حلقه به گوش

حلقه به گوش

Persian

FWOTD – 26 June 2022

Alternative forms

• حلقه بگوش‎ (halqe be guš)

Etymology

حلقه‎ (halqe, “ring, hoop”) +‎ به‎ (be, “on”) +‎ گوش‎ (guš, “ear”), literally “ring-on-the-ear”. In ancient and medieval Persia, slaves were marked by earrings bearing their owner’s name.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /halqa ba ɡoːʃ/

• (Dari Persian) IPA^(key): /halqa ba ɡoːʃ/

• (Iranian Persian) IPA^(key): /hælɢe be ɡuːʃ/

• (Tajik) IPA^(key): /halqa ba ɡɵʃ/

Noun

حلقه به گوش‎ • (halqe be guš)

1. (metonymically) slave; bondsman

   Synonyms: بنده‎ (bande), غلام‎ (ğolâm)

   • c. 1390, Hafez, “Ghazal 317”, in دیوان حافظ [The Divān of Hafez]‎:

     ‏‌ تا شدم حلقه به گوشِ درِ میخانهٔ عشق
     هر دم آید غمی از نو به مبارکبادم‎

     tā šudam halqa ba gōš-i dar-i mayxāna-yi išq
     har dam āyad ğammī az naw ba mubārakbād-am

     Since I became a slave to the door of love’s tavern
     A sorrow comes every moment to congratulate me anew.

     (romanization in Classical Persian)

Adjective

حلقه به گوش • (halqe be guš)

1. (figuratively) obedient; submissive; slavish