Poems from the Divan of Hafiz, Firdawsi, and Omar Khayyam

by Hafiz

SHEMSUDDIN MAHOMMAD, better known by his poetical surname of Hafiz, was born in Shiraz in the early part of the fourteenth century.1 His names, being interpreted, signify the Sun of the Faith, the Praiseworthy, and One who can recite the Koran; he is further known to his compatriots under the titles of the Tongue of the Hidden and the Interpreter of Secrets. The better part of his life was spent in Shiraz, and he died in that city towards the close of the century. The exact date either of his birth or of his death is unknown. He fell upon turbulent times. His delicate love-songs were chanted to the rude accompaniment of the clash of arms, and his dreams must have been interrupted often enough by the nip of famine in a beleaguered town, the inrush of conquerors, and the flight of the defeated.

Genres: Poetry, Iran, Nonfiction

690 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1897

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

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Editor's Note by Amelia St. John (eStar Books 2014 edition) states that Gertrude Bell's translation is considered to be one of the most accurate of the verse translations while maintaining musical and poetic quality of the original. The Victorian age viewed Islam as a religion of great liberalism, even licentiousness, which contrasts greatly with that era's own views. Hafiz's verses used passionate allegories of Divine love. Bell, however, felt Hafiz was not only writing about mystical experiences, she was also able to interpret Sufi terms and offer a sympathetic translation transcending her British Victorianism.

The 1928 edition's Preface by E. Denison Ross explained the three different types of translation:
1. Literal prose translations.
2. Translations in which either the metre or the mono-rhyme or both together are imitated.
3. Free translations into English verse. Many English translators have tried their hand at the poems of Hafiz, and the three varieties of translation referred to have all been attempted.
"Colonel Wilberforce-Clarke in 1891 published a complete prose translation with copious notes and an exhaustive commentary. This translation is so slavishly literal as to be mostly unreadable except as a crib. . . . Mr. Walter Leaf published twenty-eight Versions from Hafiz, in which he attempted to reproduce both the metre and the mono-rhyme of the Persian, and probably came as near to success as is possible in the circumstances. . . . Herman Bicknell . . . while making each verse of his translation correspond with its original, adopted the rhyming couplets and did not attempt to preserve the mono-rhyme. Finally there is the free translation into English verse without regard to the form, metre or rhyme of the original. Numerous efforts have been made in this style, but those of Gertrude Bell are incomparably the best." (pp. 18-19)

All the editions include an Introduction written by Gertrude Bell which gives an excellent synopsis of the history of 14th century Persia highlighting the extremely turbulent times that impacted the life of Shemsuddin Mahommad, better known by his poetical surname of Hafiz, and those of his fellow countrymen. "Miss Bell . . . threads her way through the intricacies of the turbulent Persian history of the time, and identifies the various viziers and sultans who from time to time took Hafiz under their protection."* Hafiz was born in the town of Shiraz which at that time experienced famine and constant clashes between one conqueror or another. Lucky for Hafiz the rulers of the time wanted to be known for their support for men of learning and was able to practice his art with the support of these patrons. It also illuminates the origins of the division between Shi'ite and Sunni which still exists to this modern day and how Sufism influenced Hafiz's poetry. The differences between Eastern and Western philosophical beliefs and thinking is also discussed as expressed through the differences between the poets Dante (Italian) and Chaucer (English) [Western] and Hafez (Persian) [Eastern] who were somewhat contemporaries.

*Hafiz & Le Gallienne, R. (1905). Odes from the Divan of Hafiz: Freely Rendered from Literal Translations. London: Duckworth & Co. (xxiii)

I - 4 Stars
II - 4 Stars
III - 4 Stars
IV - 5 Stars
V - 5 Stars
VI -5 Stars
VII - 4.5 Stars
VIII - 3.5 Stars
IX - 3 Stars
X -3 Stars
XI - 4.5 Stars
XII - 4 Stars
XIII - 5 Stars
XIV - 4 Stars
XV - 4.5 Stars
XVI - 3.5 Stars
XVII - 3 Stars
XVIII - 3.5 Stars
XIX - 5 Stars
XX - 4 Stars
XXI - 4.5 Stars
XXII - 5 Stars
XXIII - 5 Stars
XXIV - 4 Stars
XXV - 4 Stars
XXVI -3 Stars
XXVII - 4 Stars
XXVIII - 4 Stars
XXIX - 3.5 Stars
XXX - 3.5 Stars
XXXI - 4.5 Stars
XXXII - 4.5 Stars
XXXIII - 4 Stars
XXXIV - 4 Stars
XXXV - 5 Stars
XXXVI - 4.5 Stars
XXXVII - 5 Stars
XXXVIII - 5 Stars
XXXIX - 4.5 Stars
XL -5 Stars
XLI - 5 Stars
XLII - 5 Stars
XLIII - 5 Stars

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Introduction written by Gertrude Bell gives an excellent synopsis of the history of 14th century Persia highlighting the extremely turbulent times that impacted the life of Shemsuddin Mahommad, better known by his poetical surname of Hafiz, and those of his fellow countrymen. "Miss Bell . . . threads her way through the intricacies of the turbulent Persian history of the time, and identifies the various viziers and sultans who from time to time took Hafiz under their protection."* Hafiz was born in the town of Shiraz which at that time experienced famine and constant clashes between one conqueror or another. Lucky for Hafiz the rulers of the time wanted to be known for their support for men of learning and was able to practice his art with the support of these patrons. It also illuminates the origins of the division between Shi'ite and Sunni which still exists to this modern day and how Sufism influenced Hafiz's poetry. The differences between Eastern and Western philosophical beliefs and thinking is also discussed as expressed through the differences between the poets Dante (Italian) [Western] and Hafez (Persian) [Eastern] who were somewhat contemporaries.

