Ghazal 97 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
تویی که بر سرِ خوبانِ کشوری چون تاجسِزَد اگر همهٔ دلبران دَهَندَت باج
toyi ke bar sar-e khubân-e keshvari chon tâj / sezad agar hame-ye delbarân dahandat bâj
You are like a crown on the heads of all the beauties of a land; it is only right that all heart-stealers should pay you tribute.
COUPLET 2
دو چشمِ شوخِ تو برهم زده خَطا و حَبَشبه چینِ زلفِ تو ماچین و هند داده خراج
do cheshm-e shukh-e to barham zade khatâ o habash / be chin-e zolf-e to mâchin o hend dâde kharâj
Your two bold eyes have thrown Cathay and Abyssinia into turmoil; Machin and India have paid tribute to the curl of your hair.
COUPLET 3
بیاضِ رویِ تو روشن چو عارِضِ رُخِ روزسوادِ زلفِ سیاهِ تو هست ظلمت داج
bayâz-e ru-ye to rowshan cho âraz-e rokh-e ruz / savâd-e zolf-e siyâh-e to hast zolmat-e dâj
The whiteness of your face is bright as the cheek of day; the blackness of your dark curls is the darkest night.
COUPLET 4
دهانِ شهدِ تو داده رواج آب خِضِرلبِ چو قندِ تو بُرد از نباتِ مصر رواج
dahân-e shahd-e to dâde ravâj âb-e khezr / lab-e cho ghand-e to bord az nabât-e mesr ravâj
Your honeyed mouth has given value to the water of Khizr; your sugar-sweet lips have stolen the market from the candy of Egypt.
COUPLET 5
از این مرض به حقیقت شفا نخواهم یافتکه از تو دردِ دل ای جان! نمی‌رسد به عِلاج
az in maraz be haghighat shefâ nakhâham yâft / ke az to dard-e del ey jân nemiresad be alâj
Truly, I will never be healed of this illness, for, my dear, the pain in my heart that comes from you never reaches a cure.
COUPLET 6
چرا همی شکنی جانِ من ز سنگ‌دلی؟دلِ ضعیف که باشد، به نازکی چو زُجاج
cherâ hami shekani jân-e man ze sangdeli / del-e za'if ke bâshad be nâzoki cho zojâj
Why do you keep breaking my soul with your stony heart, a weak heart that is as fragile as glass?
COUPLET 7
لبِ تو خضر و دهانِ تو آبِ حیوان استقدِ تو سرو و میان‌موی و بَر، به هیئت عاج
lab-e to khezr o dahân-e to âb-e heyvân ast / ghadd-e to sarv o miyân mu-y o bar be hey'at âj
Your lip is Khizr and your mouth the water of life; your figure a cypress, your waist thin as a hair, and your breast shaped like ivory.
COUPLET 8
فِتاد در دلِ حافظ هوایِ چون تو شَهیکمینه ذرهٔ خاکِ درِ تو بودی کاج
fetâd dar del-e Hâfez havâ-ye chon to shahi / kamine zarre-ye khâk-e dar-e to budi kâj
Hafez's heart has fallen in love with a king like you; if only he were the least speck of dust at your door!
What this fâl tells you
Something or someone you admire stands above the rest, and your heart is fully taken. Tradition reads this fal as a sign of strong attraction and of the value of humility: be content to start small and stay near what you love. Your sincere devotion is a treasure in itself; handle tender hearts, including your own, as carefully as glass.
A traditional-style reading for reflection and enjoyment.
How this ghazal is built
radif: none. qâfiye: -âj (tâj, bâj, kharâj, dâj, ravâj, alâj, zojâj, âj, kâj). In the last beyt kâj is an old form of kâsh "if only".
Key words
| Word | Say it | Meaning (modern Persian) |
|---|---|---|
| toyi | you are the one (to + -i "you are") dictionary | |
| bar | on, upon dictionary | |
| sar | head; sar be kuh dâdan = to send someone off wandering dictionary | |
| khubân | the beautiful ones (زیبارویان) | |
| keshvari | of a land dictionary | |
| چون | chon | since, when; like dictionary |
| tâj | crown dictionary | |
| agar | if dictionary | |
| همهٔ | hame | all, whole dictionary |
| delbarân | heart-stealers, beauties dictionary | |
| dahandat | (they) give you dictionary | |
| bâj | tribute, toll dictionary | |
| do | two dictionary | |
| چشم | cheshm | eye dictionary |
| shukh | playful, bold dictionary | |
| to | you dictionary | |
| zade | struck; barham zadan = to throw into turmoil dictionary | |
| khatâ | Cathay (North China), famed for beauties; pun on khatâ "mistake" (ختا) dictionary | |
| و | va / o | and dictionary |
| be | to; for; with; in, by dictionary | |
| چین | chin | China; also a curl, fold (pun) dictionary |
| zolf | curl, lock of hair dictionary | |
| dâde | has given dictionary | |
| kharâj | tribute, land tax dictionary | |
| ru-ye | face of (ezafe) (چهره) dictionary | |
| rowshan | lit, bright dictionary | |
| چو | cho | since, when; like (= chon) (چون) |
| âraz | cheek (گونه) | |
| rokh | face, cheek dictionary | |
| ruz | day dictionary | |
| savâd | blackness dictionary | |
| siyâh | black dictionary | |
| هست | hast | there is dictionary |
| dahân | mouth dictionary | |
| shahd | honey dictionary | |
| ravâj | currency, value on the market; ravâj bordan = to take away the market dictionary | |
| âb | water; stream dictionary | |
| لب | lab | lip dictionary |
| bord | took away dictionary | |
| نبات | nabât | rock candy dictionary |
| مصر | mesr | Egypt dictionary |
| in | this dictionary | |
| مرض | maraz | illness dictionary |
| haghighat | truth dictionary | |
| نخواهم | nakhâham | I will not dictionary |
| یافت | yâft | find (with nakhâhi: will not find) (پیدا کرد) dictionary |
| dard | pain dictionary | |
| del | heart dictionary | |
| ey | O (vocative) dictionary | |
| jân | life, soul dictionary | |
| نمی‌رسد | nemiresad | does not reach dictionary |
| alâj | cure, treatment dictionary | |
| چرا | cherâ | why dictionary |
| hami | old prefix of continuing action (= mi-) (می) | |
| shekani | you break dictionary | |
| من | man | I, me dictionary |
| ze | from, of (= az) (از) | |
| za'if | weak dictionary | |
| bâshad | is (which is) dictionary | |
| heyvân | life; âb-e heyvân = water of life dictionary | |
| ast | is dictionary | |
| sarv | cypress (image of a tall beloved) dictionary | |
| âj | ivory dictionary | |
| فتاد | fetâd | fell, landed (افتاد) dictionary |
| dar | in; door dictionary | |
| Hâfez | Hafez, the poet's pen name (takhallos); literally "one who knows the Quran by heart" dictionary | |
| هوای | havâ-ye | longing for, desire for dictionary |
| shahi | a king dictionary | |
| khâk | dust, earth dictionary | |
| budi | would be (wish form) dictionary | |
| کاج | kâj | if only (= kâsh) (کاش) |
Persian text: Ganjoor (ganjoor.net), Hafez, ghazal 97. Transliteration, translation, glosses and reading: Learn Persian Online.
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