Hafiz's Little Book of Life

by Hafez, Ari Honarvar (Foreword), Erfan Mojib (Translator)

I have this gem and it’s looking for a beholder
 
Hafiz of Shiraz (also known as Hafez) remains the most beloved name in all of Persian literature. Indeed, his mystic, lyric poetry is cherished as one of the great achievements of world literature, on a par with Dante, Goethe, and Shakespeare.
 
Hafiz’s Little Book of Life is a lush collection of more than 250 selections from his lifework. Also included is a vivid portrait of his life and times, translators’ notes, an extensive glossary, a bibliography, and an appendix on Hafiz as an oracle. Here are classic soaring flights of fancy and solid life lessons—made new by two award-winning translators.
 
This is the perfect introduction to Hafiz for all lovers of poetry and seekers of love, spirituality, and wisdom. Let the unforgettable words of Hafiz shine through you with their love, profundity, wit, and celebration of life.
 
“This is translation as a real ‘carrying-across,’ as art, not artifact . . . this one drops the reader/listener directly into their own soul-struggle. Immerse yourself and be transformed!” —Neil Douglas-Klotz, author of The Sufi Book of Life and A Little Book of Sufi Stories
 
“From the first page, you are invited to settle into a sublime sanctuary and partake in enchantment until you feel the Beloved inside your beating heart and running through your veins.” —Ari Honarvar, author of A Girl Called Rumi

Genres: Poetry, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality

244 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2023

About the author

Hāfez (حافظ) (Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī) was a Persian poet whose collected works (The Divan) are regarded as a pinnacle of Persian literature and are to be found in the homes of most people in Iran, who learn his poems by heart and still use them as proverbs and sayings.

His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-14th century Persian writing more than any other author

Themes of his ghazals are the beloved, faith, and exposing hypocrisy. His influence in the lives of Persian speakers can be found in "Hafez readings" (fāl-e hāfez, Persian: فال حافظ‎‎) and the frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art, and Persian calligraphy. His tomb is visited often. Adaptations, imitations and translations of his poems exist in all major languages.

Though Hafez is well known for his poetry, he is less commonly recognized for his intellectual and political contributions. A defining feature of Hafez' poetry is its ironic tone and the theme of hypocrisy, widely believed to be a critique of the religious and ruling establishments of the time. Persian satire developed during the 14th century, within the courts of the Mongol Period. In this period, Hafez and other notable early satirists, such as Ubayd Zakani, produced a body of work that has since become a template for the use of satire as a political device. Many of his critiques are believed to be targeted at the rule of Amir Mobarez Al-Din Mohammad, specifically, towards the disintegration of important public and private institutions. He was a Sufi Muslim.

His work, particularly his imaginative references to monasteries, convents, Shahneh, and muhtasib, ignored the religious taboos of his period, and he found humor in some of his society's religious doctrines. Employing humor polemically has since become a common practice in Iranian public discourse and persian satire is now perhaps the de facto language of Iranian social commentary.


شمس الدین محمد، حافظ شیرازی، ملقب به حافظ و لسان الغیب
مشهورترین و محبوبترین شاعر تاریخ زبان فارسی و ادبیات ایران
حوالی سال ۷۲۶ هجری قمری در شیراز متولد شد. علوم و فنون را در محفل درس برترین استادان زمان فراگرفت و در علوم ادبی عصر پایه‌ای رفیع یافت. خاصه در علوم فقهی و الهی تأمل بسیار کرد و قرآن را با چهارده روایت مختلف از برداشت. پژوهشگران احتمال می‌دهند همین دلیل باعث شده لقب او حافظ شود. حافظ مسلمان و شیعه مذهب بود و در وادی سلوک و طریقت، عرفان خاص خود را داشت. دیوان اشعار او شامل غزلیات، چند قصیده، چند مثنوی، قطعات و رباعیات است. اما در شعر آنچه بیش از همه او را دست نیافتنی کرده است غزل‌های حافظ است. حافظ در سال ۷۹۲ هجری قمری در شیراز درگذشت. آرامگاه او در حافظیهٔ شیراز زیارتگاه صاحبنظران و عاشقان شعر و ادب پارسی است. او همواره و
همچنان برای ادبیات پس از خود الهام‌بخش و تاثیرگذار بوده است

شعرِ حافظ در زمان آدم اندر باغ خُلد
دفترِ نسرین و گُل را زینتِ اوراق بود

Reviews

[Ala · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief glimpse into the genius of the globally celebrated Hafez, showcasing his timeless mastery of poetic expression. This work beautifully highlights the inherent challenges of translation, as even the most skilled efforts leave readers yearning to understand the original Persian to fully grasp its depth and nuance.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful little Gems of inspiration.

[Jacob D. Salzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a collection of micro poems by Hafiz, who is one of my favorite mystic poets. Many of these poems read as aphorisms, meditations, or brief prayers that range in quality. There are a handful of poems in this book that are profound and moving.

In the Foreword, Ari Honarvar writes, "Hafiz's poetry aims to close the gap between mortal humans and the divine, and this book opens a door to the poet's gardens. From the first page, you are invited to settle into a sublime sanctuary and partake in enchantment until you feel the Beloved inside your beating heart and running through your veins." (page ix)

The Introductions provide a fascinating historical context of Hafiz's life and what we know of him. For example, "Hafiz came on the scene during the Ilkhanate dynasty (established 1256, fifty-nine years before he was born.)...Within that background of artistic and intellectual brilliance, Hafiz's grasp of the philosophies, poetics, and politics of his time provided solid, rich grounding for him to reach beyond any other Persian poet, before or after." (pg. 4)

Hafiz's short poems in this book are organized into 5 main sections: Garden of the World, The Garden of Wine, The Garden of Love, The Garden of Wisdom, and The Garden of Ecstasy. As a haiku poet, I was attracted to this book through the short poems found throughout, though only a few read as classical or traditional haiku.

His heart comes through through a prism in his poetry, fracturing the light of Divinity so that we may see ourselves, too, in a new light. Beyond all doubt, he is wise, loving, and very generous in his poetry, and it seems clear that he was (like Rumi) very fond of drinking wine.

Regardless of our religious or spiritual disposition, for all lovers of poetry, I dare ask: who does not love the poetry of Hafiz? I highly recommend any poetry book by Hafiz. I think the English translations in this book and the historical context in the Introductions are of high quality.

- Reviewed by Jacob D. Salzer, author of Sea Wind: Haiku (Lulu, 2025), A Lost Prophet: Haiku & Tanka (Brooks Books, 2024), and Unplugged: Haiku & Tanka (Lulu, 2022)

[Safa Syed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the translations felt a little too contemporary and take you out of the moment (“dissed” for example) and I think more context setting could have been done on how many of these poems would be considered Sufi poems towards God. Otherwise, a good translation for some contemplative poems.

[Paul Narvaez · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are nice little observations but I have no pretense to understand the deeper meaning for Iranians and others the world over. I can't judge the translation. If I was a smarter person, I likely would rate this book higher.

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good poems, although the translation felt questionable in some places.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I may, here's the book's website for evolving further information: https://garygach.com/books/hafizs-lit...

I hope this pleases, good reader, & speaks to our era.

Thank you for your life