Ghazal 89 of Hafez (9 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
یا رب سببی ساز که یارم به سلامتبازآید و بِرهانَدَم از بندِ مَلامت
yâ rab sababi sâz ke yâram be salâmat / bâz âyad o berahânadam az band-e malâmat
O Lord, bring about some means for my beloved to come back safe and sound and free me from the chains of blame.
COUPLET 2
خاکِ رهِ آن یارِ سفرکرده بیاریدتا چشمِ جهان بین کُنَمَش جایِ اقامت
khâk-e rah-e ân yâr-e safarkarde biyârid / tâ cheshm-e jahân-bin konamash jâ-ye eghâmat
Bring me the dust from the road of that beloved who went away, so I can make my world-seeing eye its dwelling place.
COUPLET 3
فریاد که از شش جهتم راه بِبَستندآن خال و خط و زلف و رخ و عارض و قامت
faryâd ke az shesh jahatam râh bebastand / ân khâl o khatt o zolf o rokh o âraz o ghâmat
Help! They have blocked my way from all six directions: that beauty spot, that down, those curls, that face, that cheek and that tall figure.
COUPLET 4
امروز که در دستِ توام مرحمتی کنفردا که شَوَم خاک چه سود اشکِ ندامت
emruz ke dar dast-e to-am marhamati kon / fardâ ke shavam khâk che sud ashk-e nedâmat
Today, while I am in your hands, show me some kindness; tomorrow, when I have turned to dust, what use will tears of regret be?
COUPLET 5
ای آن که به تقریر و بیان دم زنی از عشقما با تو نداریم سخن، خیر و سلامت
ey ân ke be taghrir o bayân dam zani az eshgh / mâ bâ to nadârim sokhan kheyr o salâmat
You who talk about love with explanations and speeches: we have nothing to say to you. Go in peace.
COUPLET 6
درویش مکن ناله ز شمشیرِ اَحِبّاکاین طایفه از کشته ستانند غرامت
darvish makon nâle ze shamshir-e ahebbâ / k-in tâyefe az koshte setânand gharâmat
Dervish, do not complain of the swords of your loved ones: this tribe even makes the slain pay a fine.
COUPLET 7
در خرقه زن آتش که خمِ ابرویِ ساقیبر می‌شکند گوشهٔ محراب امامت
dar kherghe zan âtash ke kham-e abru-ye sâghi / bar mishekanad gushe-ye mehrâb-e emâmat
Set fire to your Sufi cloak, for the curve of the cupbearer's eyebrow breaks the corner of the prayer leader's niche.
COUPLET 8
حاشا که من از جور و جفای تو بنالمبیدادِ لطیفان همه لطف است و کرامت
hâshâ ke man az jowr o jafâ-ye to benâlam / bidâd-e latifân hame lotf ast o kerâmat
Heaven forbid that I should complain of your cruelty and unkindness: the injustice of graceful ones is all kindness and generosity.
COUPLET 9
کوته نکند بحث سرِ زلف تو حافظپیوسته شد این سلسله تا روزِ قیامت
kutah nakonad bahs-e sar-e zolf-e to Hâfez / peyvaste shod in selsele tâ ruz-e ghiyâmat
Hafez will not cut short his talk about the tip of your curls: this chain goes on unbroken until Judgment Day.
What this fâl tells you
A traveler, or something you have been waiting for, is on the way back. Tradition reads this fal as a prayer that is likely to be answered: ask for the means and they will come. Show kindness today rather than regret it tomorrow, and accept the small hurts of love with grace.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âmat (salâmat, malâmat, eghâmat, ghâmat, nedâmat, salâmat, gharâmat, emâmat, kerâmat, ghiyâmat).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| یا | yâ | O (vocative); or dictionary |
| sababi | a means, a cause dictionary | |
| sâz | make! bring about! (بساز) dictionary | |
| یارم | yâram | my beloved dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| salâmat | health, safety dictionary | |
| bâz âyad | comes back dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| band | rope, bond dictionary | |
| ملامت | malâmat | blame, reproach dictionary |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| rah | road, way (short for râh) (راه) | |
| ân | that dictionary | |
| یار | yâr | beloved; friend dictionary |
| biyârid | bring! (plural) (بیاورید) dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| jahân | world dictionary | |
| bin | seeing; jahân-bin = world-seeing dictionary | |
| کنمش | konamash | I make it dictionary |
| jâ-ye | place of; be jâ-ye = toward, for (someone) (در حق) dictionary | |
| فریاد | faryâd | cry, shout dictionary |
| shesh | six dictionary | |
| jahatam | direction(s) + me; az shesh jahatam = from all six sides on me dictionary | |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| bebastand | they closed dictionary | |
| khâl | mole, beauty spot dictionary | |
| khatt | line; here a painted line / the first down on the cheek dictionary | |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| âraz | cheek (گونه) | |
| قامت | ghâmat | stature, figure dictionary |
| emruz | today dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| dast | hand dictionary | |
| to-am | (in the hands) of you I am (= to + am) dictionary | |
| marhamati | some kindness, mercy dictionary | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| فردا | fardâ | tomorrow dictionary |
| shavam | I (will) become dictionary | |
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| sud | profit, gain dictionary | |
| ashk | tear dictionary | |
| ندامت | nedâmat | regret dictionary |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| taghrir | explaining, stating dictionary | |
| bayân | description, expression dictionary | |
| dam | moment; breath dictionary | |
| zani | you strike; dam zadan = to talk dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| نداریم | nadârim | we do not have dictionary |
| sokhan | speech, words dictionary | |
| kheyr | good; kheyr o salâmat = go in peace, farewell dictionary | |
| مکن | makon | do not do! (نکن) dictionary |
| ناله | nâle | moan, lament dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| shamshir | sword dictionary | |
| کاین | k-in | that these (= ke in) (که این) |
| tâyefe | tribe, group dictionary | |
| کشته | koshte | slain dictionary |
| setânand | they take dictionary | |
| kherghe | dervish's cloak, Sufi robe dictionary | |
| zan | strike! set (fire)! (بزن) dictionary | |
| abru-ye | eyebrow of dictionary | |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| می‌شکند | mishekanad | breaks; bar shekastan = to break, mock dictionary |
| گوشهٔ | gushe | corner dictionary |
| محراب | mehrâb-e | prayer niche of dictionary |
| emâmat | leading prayer; the imam's office dictionary | |
| hâshâ | God forbid! not at all! dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| jafâ-ye | cruelty of dictionary | |
| benâlam | I complain dictionary | |
| bidâd | injustice, cruelty (ستم) dictionary | |
| لطیفان | latifân | graceful, delicate ones dictionary |
| همه | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| کرامت | kerâmat | nobility, generosity dictionary |
| کوته | kutah | short (کوتاه) |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| bahs | debate dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| پیوسته | peyvaste | constantly dictionary |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| selsele | chain dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 89. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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