Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī is know by his pen-name ‘Hafez’ or ‘Hafiz’, meaning ‘memoriser’ or ‘keeper’. The Persian poet, lover, and wine drinker, lived around the 14th century and his works are considered to have much influence over Persian culture.
Hafez’s poetry is lyrical and sumptuous, with much of his poetry dedicated to themes of divine ecstasy, freedom, and love. There is no complete compilation of his poetry, but the number of his writings have been said to almost hit 1000 verses. The first translations into English were done in the late 1700s by William Jones, but as with most poetry it is always better in its original language, as it was meant to be heard.
We will have to make do with the closest translations available, until we learn to read it in Hafez’s own language…
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