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Hafez Ghazal 86: ⁧ساقی بیا که یار ز رخ پرده برگرفت⁩

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

Ghazal 86 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.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
ساقی بیا که یار ز رخ پرده برگرفتکارِ چراغ خلوتیان باز درگرفت
sâghi biyâ ke yâr ze rokh parde bar gereft / kâr-e cherâgh-e khalvatiyân bâz dar gereft
Come, cupbearer: the beloved has lifted the veil from that face, and the lamp of those in seclusion has caught fire again.
COUPLET 2
آن شمعِ سرگرفته دگر چهره برفروختوین پیرِ سال‌خورده جوانی ز سر گرفت
ân sham'-e sar-gerefte degar chehre barforukht / v-in pir-e sâlkhorde javâni ze sar gereft
That snuffed-out candle has lit up its face once more, and this aged old man has become young again.
COUPLET 3
آن عشوه داد عشق که مفتی ز ره برفتوان لطف کرد دوست که دشمن حذر گرفت
ân eshve dâd eshgh ke mofti ze rah beraft / v-ân lotf kard dust ke doshman hazar gereft
Love flirted so that even the jurist strayed from his path, and the friend was so kind that the enemy grew wary.
COUPLET 4
زنهار از آن عبارتِ شیرینِ دل‌فریبگویی که پستهٔ تو سخن در شکر گرفت
zenhâr az ân ebârat-e shirin-e delfarib / gu'i ke peste-ye to sokhan dar shekar gereft
Have mercy, those sweet, heart-stealing words! You would think your pistachio mouth had wrapped its speech in sugar.
COUPLET 5
بارِ غمی که خاطرِ ما خسته کرده بودعیسی‌دمی خدا بفرستاد و برگرفت
bâr-e ghami ke khâter-e mâ khaste karde bud / isâ-dami khodâ befrestâd o bar gereft
The burden of grief that had worn out our hearts, God sent someone with the breath of Jesus to lift away.
COUPLET 6
هر سروقد که بر مَه و خور حسن می‌فروختچون تو درآمدی پیِ کاری دگر گرفت
har sarv-ghad ke bar mah o khor hosn miforukht / chon to dar âmadi pey-e kâri degar gereft
Every cypress-tall beauty who used to show off before the moon and sun, when you came in, went off to find some other business.
COUPLET 7
زین قصه هفت گنبدِ افلاک پرصداستکوته‌نظر ببین که سخن مختصر گرفت
z-in ghesse haft gonbad-e aflâk por-sedâ-st / kutah-nazar bebin ke sokhan mokhtasar gereft
The seven domes of heaven are ringing with this story; look at the short-sighted one, who thought the tale was short.
COUPLET 8
حافظ تو این سخن ز که آموختی؟ که بختتعویذ کرد شعرِ تو را و به زر گرفت
Hâfez to in sokhan ze ke âmukhti ke bakht / ta'viz kard she'r-e to râ o be zar gereft
Hafez, from whom did you learn these words, that fortune made your poem into an amulet and set it in gold?

What this fâl tells you

The veil is lifting and a light that had gone out is shining again. Tradition reads this fal as very hopeful: a weight that has tired your heart is about to be taken away, often through a kind person who appears at the right time. Old energy returns and what you say will be valued.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: gereft. qâfiye: -ar (bar, dar, sar, hazar, shekar, bar, degar, mokhtasar, zar). Beyts 1 and 5 rhyme on bar gereft / dar gereft.

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
sâghicupbearer dictionary
biyâcome! dictionary
یارyârbeloved; friend dictionary
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
rokhface, cheek dictionary
پردهpardecurtain, veil dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
چراغcherâghlamp dictionary
bâzagain dictionary
ânthat dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
degaragain; other (= digar) (دیگر)
چهرهchehreface dictionary
barforukhtkindled, stoked dictionary
وینv-inand this (= va in) (و این)
پیرpirelder; spiritual master dictionary
sâlkhordeaged, old dictionary
javâniyouth; youthful dictionary
sarhead; ze sar gereftan = to begin again dictionary
گرفتgerefttook; gushe gereft = withdrew dictionary
eshveflirting, coquetry dictionary
dâdgave dictionary
rahroad, way (short for râh) (راه)
beraftwent away (رفت) dictionary
وانv-ânand the one (= va ân) (و آن) dictionary
لطفlotfkindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary
کردkarddo (with tavân: can do) dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
doshmanenemy dictionary
zenhârbe sure! take care! dictionary
ebâratexpression, words dictionary
delfaribheart-stealing, charming dictionary
gu'iyou would say, as if dictionary
پستهٔpestepistachio; the beloved's small smiling mouth dictionary
toyou dictionary
sokhanspeech, words dictionary
darin; door dictionary
shekarsugar dictionary
bârload, burden dictionary
ghamiof grief dictionary
khâtermind, heart dictionary
ماmâwe, us; our dictionary
khastetired, wounded dictionary
کردهkardemade; karde bud = had made dictionary
budwas dictionary
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
befrestâdsent (فرستاد) dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
مهmahmoon (= mâh) (ماه)
khorthe sun (خورشید)
hosnbeauty dictionary
می‌فروختmiforukhtwas selling; hosn forukhtan = to show off one's beauty dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
پیpeyafter; pey-e kâri gereftan = to go off about some business dictionary
kâria deed, what (it) did dictionary
z-infrom this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این)
قصهghessestory dictionary
هفتhaftseven; haft keshvar = the seven climes, the whole world dictionary
گنبدgonbaddome dictionary
aflâkthe heavens, the spheres dictionary
کوته‌نظرkutah-nazarshort-sighted dictionary
bebinsee! look! dictionary
مختصرmokhtasarshort, brief dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
inthis dictionary
âmukhtiyou learned dictionary
bakhtfortune, luck dictionary
she'rpoem, poetry dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
zargold dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 86. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

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