Go further with The Greatest Works of Persian Literature! (11 Books): $119.99, instant PDF download. See inside the book

Hafez Ghazal 87: ⁧حسنت به اتفاق ملاحت جهان گرفت⁩

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

Ghazal 87 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.

Read it word by wordTake your own fâl

COUPLET 1
حُسنت به اتفاقِ ملاحت جهان گرفتآری، به اتفاق، جهان می‌توان گرفت
hosnat be ettefâgh-e malâhat jahân gereft / âri be ettefâgh jahân mitavân gereft
Your beauty, joined with your charm, has conquered the world. Yes, when forces join together, the world can be conquered.
COUPLET 2
افشایِ رازِ خلوتیان خواست کرد شمعشُکرِ خدا، که سِرِ دلش در زبان گرفت
efshâ-ye râz-e khalvatiyân khâst kard sham' / shokr-e khodâ ke serr-e delash dar zabân gereft
The candle meant to give away the secret of those in seclusion; thank God the secret of its heart caught fire on its own tongue.
COUPLET 3
زین آتشِ نهفته که در سینهٔ من استخورشید، شعله‌ای‌ست که در آسمان گرفت
z-in âtash-e nahofte ke dar sine-ye man ast / khorshid sho'le'i-st ke dar âsmân gereft
The sun is only a spark of this hidden fire in my breast, that caught in the sky.
COUPLET 4
می‌خواست گُل که دَم زند از رنگ و بویِ دوستاز غیرتِ صبا، نفسَش در دهان گرفت
mikhâst gol ke dam zanad az rang o bu-ye dust / az gheyrat-e sabâ nafasash dar dahân gereft
The rose wanted to boast of the friend's color and scent, but the jealous morning breeze stopped the breath in its mouth.
COUPLET 5
آسوده بر کنار چُو پرگار می‌شدمدوران، چو نقطه، عاقبتم در میان گرفت
âsude bar kenâr cho pargâr mishodam / dowrân cho noghte âghebatam dar miyân gereft
I was going my way untroubled on the edge, like a compass, but in the end the turning of time caught me in the middle like the point.
COUPLET 6
آن روز شوقِ ساغرِ مِی، خرمنم بسوختکآتش زِ عکسِ عارضِ ساقی در آن گرفت
ân ruz showgh-e sâghar-e mey kharmanam besukht / k-âtash ze aks-e âraz-e sâghi dar ân gereft
Longing for the wine cup burned my harvest on the day the cup caught fire from the reflection of the cupbearer's cheek.
COUPLET 7
خواهم شدن به کویِ مُغان آستین‌فشانزین فتنه‌ها که دامنِ آخرزمان گرفت
khâham shodan be kuy-e moghân âstin-feshân / z-in fetne-hâ ke dâman-e âkherzamân gereft
I will go to the street of the Magi, shaking my sleeves free of all these troubles that have seized the hem of the end of time.
COUPLET 8
مِی خور که هر که آخرِ کارِ جهان بِدیداز غم سبک برآمد و رَطلِ گران گرفت
mey khor ke har ke âkher-e kâr-e jahân bedid / az gham sabok bar âmad o ratl-e gerân gereft
Drink wine: whoever saw how the world's affairs end came out light of grief and took up a heavy cup.
COUPLET 9
بر برگِ گُل به خونِ شقایق نوشته‌اند«کآن کس که پخته شد، مِیِ چون اَرغَوان گرفت»
bar barg-e gol be khun-e shaghâyegh nevesteand / k-ân kas ke pokhte shod mey-e chon arghavân gereft
On the rose petal they have written, in the blood of the anemone: "Whoever became mature took up wine as red as the redbud."
COUPLET 10
حافظ چو آبِ لطف ز نظمِ تو می‌چِکدحاسِد چگونه نکته تواند بر آن گرفت؟
Hâfez cho âb-e lotf ze nazm-e to michekad / hâsed chegune nokte tavânad bar ân gereft
Hafez, when the water of grace drips from your verse, how can an envious man find fault with it?

