Ghazal 68 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
ماهم این هفته برون رفت و به چشمم سالی‌ستحالِ هجران تو چه دانی که چه مشکل حالی‌ست؟
mâham in hafte borun raft o be cheshmam sâli-st / hâl-e hejrân to che dâni ke che moshkel hâli-st
My moon went away this week, and to my eyes it has been a year; what do you know of separation, what a hard state it is?
COUPLET 2
مردم دیده ز لطفِ رخِ او در رخِ اوعکس خود دید، گمان برد که مشکین خالی‌ست
mardom-e dide ze lotf-e rokh-e u dar rokh-e u / aks-e khod did gomân bord ke moshkin khâli-st
The pupil of my eye saw its own reflection in the polish of that face and took it for a musk-black mole.
COUPLET 3
می‌چکد شیر هنوز از لبِ هم‌چون شکرشگر چه در شیوه‌گری هر مژه‌اش قَتّالی‌ست
michekad shir hanuz az lab-e hamchon shekarash / garche dar shivegari har mozhe'ash ghattâli-st
Milk still drips from those sugar-sweet lips, though in flirting every one of those lashes is a killer.
COUPLET 4
ای که انگشت‌نمایی به کرم در همه شهروه که در کارِ غریبان، عَجَبَت اِهمالی‌ست
ey ke angosht-nemâ'i be karam dar hame shahr / vah ke dar kâr-e gharibân ajabat ehmâli-st
You whom the whole city points to for your generosity, ah, how strangely you neglect the strangers!
COUPLET 5
بعد از اینم نَبُوَد شائبه در جوهرِ فردکه دهانِ تو در این نکته خوش استدلالی‌ست
ba'd az inam nabovad shâ'ebe dar jowhar-e fard / ke dahân-e to dar in nokte khosh estedlâli-st
From now on I have no doubt about the indivisible atom, for your mouth is a fine proof of the point.
COUPLET 6
مژده دادند که بر ما گذری خواهی کردنیّتِ خیر مگردان که مبارک فالی‌ست
mozhde dâdand ke bar mâ gozari khâhi kard / niyyat-e kheyr magardân ke mobârak fâli-st
They brought the good news that you will pass our way; do not change that good intention, for it is a blessed omen.
COUPLET 7
کوهِ اندوهِ فراقت به چه حالت بکِشد؟حافظِ خسته که از ناله تنش چون نالی‌ست
kuh-e anduh-e ferâghat be che hâlat bekeshad / Hâfez-e khaste ke az nâle tanash chon nâli-st
How can weary Hafez carry the mountain of grief at your absence, when from lamenting his body has become like a thin reed?
What this fâl tells you
A short separation can feel like a year, but good news of a visit is coming. Tradition reads this fal as a blessed omen: someone intends to come your way, so keep your hopes kind and steady. Remember also to look after those who are far from home.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -st (ast, contracted). qâfiye: -âli (sâli, hâli, khâli, ghattâli, ehmâli, estedlâli, fâli, nâli). Beyt 5 jokes that the beloved's tiny mouth proves the philosophers' "indivisible atom" (jowhar-e fard).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ماهم | mâham | my moon (the beloved) dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| هفته | hafte-ye | week dictionary |
| borun | out (= birun) (بیرون) dictionary | |
| raft | went dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| چشمم | cheshmam | my eye dictionary |
| sâli-st | is a year dictionary | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| dâni | you know (می‌دانی) dictionary | |
| مشکل | moshkel | hard, difficult dictionary |
| hâli-st | is a state dictionary | |
| مردم | mardom | pupil (mardom-e cheshm); also "people" dictionary |
| dide | eye (چشم) | |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| u | him / her (Persian does not mark gender) dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| aks | reflection dictionary | |
| khod | self; here "and indeed, after all" dictionary | |
| did | saw dictionary | |
| گمان | gomân | thought, suspicion; dar gomân andâkht = made me think dictionary |
| bord | took; gomân bord = supposed dictionary | |
| khâli-st | is a mole dictionary | |
| می‌چکد | michekad | drips dictionary |
| shir | milk dictionary | |
| هنوز | hanuz | still, yet dictionary |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| هم‌چون | hamchon | like (مثل) |
| shekarash | his/her sugar (lips) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| مژه‌اش | mozhe'ash | his/her eyelash dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| angosht-nemâ'i | you are pointed at, famous dictionary | |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| shahr | city dictionary | |
| کار | kâr | work; affair, matter dictionary |
| gharibân | strangers, the homeless; shâm-e gharibân = the evening of strangers dictionary | |
| ajabat | strangely ... your dictionary | |
| ehmâli-st | is a neglect dictionary | |
| ba'd | after; ba'd az in = from now on dictionary | |
| inam | this ... for me (= in marâ) dictionary | |
| نبود | nabvad | is not (old form) (نیست / نباشد) dictionary |
| jowhar | substance, essence dictionary | |
| فرد | fard | single; jowhar-e fard = the indivisible atom dictionary |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| نکته | nokte | point, subtle point dictionary |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| estedlâli-st | is a proof dictionary | |
| dâdand | (they) gave dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| gozari | a passing by dictionary | |
| khâhi | you will (future) dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| نیت | niyyat | intention dictionary |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| مگردان | magardân | do not make, do not turn (نکن) dictionary |
| مبارک | mobârak | blessed, happy (eyd mobârak = happy Eid) dictionary |
| فالی‌ست | fâli-st | is an omen dictionary |
| کوه | kuh | mountain dictionary |
| anduh | sorrow dictionary | |
| hâlat | state, condition dictionary | |
| bekeshad | bear, carry dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| khaste | tired, wounded dictionary | |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| tanash | his/her body dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 68. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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