118
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