I am a Bird from Paradise

by Hafez

May I remember always when,
Your glance in secrecy met mine,
And in my face your love was like
A visibly reflected sign.

May I remember always when,
Your chiding eyes were like my death,
And your sweet lips restored my life,
Like Jesus’s reviving breath.

May I remember always when,
We drank our wine as darkness died,
My friend and I, alone at dawn,
Though God was there too, at our side.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2025

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

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

His poetry is 700 years old, but has beautiful soul, and timelessness. Only three or four poems really connected with me, but the others were pleasant to read. I suspect if I knew more, the poems would mean more.

[carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

mha semblat perfecte, és com que mha sabut greu acabarmel i tot perquè la poesia ser feia tan interessant i tan compartida i entenedora q no paraves de llegir.
a més reflecteix en els meus temes preferits q venen a ser lamor, lamistat i la espiritualitat, lligades amb una mica de vi. i mha encantat.
nomes mha entristit q els ultims poemes fossin més tristos potser.
pro molt molt top, super guai :)
ah i el traductor ha fet molt bona feina! super ben fet pq he llegit poesies traduïdes prou crítiques i aquesta mha encantat

[odette ꩜ .ᐟ]

read some of it in the bookstore and its so beautiful whattt??? 💋💋 def coming back for it

[Aydan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hafez writes about friendship, love, happiness, desperation, desire, struggle, nostalgia, all while speaking in language of wine, moon and roses. The way he uses language to express is emotional, wise, and leaves no room to doubt his mastery, only to relate to life that he speaks of. Probably the most passionate poetry I’ve experienced yet!

[fawnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh hafez u old drunkard no one has ever known love or will ever know love like u did !!! simpleton and a sinner and an overall never disappointing master of word. sometimes i wish i could read hafez in persian

[Cristina Chițu · Rating 3 out of 5]

May I remember always when I sat and drank in wine-shops where
What I can't find in mosques today
Accompanied the drinkers there.
*
I've lived my life without a life -
Don't be surprised at this;
Who counts an absence as a life
When life is what you miss?

[Julia Musialik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think he really liked the wine

[Abdullah Hussaini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lembut, manis, dan malar hijau.

[Omar G · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6, fun and easy read. But not one with too much depth if that’s what you’re looking for.