The famous lyric poet (1324-1390) is considered the greatest poet of Persia (Iran). His real name was Mohammed Shams ed-Din. Hafis or Hafes means "preserver" and was a rarely given name of honour for those who knew the Koran by heart and could recite it flawlessly and literally. Other names were "holy fool" and "rose of Shiraz". He lived and died in the city of Shiraz (falsely named as the origin of the Syrah variety), where he is buried under a temple-like pavilion. In his time, he was regarded as the greatest authority on the Koran and Islamic law. In his songs and poems, he not only glorified Allah and the Koran, but also sang about the beauty of nature, the love of women, wine, giving, singing and dancing. He loved life in all its fullness and sensuality and praised it effusively in his poems. He mocked the literal-minded with a loose tongue, which is why the Islamic clergy persecuted him for his "blasphemous speeches" and accused him of heresy and blasphemy. His verses are written in the special oriental poetic form ghasel (weave).
His most famous poem is called "To the Wine" and goes as follows: "Like a bride so fragrant and so warm like my passion, you shine out of the cup towards me, sweet wine. Like a bride I want to love you flatteringly, like my passion you shall radiate, radiate deep into my mind. I want to write down slurred verses on it. Full of fantasy, only verses dedicated to you. I want to give you back everything you gave me in deepest bliss". Hafiz wished to be buried in a barrel of wine. After his death, his complete works were collected in a "Dīwān" (collection of poems) and later translated or rewritten. This inspired Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), who regarded Hafiz as a spiritual twin soul, for his "West-Eastern Divan" and prompted him to say: "Confess it! The poets of the Orient are greater than those of the Occident". Another famous Persian poet was Omar Khayyam.
Hafiz in front of the tavern: By Anselm Feuerbach, Public domain, Link
Ghasel: By Ernst Thevis and Fabian Rabsch (artwork),
Own work, Copyrighted free use, Link
