Ghazal 81 of Hafez (8 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
صبحدم مرغ چمن با گل نوخاسته گفتناز کم کن که در این باغ بسی چون تو شکفت
sobhdam morgh-e chaman bâ gol-e nowkhâste goft / nâz kam kon ke dar in bâgh basi chon to shekoft
At dawn the bird of the meadow said to the newly risen rose, "Put on fewer airs: many like you have bloomed in this garden."
COUPLET 2
گل بخندید که از راست نرنجیم ولیهیچ عاشق سخن سخت به معشوق نگفت
gol bekhandid ke az râst naranjim vali / hich âshegh sokhan-e sakht be ma'shugh nagoft
The rose laughed: "We are not hurt by the truth, but no lover ever spoke harsh words to the beloved."
COUPLET 3
گر طمع داری از آن جام مرصع میِ لعلای بسا دُر که به نوک مژه‌ات باید سفت
gar tama' dâri az ân jâm-e morassa' mey-e la'l / ey basâ dor ke be nok-e mozhe-at bâyad soft
If you hope for ruby wine from that jewel-studded cup, how many pearls you will have to pierce with the tip of your eyelashes!
COUPLET 4
تا ابد بوی محبت به مشامش نرسدهر که خاک در میخانه به رخسار نرُفت
tâ abad bu-ye mohabbat be mashâmash narasad / har ke khâk-e dar-e meykhâne be rokhsâr naroft
The scent of love will never reach, to the end of time, anyone who has not swept the dust of the tavern door with his face.
COUPLET 5
در گلستان ارم دوش چو از لطف هوازلف سنبل به نسیم سحری می‌آشفت،
dar golestân-e eram dush cho az lotf-e havâ / zolf-e sonbol be nasim-e sahari mi-âshoft
Last night in the rose garden of Eram, when, in the mild air, the hyacinth's curls were being ruffled by the dawn breeze,
COUPLET 6
گفتم: «ای مسند جم! جام جهان‌بینت کو؟»گفت: «افسوس که آن دولت بیدار بخفت!»
goftam ey masnad-e jam jâm-e jahân-binat ku / goft afsus ke ân dowlat-e bidâr bekhoft
I said, "O throne of Jamshid, where is your world-seeing cup?" It said, "Alas, that wakeful fortune has fallen asleep."
COUPLET 7
سخن عشق نه آن است که آید به زبانساقیا می ده و کوتاه کُن این گفت و شنفت
sokhan-e eshgh na ân ast ke âyad be zabân / sâghiyâ mey deh o kutâh kon in goft o shenoft
The word of love is not something that can come onto the tongue. Cupbearer, give wine and cut short all this talk.
COUPLET 8
اشک حافظ، خرد و صبر، به دریا انداختچه کند؟ سوز غم عشق نیارست نهفت
ashk-e Hâfez kherad o sabr be daryâ andâkht / che konad suz-e gham-e eshgh nayârast nahoft
Hafez's tears threw reason and patience into the sea. What could he do? He could not hide the burning grief of love.
What this fâl tells you
Beauty and success are precious, but they are not unique, so carry them lightly and kindly. Tradition reads this fal as a call to speak the truth gently and to be ready to work patiently, even with tears, for what you desire. Some feelings cannot be put into words; let them show in deeds.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -oft (goft, shekoft, nagoft, soft, naroft, âshoft, bekhoft, shenoft, nahoft).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| مرغ | morgh | bird dictionary |
| چمن | chaman | meadow, lawn dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| گل | gol | rose; flower dictionary |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| ناز | nâz | coquetry, airs dictionary |
| کم | kam | seldom dictionary |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| bâgh | garden dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| shekoft | bloomed dictionary | |
| bekhandid | laughed dictionary | |
| râst | truth; true words dictionary | |
| نرنجیم | naranjim | we are not offended dictionary |
| vali | but dictionary | |
| هیچ | hich | any; no dictionary |
| âshegh | lover dictionary | |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| sakht | very; hard dictionary | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| معشوق | ma'shugh | beloved dictionary |
| نگفت | nagoft | did not say dictionary |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| tama' | expectation; greed dictionary | |
| dâri | you have dictionary | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| می | mey | wine (شراب) dictionary |
| لعل | la'l | ruby; lab-e la'l = ruby lips dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| نوک | nok | tip dictionary |
| مژه‌ات | mozhe-at | your eyelash dictionary |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| abad | eternity without end dictionary | |
| bu-ye | scent of (ezafe) dictionary | |
| محبت | mohabbat | love, affection dictionary |
| نرسد | narasad | does not reach dictionary |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| میخانه | meykhâne | tavern dictionary |
| rokhsâr | cheek, face dictionary | |
| گلستان | golestân | rose garden dictionary |
| dush | last night (دیشب) dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| لطف | lotf | mildness, gentleness dictionary |
| هوا | havâ | air, weather dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| نسیم | nasim | breeze dictionary |
| sahari | of dawn dictionary | |
| می‌آشفت | mi-âshoft | was ruffling, being disordered dictionary |
| گفتم | goftam | I said dictionary |
| مسند | masnad | seat of power, throne dictionary |
| کو | ku | where is? (کجاست) dictionary |
| afsus | alas dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| bidâr | awake dictionary | |
| bekhoft | fell asleep (خوابید) dictionary | |
| نه | na | not, no dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| âyad | comes, will come (می‌آید) dictionary | |
| zabân | tongue; language dictionary | |
| sâghiyâ | O cupbearer (sâghi + vocative -â) dictionary | |
| deh | give! (= bedeh) (بده) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| کوتاه | kutâh | short dictionary |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| kherad | reason, wisdom dictionary | |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| daryâ | sea dictionary | |
| andâkht | threw dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| کند | konad | does; makes dictionary |
| suz | burning dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| نهفت | nahoft | to hide dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 81. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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