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Hafez Ghazal 61: ⁧صبا اگر گذری افتدت به کشور دوست⁩

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

Ghazal 61 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
صبا اگر گذری اُفتَدَت به کشور دوستبیار نَفحِه‌ای از گیسوی مُعَنبَر دوست
sabâ agar gozari oftadat be keshvar-e dust / biyâr nafhe'i az gisu-ye mo'anbar-e dust
Morning breeze, if you happen to pass through the beloved's land, bring me a breath of scent from the beloved's ambergris-perfumed hair.
COUPLET 2
به جانِ او که به شکرانه جان برافشانماگر به سویِ من آری پیامی از برِ دوست
be jân-e u ke be shokrâne jân barafshânam / agar be su-ye man âri payâmi az bar-e dust
By that one's life, I will scatter my own life in thanks if you bring me a message from the beloved.
COUPLET 3
و گر چنان که در آن حضرتت نباشد باربرایِ دیده بیاور غباری از درِ دوست
va gar chenân ke dar ân hazratat nabâshad bâr / barâ-ye dide biyâvar ghobâri az dar-e dust
And if you are not admitted into that presence, bring for my eyes a little dust from the beloved's door.
COUPLET 4
منِ گدا و تمنایِ وصلِ او هیهاتمگر به خواب ببینم خیالِ منظرِ دوست
man-e gedâ o tamannâ-ye vasl-e u heyhât / magar be khâb bebinam khiyâl-e manzar-e dust
I, a beggar, wishing for union with that one? Far from it! Perhaps in a dream I may see an image of the beloved's face.
COUPLET 5
دل صِنوبَری‌ام همچو بید لرزان استز حسرتِ قد و بالای چون صنوبرِ دوست
del-e senowbariyam hamcho bid larzân ast / ze hasrat-e ghadd o bâlâ-ye chon senowbar-e dust
My pine-cone-shaped heart trembles like a willow, longing for the beloved's tall, pine-like figure.
COUPLET 6
اگر چه دوست به چیزی نمی‌خرد ما رابه عالمی نفروشیم مویی از سرِ دوست
agarche dust be chizi nemikharad mâ râ / be âlami nafurushim mu'i az sar-e dust
Although the beloved would not give a thing for us, we would not sell a single hair of the beloved's head for a whole world.
COUPLET 7
چه باشد ار شود از بندِ غم دلش آزادچو هست حافظِ مسکین غلام و چاکر دوست
che bâshad ar shavad az band-e gham delash âzâd / cho hast Hâfez-e meskin gholâm o châkar-e dust
How good it would be if his heart were freed from the bonds of grief, since poor Hafez is the beloved's servant and slave.

What this fâl tells you

A message from someone dear may be on its way, and even a small sign from them would bring great joy. Tradition reads this fal as advice to value what you love beyond any price and to stay humble and hopeful. Your loyalty deserves to be freed from sorrow.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: dust ("the beloved"). qâfiye: -ar (keshvar, mo'anbar, bar, dar, manzar, senowbar, sar, châkar).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
agarif dictionary
gozaria passing by dictionary
oftadatfalls to you; gozari oftadat = you happen to pass dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
کشورkeshvarland, country dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
biyârbring! dictionary
jânlife, soul dictionary
uhim / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary
su-yetoward dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
âriyou bring (بیاوری) dictionary
payâmia message dictionary
barside, presence; az bar-e = from dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
گرgarif (= agar) (اگر) dictionary
چنانchenânso, in such a way dictionary
darin; door dictionary
ânthat dictionary
hazratat(for) you in that presence dictionary
نباشدnabâshadis not, will not be dictionary
bâradmittance, audience dictionary
barâ-yefor dictionary
dideeye (چشم)
biyâvarbring! dictionary
ghobâria little dust dictionary
گداgedâbeggar dictionary
مگرmagarperhaps? could it be that? (in questions) dictionary
khâbsleep dictionary
bebinamI see dictionary
khiyâlfancy, notion dictionary
منظرmanzarface, sight dictionary
delheart dictionary
همچوhamcholike (مثل)
bidwillow dictionary
لرزانlarzântrembling dictionary
astis dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
bâlâ-yeheight, stature of dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
sanowbarpine dictionary
چهchewhat; how much! dictionary
chizisomething; be chizi nakharidan = to value at nothing dictionary
نمی‌خردnemikharaddoes not buy dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
âlamia whole world dictionary
نفروشیمnafurushimwe would not sell dictionary
muyifine hair, a hair dictionary
sarhead; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary
bâshadmay it be; bâshad ke = perhaps, so that maybe dictionary
arif (= agar) (اگر)
shavadbecomes dictionary
bandrope, bond dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
delashhis/her heart dictionary
âzâdfree; âzâd kardan = set free dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
هستhastthere is dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
مسکینmeskinpoor, wretched dictionary
gholâmservant dictionary
چاکرchâkerservant dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 61. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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