی چُو عِذار بَرفُروزیتو از این چه سود داری، که نمی‌کنی مدارا؟
del-e âlami besuzi cho ezâr barforuzi / to az in che sud dâri ke nemikoni modârâ?
When you light up your cheek, you burn the heart of a whole world. What do you gain from it, that you show no gentleness?
COUPLET 5
همه‌شب در این اُمیدم که نسیمِ صبحگاهیبه پیام آشنایان، بنوازد آشنا را
hame shab dar in omidam ke nasim-e sobhgâhi / be payâm-e âshenâyân benavâzad âshenâ râ
All night I live in this hope: that the morning breeze will comfort a friend with a message from friends.
COUPLET 6
چه قیامت است جانا، که به عاشقان نمودی؟دل و جان فدای رویت، بِنَما عِذار ما را
che ghiyâmat ast jânâ ke be âsheghân nemudi? / del o jân fadâ-ye ruyat, benamâ ezâr mâ râ
What an uproar of Judgment Day you have shown to lovers, my dear! Heart and soul are a sacrifice for your face: show me your cheek.
COUPLET 7
به خدا، که جرعه‌ای دِه تو به حافظِ سحرخیزکه دعایِ صبحگاهی، اثری کند شما را
be khodâ ke jor'e'i deh to be Hâfez-e sahar-khiz / ke do'â-ye sobhgâhi asari konad shomâ râ
For God's sake, give a sip of wine to Hafez, who rises at dawn, so that his dawn prayer may do you some good.
What this fâl tells you
Your request deserves to be heard by someone with power, and a kind word may carry it there. Tradition reads this fal as a sign to ask humbly, keep clear of people who wish you ill, and wait through the night for good news from friends. A prayer made at dawn is said to have its effect.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: râ. qâfiye: -â (do'â, gedâ, khodâ, negârâ, modârâ, âshenâ, mâ, shomâ). The meter is the lilting fa'elâtu fâ'elâton pattern, with an internal rhyme in beyt 4 (besuzi / barforuzi).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| ملازمان | molâzemân | attendants, courtiers dictionary |
| soltân | sultan, king dictionary | |
| resânad | will deliver, carry dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| shokr | thanks, gratitude dictionary | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| مران | marân | do not drive away! (نران) dictionary |
| گدا | gedâ | beggar dictionary |
| raghib | rival in love dictionary | |
| khodây | God (classical form) (خدا) | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| پناهم | panâham | I take refuge (= panâh mibaram) dictionary |
| مگر | magar | perhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| shahâb | shooting star, meteor (thought to drive away demons) dictionary | |
| madadi | some help dictionary | |
| dahad | gives, may give dictionary | |
| khodâ | God; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary | |
| مژه‌ی | mozhe-ye | eyelashes of dictionary |
| siyâhat | your black (= siyâh-e to) dictionary | |
| ar | if (= agar) (اگر) | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| khun | blood dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| eshârat | a sign, signal (اشاره) | |
| فریب | farib | deceit, trick dictionary |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| biyandish | think! beware! dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| ghalat | mistake; ghalat makon = do not err dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| âlami | a whole world dictionary | |
| besuzi | you burn dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| barforuzi | you light up dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| sud | profit, gain dictionary | |
| dâri | you have dictionary | |
| nemikoni | you do not do dictionary | |
| مدارا | modârâ | tolerance, forbearance dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| omidam | I am in hope dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| پیام | payâm | message dictionary |
| âshenâyân | friends dictionary | |
| benavâzad | caresses, comforts dictionary | |
| âshenâ | friend, familiar one dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| jânâ | O dear one (jân + vocative -â) (عزیزم) dictionary | |
| âsheghân | lovers dictionary | |
| nemudi | you showed (نشان دادی) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| ruyat | your face dictionary | |
| benamâ | show! (نشان بده) dictionary | |
| jor'e'i | a sip, a draught dictionary | |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sahar-khiz | who rises at dawn dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| asari | an effect dictionary | |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| shomâ | you (polite) dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 6. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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