What this fâl tells you

Your charm and your gifts are working together, and that combination opens doors. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of success and recognition, while advising discretion: keep private things private. Step lightly away from the noise of the times, and do not worry about critics; good work speaks for itself.

A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.

How this ghazal is built

radif: gereft. qâfiye: -ân (jahân, mitavân, zabân, âsmân, dahân, miyân, ân, âkherzamân, gerân, arghavân, ân).

Key words

WordSay itMeaning (modern Persian)
hosnatyour beauty dictionary
beto; for; with; in, by dictionary
ettefâghalliance, joining together dictionary
jahânworld dictionary
گرفتgerefttook; caught (fire) dictionary
می‌توانmitavânone can dictionary
efshâ-yerevealing of dictionary
râzsecret dictionary
khâstwanted dictionary
کردkarddo (with tavân: can do) dictionary
sham'candle dictionary
shokrthanks; shokr-e khodâ = thank God dictionary
khodâGod; khodâ râ = for God's sake dictionary
serrsecret (راز)
delashhis/her heart dictionary
darin; door dictionary
zabântongue; language dictionary
z-infrom this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این)
نهفتهnahoftehidden dictionary
sinechest dictionary
منmanI, me dictionary
astis dictionary
sho'le'i-stis a flame (= sho'le'i ast) dictionary
می‌خواستmikhâstwanted dictionary
گلgolrose; flower dictionary
dammoment; breath dictionary
zanadstrikes; dam zadan = to speak, to breathe dictionary
rangcolor dictionary
وva / oand dictionary
bu-yescent of (ezafe) dictionary
dustfriend; (in Hafez) the beloved, or God dictionary
gheyratjealousy (of love); zeal dictionary
sabâthe morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح)
نفسشnafasashits breath dictionary
dahânmouth dictionary
âsudeat ease, untroubled dictionary
baron, upon dictionary
کنارkenâredge; bar kenâr = on the edge, aloof dictionary
چوchosince, when; like (= chon) (چون)
پرگارpargârcompass (for drawing circles) dictionary
می‌شدمmishodamI was becoming dictionary
نقطهnoghtepoint; noghte-ye binesh = pupil of the eye dictionary
âghebatamin the end ... me (âghebat + -am) dictionary
میانmiyânmiddle; dar miyân gereftan = to surround dictionary
ânthat dictionary
ruzday dictionary
showghlonging, eagerness dictionary
sâgharcup dictionary
meywine (شراب) dictionary
kharmanammy harvest dictionary
besukhtburned (سوخت) dictionary
کآتشk-âtashfor fire (= ke âtash) (که آتش)
zefrom, of (= az) (از)
aksreflection dictionary
ârazcheek (گونه)
sâghicupbearer dictionary
khâhamI will (future auxiliary) dictionary
shodanto go (classical sense) (رفتن) dictionary
کویku-yestreet, quarter (of) (کوچه)
فتنه‌هاfetne-hâturmoils, tumults dictionary
khordrink! eat! (imperative) (بخور / بنوش) dictionary
هرharevery dictionary
کارkârwork; affair, matter dictionary
bedidsaw (دید) dictionary
ghamsorrow, grief dictionary
saboklight dictionary
گرانgerânheavy; sar gerân kardan = act haughty, turn away dictionary
bargleaf, petal dictionary
khunblood dictionary
نوشته‌اندnevesteand(they) have written dictionary
کآن کسk-ân kasthat whoever (= ke ân kas) (که آن کس)
پختهpokhtecooked; mature, experienced dictionary
shodbecome (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary
چونchonsince, when; like dictionary
HâfezHafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary
âbwater; stream dictionary
لطفlotfgrace, subtlety dictionary
نظمnazmverse, poetry dictionary
toyou dictionary
می‌چکدmichekaddrips dictionary
چگونهchegunehow dictionary
نکتهnoktepoint; nokte gereftan = to find fault dictionary
tavânadcan, is able dictionary

Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 87. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.

Love Persian poetry? Learn to read it: free Starter Pack

Get the 14-page printable Starter Pack (all 32 letters, a 7-day reading plan, 100 core words and 20 survival phrases) and a short 5-email course. Free.

Become a tutor