Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry

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thatis,oneunabletounderstandsubtlepointsoflove.Iblīs’strictmonotheism,his
boastingofbeingtheonlytrueworshipperofGod,ledḤāfiẓtoconsiderhimasa
pretenderorimpostor:


Mudda’ī khwāst ki āyad ba tamāshāgah-i rāz
dast-i ghayb āmad-u bar sina-i nāmaḥram zad.^47

Thepretenderwantedtocometoseethesecretspectacle:
aninvisiblehandappearedandstruckthechestoftheoutsider.^48

Inthenextcouplet,thepoetunderlinesagaintheloftypositionofmankind,con-
trastingittothelovelessnatureofangels,personifiedbyIblīs.Thepoetadvises
mannottorevealthesecretoflovetothepretender,buttoleavehimtodieofthe
painofself-worship:


Bā mudda’ī magū’īd asrār-i ‘ishq u mastī
tā bīkhabar bimīrad dar dard-i khwud-parastī.^49

Donottellthepretenderthesecretsofloveanddrunkenness,
thathemaydienotknowing,inthetortureofself-worship.

The‘secretsofloveanddrunkenness’refertotheexclusivelovingexperienceof
Godandmankind,whichiscommonlydescribedinPersianpoetrythroughwine
imagery.WhatisinterestinghereisthatIblīsisdepictedasaworshipperofhimself,
whereasmanisregardedastheonewhoisGod’sBelovedandbearsthesecretof
loveandofdrunkenness.ItisworthmentioningherethatḤāfiẓoftenuseswine
imagerytoillustratethislovingencounterbetweenmanandGod.Insuchscenes,
whichhavebecomeclichésinPersianlovepoetry,Godisthecup-bearer,Hisbreath
iswine,whileman’sbodyisthewinecup.^50
AnotheraspectoftheuneasyrelationshipbetweenmanandIblīsisthelatter’s
complaintabouthistreatmentatthedawnofcreation.Iblīs’complaintisoneofthe
topoiofPersianmysticalliteratureandmanyanecdotesrecounthowIblīsmourns
hiscondition.Drawingonthisrichliterature,Ḥāfiẓrefersinthefollowingcouplet
toIblīs’complaint:


Man malak būdam u firdaws-i barīn jāyam būd
Ādam āvard darīn dayr-i kharāb-ābādam.^51

IwasanangelandloftyParadisewasmyplace
Adambroughtmetothisworldlymonastery.

Inthisverse,theformerarchangelIblīsreferstohisloftypositionintheParadise,
describinghowhewasexpelledandfelltothematerialworldbecauseofAdam.


ḤāfiẓandtheReligionofLoveinClassicalPersianPoetry
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