از دل برود هر آنکه از دیده برفت
az del beravad har anke az dide beraft
Out of sight, out of mind
Meaning
When someone is not seen for a while, they are easily forgotten.
Cultural Background
In Iran, poetry is not just for books; it's a way of speaking. Using a line from Saadi in a normal conversation shows you are 'ba-farhang' (cultured). The phrase is equally popular in Dari-speaking regions, where Persian classical poetry remains the bedrock of education and social etiquette. Tajik speakers use this phrase, often emphasizing the 'beraft' suffix which is very common in their local dialects of Persian. For Iranians living abroad, this phrase carries a heavy weight of guilt. They often use it to remind themselves to call home so they aren't 'forgotten' by their families.
Use it for empathy
Use this when a friend is sad about losing touch with someone. It makes the loss feel like a natural law of the universe rather than a personal failure.
Don't over-modernize
Avoid saying 'Az del mire' instead of 'Az del beravad' unless you are being very casual. The poetic form is much more powerful.
Meaning
When someone is not seen for a while, they are easily forgotten.
Use it for empathy
Use this when a friend is sad about losing touch with someone. It makes the loss feel like a natural law of the universe rather than a personal failure.
Don't over-modernize
Avoid saying 'Az del mire' instead of 'Az del beravad' unless you are being very casual. The poetic form is much more powerful.
Test Yourself
Complete the idiom with the correct words.
از دل برود هر آنکه از ....... برفت
'Dide' is the poetic word for eye used in this specific idiom.
Which situation best fits this idiom?
A friend moved to Canada 5 years ago and you realized you haven't thought about them in months.
This idiom describes forgetting someone due to distance and lack of contact.
Match the parts of the idiom.
Match the halves:
The full phrase is: Az del beravad / har än-ke / az dide / beraft.
Complete the dialogue.
A: چرا سارا دیگر به ما زنگ نمیزند؟ B: خب، او به پاریس رفته است و ...
The idiom explains why someone who moved away might stop calling.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesاز دل برود هر آنکه از ....... برفت
'Dide' is the poetic word for eye used in this specific idiom.
A friend moved to Canada 5 years ago and you realized you haven't thought about them in months.
This idiom describes forgetting someone due to distance and lack of contact.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
The full phrase is: Az del beravad / har än-ke / az dide / beraft.
A: چرا سارا دیگر به ما زنگ نمیزند؟ B: خب، او به پاریس رفته است و ...
The idiom explains why someone who moved away might stop calling.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, even though it's poetic, it's very common in daily speech. It's like saying 'To be or not to be'—everyone knows it.
Technically yes, if you use the 'än-che' variation, but it's 90% used for people.
'Cheshm' is the standard word for eye. 'Dide' is more literary and refers to the 'sight' or the 'act of seeing.'
Not really. It's a bit of a 'harsh truth' proverb. The positive counter-proverb is 'Duri o Doosti.'
He is one of the greatest Persian poets, known for his wisdom and beautiful, simple language.
Yes, it's the classical form of 'raft'. The 'be-' prefix was common in old Persian past tense.
Only if you have a very close, long-term relationship with the client. Otherwise, it's too emotional.
Not usually, but it can be dismissive. Use it carefully when talking about someone the listener cares about.
You could say 'ندیدیم، پرید' (We didn't see it, it flew away), but it's not exactly the same.
In Persian culture, the heart (del) is where you keep memories and thoughts of people, not just the brain.
Related Phrases
دوری و دوستی
contrastDistance and friendship (Distance makes the heart grow fonder).
یادش بخیر
similarMay its memory be good.
کوه به کوه نمیرسه، آدم به آدم میرسه
similarMountains don't meet, but people do.
بیخبری، خوشخبری
similarNo news is good news.
