Ghazal 93 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
چه لطف بود که ناگاه رَشحِهٔ قَلَمَتحقوقِ خدمتِ ما عرضه کرد بر کرمت
che lotf bud ke nâgâh rashhe-ye ghalamat / hoghugh-e khedmat-e mâ arze kard bar karamat
What a kindness it was that suddenly a drop from your pen presented the record of our service to your generosity.
COUPLET 2
به نوکِ خامه رقم کرده‌ای سلامِ مراکه کارخانهٔ دوران مباد بی رَقَمَت
be nok-e khâme ragham karde'i salâm-e marâ / ke kârkhâne-ye dowrân mabâd bi raghamat
With the tip of your pen you have written greetings to me; may the workshop of time never be without your writing.
COUPLET 3
نگویم از منِ بی‌دل به سهو کردی یادکه در حسابِ خرد نیست سهو بر قَلَمَت
naguyam az man-e bidel be sahv kardi yâd / ke dar hesâb-e kherad nist sahv bar ghalamat
I will not say you remembered heartsick me by mistake, for in reason's reckoning your pen makes no mistakes.
COUPLET 4
مرا ذلیل مگردان به شکرِ این نعمتکه داشت دولتِ سرمد عزیز و محترمت
marâ zalil magardân be shokr-e in ne'mat / ke dâsht dowlat-e sarmad aziz o mohtaramat
In thanks for this blessing, that eternal fortune has kept you dear and honored, do not let me be humbled.
COUPLET 5
بیا که با سرِ زلفت قرار خواهم کردکه گر سَرَم برود برندارم از قدمت
biyâ ke bâ sar-e zolfat gharâr khâham kard / ke gar saram beravad bar nadâram az ghadamat
Come, I will make a pact with the tip of your curls: even if I lose my head, I will not lift it from your feet.
COUPLET 6
ز حالِ ما دلت آگه شود مگر وقتیکه لاله بردمد از خاکِ کشتگانِ غمت
ze hâl-e mâ delat âgah shavad magar vaghti / ke lâle bardamad az khâk-e koshtegân-e ghamat
Perhaps your heart will learn of my condition only when tulips spring up from the dust of those killed by grief for you.
COUPLET 7
روانِ تشنهٔ ما را به جرعه‌ای دریابچو می‌دهند زُلالِ خِضِر ز جامِ جَمَت
ravân-e teshne-ye mâ râ be jor'e'i daryâb / cho midahand zolâl-e khezr ze jâm-e jamat
Rescue my thirsty soul with a sip, since they pour you the pure water of Khizr from the cup of Jamshid.
COUPLET 8
همیشه وقتِ تو ای عیسیِ صبا خوش بادکه جانِ حافظِ دلخسته زنده شد به دَمَت
hamishe vaght-e to ey isâ-ye sabâ khosh bâd / ke jân-e Hâfez-e delkhaste zende shod be damat
May you always be happy, O morning breeze with the breath of Jesus, for the soul of heart-weary Hafez came alive through your breath.
What this fâl tells you
A letter or message of kindness may reach you unexpectedly, and you will feel remembered. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of goodwill from someone in a higher place, and advises gratitude and loyalty in return. A small gesture from you, like a sip of water to the thirsty, can revive someone else.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: -at "your" (ghalamat, karamat...). qâfiye: -am (ghalam, karam, ragham, ghalam, mohtaram, ghadam, gham, jam, dam).
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| چه | che | what; how much! dictionary |
| لطف | lotf | kindness, grace; be lotf = kindly, gently dictionary |
| bud | was dictionary | |
| ناگاه | nâgâh | suddenly dictionary |
| قلمت | ghalamat | your pen dictionary |
| hoghugh | rights; hoghugh-e namak = the debt owed for shared bread and salt dictionary | |
| khedmat | service dictionary | |
| ما | mâ | we, us; our dictionary |
| arze | showing; arze dâshtan = to show, present dictionary | |
| کرد | kard | do (with tavân: can do) dictionary |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| کرمت | karamat | your generosity dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| نوک | nok | tip dictionary |
| khâme | reed pen (قلم) dictionary | |
| ragham | writing, mark dictionary | |
| karde'i | you have made; ragham kardan = to write dictionary | |
| salâm | greeting dictionary | |
| مرا | marâ | me; for me (= man râ) (من را / برای من) |
| کارخانهٔ | kârkhâne | workshop (here: the world) dictionary |
| مباد | mabâd | may it not be (نباشد) dictionary |
| bi | without dictionary | |
| raghamat | your writing dictionary | |
| نگویم | naguyam | I do not say dictionary |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| sahv | mistake, oversight dictionary | |
| kardi | you made dictionary | |
| یاد | yâd | memory dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| hesâb | reckoning, account dictionary | |
| kherad | reason, wisdom dictionary | |
| نیست | nist | is not; there is not dictionary |
| مگردان | magardân | do not make, do not turn (نکن) dictionary |
| shokr | thanks, gratitude dictionary | |
| in | this dictionary | |
| نعمت | ne'mat | bounty, blessing dictionary |
| dâsht | had dictionary | |
| dowlat | good fortune (classical sense) (اقبال) dictionary | |
| aziz | precious, dear dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| محترمت | mohtaramat | you honored dictionary |
| biyâ | come! dictionary | |
| bâ | with dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| zolfat | your curls dictionary | |
| قرار | gharâr | agreement, pact dictionary |
| khâham | I will (future auxiliary) dictionary | |
| گر | gar | if (= agar) (اگر) dictionary |
| saram | my head; over me dictionary | |
| beravad | goes away dictionary | |
| bar nadâram | I will not lift dictionary | |
| قدمت | ghadamat | your foot dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| hâl | state, condition dictionary | |
| delat | your heart dictionary | |
| âgah | aware, informed (آگاه) | |
| shavad | becomes dictionary | |
| مگر | magar | perhaps only, unless dictionary |
| vaghti | a time dictionary | |
| bardamad | springs up, sprouts dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| ghamat | your grief dictionary | |
| ravân | soul (روح) | |
| teshne | thirsty dictionary | |
| jor'e'i | a sip, a draught dictionary | |
| dar yâb | seize! grasp! dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| می‌دهند | midahand | they give dictionary |
| zolâl | pure, clear water dictionary | |
| jâm | cup dictionary | |
| همیشه | hamishe | always dictionary |
| وقت | vaght | time dictionary |
| to | you dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| isâ | Jesus, whose breath raised the dead dictionary | |
| sabâ | the morning breeze, which carries messages between lovers in poetry (نسیم صبح) | |
| khosh | well, sweetly; pleasant dictionary | |
| bâd | may it be dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| zende | alive dictionary | |
| shod | become (with khâhad: will become); became dictionary | |
| damat | your breath dictionary |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 93. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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