The Divan by Hafiz

By: Herman Bicknell - translator, Háfiz

Narrated by: Denis Daly

Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfiẓ-e Shīrāzī (1315-1390), more commonly known just as Háfiz, was a lyric poet, who ranks with Omar Khayyam and Rumi as a major figure in classical Persian literature. The compendious anthology of his poetry simply titled the Divan contains several hundred odes, from which this small selection was made by the translator.

In the introduction Bicknell writes: For we must look upon Háfiz as one of the few poets in the world who utters an unbroken strain of joy and contentment. His poverty was to him a constant fountain of satisfaction, and he frankly took the natural joys of life as they came, supported under every vicissitude by his religious sense of the goodness and kindliness of the One God, manifested in everything in the world that was sweet and genial, and beautiful to behold. Háfiz, in the naturalness and spontaneity of his poetry, and in the winning sweetness of his imagery, occupies a unique place in the literature of the world, and has no rival in his special domain.

Public Domain (P)2018 Voices of Today