Ghazal 66 of Hafez (10 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
بنال بلبل اگر با مَنَت سرِ یاری‌ستکه ما دو عاشق زاریم و کارِ ما زاری‌ست
benâl bolbol agar bâ manat sar-e yâri-st / ke mâ do âshegh-e zârim o kâr-e mâ zâri-st
Lament, nightingale, if you have a mind to be my friend, for we are two wretched lovers and our work is weeping.
COUPLET 2
در آن زمین که نسیمی وزد ز طُرِّهٔ دوستچه جایِ دم زدنِ نافه‌های تاتاری‌ست
dar ân zamin ke nasimi vazad ze torre-ye dust / che jâ-ye dam zadan-e nâfe-hâ-ye tâtâri-st
In a land where a breeze blows from the beloved's curl, what room is there for the musk pods of Tartary to boast?
COUPLET 3
بیار باده که رنگین کنیم جامهٔ زرقکه مستِ جامِ غروریم و نام هشیاری‌ست
biyâr bâde ke rangin konim jâme-ye zargh / ke mast-e jâm-e ghururim o nâm hoshyâri-st
Bring wine, so we can stain the robe of hypocrisy, for we are drunk on the cup of pride and call it sobriety.
COUPLET 4
خیالِ زلفِ تو پختن نه کارِ هر خامی‌ستکه زیرِ سلسله رفتن طریقِ عیّاری‌ست
khiyâl-e zolf-e to pokhtan na kâr-e har khâmi-st / ke zir-e selsele raftan tarigh-e ayyâri-st
Cherishing the fancy of your curls is not for every raw beginner; to go willingly into chains is the way of the bold.
COUPLET 5
لطیفه‌ای‌ست نهانی که عشق از او خیزدکه نام آن نه لبِ لعل و خطِ زنگاری‌ست
latife'i-st nahâni ke eshgh az u khizad / ke nâm-e ân na lab-e la'l o khatt-e zangâri-st
Love springs from a hidden subtlety whose name is not ruby lips or the green down on a cheek.
COUPLET 6
جمالِ شخص، نه چشم است و زلف و عارض و خالهزار نکته در این کار و بارِ دلداری‌ست
jamâl-e shakhs na cheshm ast o zolf o ârez o khâl / hezâr nokte dar in kâr o bâr-e deldâri-st
A person's beauty is not eyes and hair, cheek and mole; there are a thousand subtleties in the art of winning hearts.
COUPLET 7
قلندرانِ حقیقت به نیم جو نخرندقبایِ اطلس آن کس که از هنر عاری‌ست
ghalandarân-e haghighat be nim jow nakharand / ghabâ-ye atlas-e ân kas ke az honar âri-st
The true free dervishes would not pay half a barleycorn for the satin robe of someone who has no real merit.
COUPLET 8
بر آستان تو مشکل توان رسید آریعروج بر فلکِ سروری به دشواری‌ست
bar âstân-e to moshkel tavân resid âri / oruj bar falak-e sarvari be doshvâri-st
Your threshold is hard to reach; yes, rising to the heaven of greatness is always difficult.
COUPLET 9
سحر کرشمهٔ چشمت به خواب می‌دیدمزهی مراتب خوابی که بِه ز بیداری‌ست
sahar kereshme-ye cheshmat be khâb mididam / zahi marâteb-e khâbi ke beh ze bidâri-st
At dawn I saw the flirting of your eyes in a dream: how high the rank of a sleep that is better than waking!
COUPLET 10
دلش به ناله میازار و ختم کن حافظکه رستگاریِ جاوید در کم آزاری‌ست
delash be nâle mayâzâr o khatm kon Hâfez / ke rastegâri-ye jâvid dar kam-âzâri-st
Do not hurt the beloved's heart with your laments; finish now, Hafez, for lasting salvation lies in harming no one.
What this fâl tells you
Real beauty and worth are hidden qualities, not surface show. Tradition reads this fal as advice to look for depth rather than appearance, to be patient with what is hard to reach, and above all to avoid hurting others, the surest road to lasting peace. A good dream or sign may come at dawn.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -st (ast, contracted). qâfiye: -âri (yâri, zâri, tâtâri, hoshyâri, ayyâri, zangâri, deldâri, âri, doshvâri, bidâri, âzâri).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| benâl | lament! cry! dictionary | |
| bolbol | nightingale dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| sar | mind, intention; sar-e yâri = a wish to be friends dictionary | |
| یاری‌ست | yâri-st | is friendship dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| do | two dictionary | |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| zârim | we are wretched, lamenting dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| zâri-st | is weeping dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| zamin | earth, ground dictionary | |
| nasimi | a breeze dictionary | |
| وزد | vazad | blows dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| torre | lock of hair, curl dictionary | |
| dust | friend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| zadan | dam zadan = to speak up, to boast dictionary | |
| biyâr | bring! dictionary | |
| bâde | wine dictionary | |
| rangin | colored; stained dictionary | |
| کنیم | konim | let us do dictionary |
| jâme-ye | garment of (لباس) dictionary | |
| zargh | pretense, sanctimonious show (ریا) dictionary | |
| مست | mast | drunk dictionary |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| ghururim | we are (drunk on) pride dictionary | |
| نام | nâm | name, fame dictionary |
| هشیاری‌ست | hoshyâri-st | is sobriety dictionary |
| khiyâl | fancy, notion dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| پختن | pokhtan | cooking; khiyâl pokhtan = to cherish a fancy dictionary |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| khâmi-st | is a raw, inexperienced person dictionary | |
| zir | under dictionary | |
| selsele | chain dictionary | |
| raftan | to go, leaving dictionary | |
| tarigh | way, path dictionary | |
| لطیفه‌ای‌ست | latife'i-st | is a subtle quality dictionary |
| nahâni | hidden, secret dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| khatt | the first down on a cheek dictionary | |
| jamâl | beauty dictionary | |
| shakhs | person, self dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| âraz | cheek (گونه) | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| هزار | hezâr | thousand; also "nightingale" (hezâr-dastân) dictionary |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâr | kâr o bâr = business, affairs dictionary | |
| haghighat | truth dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نیم | nim | half; nim-shab = midnight dictionary |
| نخرند | nakharand | they would not buy dictionary |
| کس | kas | anyone; with negative: no one dictionary |
| هنر | honar | skill, art dictionary |
| âri-st | is lacking, bare dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| مشکل | moshkel | hard, difficult dictionary |
| tavân | one can dictionary | |
| resid | arrived, came dictionary | |
| oruj | ascent dictionary | |
| فلک | falak | the sky, the heavens; fate dictionary |
| doshvâri-st | is with difficulty dictionary | |
| sahar | dawn dictionary | |
| کرشمهٔ | kereshme | flirtatious glance, coquetry (عشوه) |
| چشمت | cheshmat | your eye dictionary |
| khâb | sleep dictionary | |
| می‌دیدم | mididam | I was seeing dictionary |
| مراتب | marâteb | ranks dictionary |
| khâbi | a sleep dictionary | |
| bidâri-st | is waking dictionary | |
| delash | his/her heart dictionary | |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| میازار | mayâzâr | do not hurt! (نیازار) dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| jâvid | forever, eternal dictionary | |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| âzâri-st | is (harming); kam-âzâri = harming no one dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 66. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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