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Introduction
Hafiz was a great Persian mystical
poet who composed some of the most sensitive and lyrical
poetry ever produced in the Middle East.
Hafiz
was born in Shiraz, the city of "roses and nightingales."
the capital of the province of Fars. He grew up in an
age when the finest Arabic literature had already been
written and when Persian poetry had reached the zenith
of its romantic era. What was left for Hafiz was the
highest attainment yet of lyrical poetry, the ghazal.
While
still a boy, Hafiz lost his father. Eventually, poverty
drove him to work as an apprentice to a baker. Being
a precocious child, however, he was allowed to audit
lessons at a school near the bakery. As years wore on,
Hafiz proved himself an outstanding scholar and calligrapher.
The pen-name Hafiz (the memorizer) refers to the fact
that he had memorized the Qur'an in its entirety. Even
though much is not known about his schooling, it is
clear that the man who wrote the odes possessed vast
knowledge not only in theology, philosophy, literature,
and history, but also in the varieties of the human
heart.
Hafiz
is generally regarded as not only as a great poet, but
also as a seer, a "tongue of the mysterious"
whose poetry is divinely inspired. In addition to those
who read his Divan for enlightenment and delight, there
are many who consult it to find out the future or to
receive guidance and solace. Whether it is a journey,
an illness, or an important transaction, lovers of Hafiz
take up his book, make a wish, close their eyes, open
a page at random, and recite the poem on the page. They
thus receive a blend of poetic delight, guidance, and
moral inspiration.
Because it is often
mystical, permeated with more than one theme, and laden
with associations, the poetry of Hafiz creates an effect
far greater than the sum of its parts. What makes the
odes of hafiz unique is the beauty of his images, his
mellifluous language, and his magical rhythm.
No
other poet up to his time in the Islamic world was such
a superb linguist and literary craftsman. He took the
poetic forms of the day so far beyond the work of his
predecessors that he practically cut off all succession.
Over 600 poems are attributed to Hafiz, most of them
both mystical and lyrical. His work was meant to be
understood on many levels, which was typical of the
poetry of his day. Hafiz's major work, the Divan, was
a collection of short odes known metrically as ghazals.
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