*Hafiz & Le Gallienne, R. (1905). Odes from the Divan of Hafiz: Freely Rendered from Literal Translations. London: Duckworth & Co. (xxiii)

I. Arise, oh Cup-bearer, rise! and bring - 4 Stars
II. The bird of gardens sang unto the rose - 4 Stars
III. Wind from the east, oh Lapwing of the day - 4 Stars
IV. Sleep on thine eyes, bright as narcissus flowers - 5 Stars
V. Oh Turkish maid of Shiraz! in thy hand - 5 Stars
VI. A flower-tinted cheek, the flowery close - 5 Stars
VII. From the garden of Heaven a western breeze - 4.5 Stars
VIII. The rose has flushed red, the bud has burst - 3.5 Stars
IX. Oh Cup-bearer, set my glass afire - 3 Stars
X. Singer, sweet Singer, fresh notes strew - 3 Stars
XI. Mirth, Spring, to linger in a garden fair - 4.5 Stars
XII. Where is my ruined life, and where the fame of noble deeds? - 4 Stars
XIII. Lady that hast my heart within thy hand - 5 Stars
XIV. The nightingale with drops of his heart's blood - 4 Stars
XV. Return! that to a heart wounded full sore - 4.5 Stars
XVI. What is wrought in the forge of the living and life - 3.5 Stars
XVII. Lay not reproach at the drunkard's door - 3 Stars
XVIII. Slaves of thy shining eyes are even those - 3.5 Stars
XIX. What drunkenness is this that brings me hope - 5 Stars
XX. From out the street of So-and-So - 4 Stars
XXI. Not all the sum of earthly happiness - 4.5 Stars
XXII. The rose is not fair without the beloved's face - 5 Stars
XXIII. My lady, that did change this house of mine - 5 Stars
XXIV. Not one is filled with madness like to mine - 4 Stars
XXV. The days of absence and the bitter nights - 4 Stars
XXVI. The secret draught of wine and love repressed - 3 Stars
XXVII. My friend has fled! alas, my friend has fled - 4 Stars
XXVIII. Hast thou forgotten when thy stolen glance - 4 Stars
XXIX. From Canaan Joseph shall return, whose face - 3.5 Stars
XXX. All hail, Shiraz, hail! oh site without peer! - 3.5 Stars
XXXI. The breath of Dawn's musk-strewing wind shall blow - 4.5 Stars
XXXII. Upon a branch of the straight cypress-tree - 4.5 Stars
XXXIII. The jewel of the secret treasury - 4 Stars
XXXIV. Last night I dreamed that angels stood without - 4 Stars
XXXV. Forget not when dear friend to friend returned - 5 Stars
XXXVI. Beloved, who has bid thee ask no more - 4.5 Stars
XXXVII. Arise! and fill a golden goblet up - 5 Stars
XXXVIII. I cease not from desire till my desire - 5 Stars
XXXIX. Cypress and Tulip and sweet Eglantine - 4.5 Stars
XL. The margin of a stream, the willow's shade - 5 Stars
XLI. The days of Spring are here! the eglantine - 5 Stars
XLII. True love has vanished from every heart - 5 Stars
XLIII. Where are the tidings of union? that I may arise - 5 Stars

[Evin Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading ancient Islamic literature, as a reminder that Islam can be as romantic, poetic and universal as any other religion. After all, humans are the ones following religions.

[Jeffrey Kahrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt that Gertrude Bell was a brilliant translator and writer. One of the truly striking things about this volume is how she renders Hafiz into a Shakespearean form, using iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets along with aspects of traditional free verse. I presume she does this because she sees Hafiz as the Persian Shakespeare. Thankfully she doesn't try to create sonnets. Occasionally she'll produce a ghazal, but this is the exception to the rule.
The reason is--as she clearly states and understands--much is inevitably lost in translation. This work is remarkably mature and confident, especially when we consider she's in her early twenties when she's working on it.
But it is also 130 years old. We could very well be reading Alexander Pope's translation of Homer as her language is in many ways closer to his than to ours. This volume, bound as it is to concepts of English rhyme and poetic structure, I find a more modern rendering of Hafiz, say the ones by Peter Avery and John Heath-Stubbs, more of a pleasure to read.
And yet...there's no getting away from Bell's ability, as she is, aside from Edward Fitzgerald's translations of Omer Khayyam's Rubaiyats, the greater translator of Persian poetry in her time. We can feel her passion for his work as we read. I don't care for her homage to Gobineau, who influenced Hitler's ideas of a master race, or some of her other dated orientalist generalizations, but there is no doubting she was a masterful Arabist and her strong, positive feelings for the language and culture. Her love of began at Oxford, which is where she translated these poems, and though I would never confuse the Arab and Persian tradition (and neither would Gertrude), that these translations are so charged with her scholarship and passion that they a tribute to her dedication.

[ikleelmuhammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the poetical works of Rumi, there will remain a little thirst for romance in the reader. to quench it you should have to find some works of hafiz. selected poems from Hafiz's great lyrical works is worth an interesting read.

[Kathleen Woodcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gertrude Bell’s translation and explanation about Hadiz’s metaphorical poetry was needed for better understanding. Hadiz’s spiritual search has inspired others in the East and he’s been compared to Shakespeare in the West. A great book to learn more about Persian history and cultural stories.

[Ria Nair]

“Where shall I go, where from thy presence? thou
Art everywhere.”

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

XL “No heart is dark when the kind moon doth shine”