Ghazal 90 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.
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COUPLET 1
ای هدهد صبا به سبا می‌فرستمتبنگر که از کجا به کجا می‌فرستمت
ey hodhod-e sabâ be sabâ miferestamat / bengar ke az kojâ be kojâ miferestamat
O hoopoe of the morning breeze, I am sending you to Sheba: see from where to where I am sending you!
COUPLET 2
حیف است طایری چو تو در خاک‌دانِ غمزین جا به آشیانِ وفا می‌فرستمت
heyf ast tâyeri chon to dar khâkdân-e gham / z-in jâ be âshiyân-e vafâ miferestamat
It is a pity for a bird like you to stay in this dust-heap of sorrow; from here I send you to the nest of faithfulness.
COUPLET 3
در راهِ عشق مرحلهٔ قُرب و بُعد نیستمی‌بینمت عیان و دعا می‌فرستمت
dar râh-e eshgh marhale-ye ghorb o bo'd nist / mibinamat ayân o do'â miferestamat
On the road of love there is no stage of near or far: I see you clearly, and I send you my prayers.
COUPLET 4
هر صبح و شام قافله‌ای از دعای خیردر صحبتِ شمال و صبا می‌فرستمت
har sobh o shâm ghâfele'i az do'â-ye kheyr / dar sohbat-e shomâl o sabâ miferestamat
Every morning and evening I send you a caravan of blessings, in the company of the north wind and the morning breeze.
COUPLET 5
تا لشکرِ غمت نکند مُلکِ دل خرابجانِ عزیزِ خود به نوا می‌فرستمت
tâ lashkar-e ghamat nakonad molk-e del kharâb / jân-e aziz-e khod be navâ miferestamat
So that the army of your sorrow does not lay waste the kingdom of my heart, I send you my dear life as a pledge.
COUPLET 6
ای غایب از نظر که شدی هم‌نشین دلمی‌گویمت دعا و ثنا می‌فرستمت
ey ghâyeb az nazar ke shodi hamneshin-e del / miguyamat do'â o sanâ miferestamat
O you who are absent from sight but have become the heart's companion, I pray for you and send you my praise.
COUPLET 7
در رویِ خود تَفَرُّجِ صُنع خدای کنکآیینهٔ خدای‌نما می‌فرستمت
dar ru-ye khod tafarroj-e son'-e khodây kon / k-âyine-ye khodâynamâ miferestamat
Look in your own face and enjoy the handiwork of God, for I am sending you a mirror that shows God.
COUPLET 8
تا مطربان ز شوقِ مَنَت آگهی دهندقول و غزل به ساز و نوا می‌فرستمت
tâ motrebân ze showgh-e manat âgahi dahand / ghowl o ghazal be sâz o navâ miferestamat
So that the minstrels may tell you of my longing for you, I send you songs and ghazals, with instrument and melody.
COUPLET 9
ساقی بیا که هاتفِ غیبم به مژده گفتبا درد صبر کن که دوا می‌فرستمت
sâghi biyâ ke hâtef-e gheybam be mozhde goft / bâ dard sabr kon ke davâ miferestamat
Come, cupbearer: a voice from the unseen gave me the good news: "Be patient with the pain, for I am sending you the cure."
COUPLET 10
حافظ، سرودِ مجلس ما ذکرِ خیرِ توستبشتاب هان که اسب و قبا می‌فرستمت
Hâfez sorud-e majles-e mâ zekr-e kheyr-e to-st / beshtâb hân ke asb o ghabâ miferestamat
Hafez, the song of our gathering is in your praise. Hurry now, for I am sending you a horse and a robe of honor.
What this fâl tells you
A message of love and blessing is traveling toward you, or from you to someone far away. Tradition reads this fal as a sign that distance does not break a true bond, and that patience in a painful time will be rewarded: the cure is already on its way. Send your good wishes generously; they will be returned.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: miferestamat. qâfiye: -â (sabâ, kojâ, vafâ, do'â, sabâ, navâ, sanâ, khodânamâ, navâ, davâ, ghabâ).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| می‌فرستمت | miferestamat | I send you dictionary |
| bengar | look! (نگاه کن) dictionary | |
| کجا | kojâ | where; how? (rhetorical) dictionary |
| heyf | pity, shame dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| چو | cho | like (= chon) (چون) |
| to | you dictionary | |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| gham | sorrow, grief dictionary | |
| z-in | from this (= az in); z-in pish = before this (از این) | |
| jâ | place dictionary | |
| âshiyân | nest (لانه) | |
| وفا | vafâ | loyalty, faithfulness dictionary |
| râh | way, road dictionary | |
| مرحلهٔ | marhale | stage of a journey; here this world dictionary |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| می‌بینمت | mibinamat | I see you dictionary |
| do'â | prayer, blessing dictionary | |
| هر | har | every dictionary |
| sobh | morning dictionary | |
| shâm | evening dictionary | |
| ghâfele'i | a caravan dictionary | |
| do'â-ye | prayer of dictionary | |
| kheyr | good, good deed dictionary | |
| sohbat | company, companionship (classical sense) dictionary | |
| shomâl | north wind dictionary | |
| tâ | to, until; so that dictionary | |
| لشکر | lashkar | army dictionary |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| نکند | nakonad | does not do dictionary |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| kharâb | ruined; (in Hafez) drunk, wrecked by love dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| khod | my own dictionary | |
| نوا | navâ | pledge, hostage (sent as a guarantee) dictionary |
| ghâyeb | absent dictionary | |
| نظر | nazar | sight; ahl-e nazar = people of insight, connoisseurs of beauty dictionary |
| shodi | you became dictionary | |
| می‌گویمت | miguyamat | I say (prayers) for you dictionary |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| khodây | God (classical form) (خدا) | |
| کن | kon | do! make! (imperative of kardan) dictionary |
| کآیینهٔ | k-âyine | for a mirror (= ke âyine) (که آینه) |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| showgh | longing, eagerness dictionary | |
| منت | manat | me + you: showgh-e manat = my longing for you dictionary |
| âgahi | knowledge, information (آگاهی) dictionary | |
| dahand | (they) give dictionary | |
| قول | ghowl | song, sung verse dictionary |
| ghazal | ghazal, lyric poem dictionary | |
| نوا | navâ | melody, tune dictionary |
| sâghi | cupbearer dictionary | |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| گفت | goft | say (with natavân: cannot say); said dictionary |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| sabr | patience dictionary | |
| davâ | medicine, cure dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| sorud | song dictionary | |
| مجلس | majles | gathering, feast dictionary |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| zekr | mention; zekr-e kheyr = speaking well of someone dictionary | |
| tu-st | is (fold upon) fold dictionary | |
| beshtâb | hurry! dictionary | |
| asb | horse; asb-e bâd = the wind that carried Solomon dictionary | |
| قبا | ghabâ | robe; here a robe of honor given as a reward dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 90. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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