Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry

andpoeticimages.AnotableexpressionofthiswayofreadingsymbolsinPersian
literature from a Sufi perspective was theGulshan-i rāzof Maḥmūd Shabistarī
(d.after740/1340),aworkdoubtlessknowntoḤāfiẓaswellasDavānī.^11 Moreover,
theconceptofanesotericmethodologyisdeeplyrootedinDavānī’sapproachto
symbolism,bothasanobstaclefortheunworthyandakeyfortheinitiate.
Skippingovertheremainderofthesectionontheunitarians(whichisthe
longestsectioninhistreatise),wecancontrastDavānī’streatmentofthewaythat
theSufisunderstandthesymbolismof‘lastnight’:

KnowthatthechivalrousSufiyouthshaveaneternityfromannihilationinGod,

andaprogressionfromtheascensionsofsanctity.Fromthecontentsofthis

verse,theyunderstandadifferentsecret,byreasonofthefactthattheyarethe

world-revealingcup...First,oneshouldknowwhat‘lastnight’isintheirparl-

ance,andwhythetressandmoleareitslikeness,sincetheyareanexpression

forthegrainandthetrap.Yes,realizingthatrequiresanintroduction.^12

Heretoo,Davānīprovidesacosmology,butthistimeitismuchmorepsychologi-
cal and dramatic, as Sufi dervishes enact the cosmic unfoldment from divine
latencytophenomenalrealityintheirresponsetothecallofdivinelove.Sufi
authorities,suchas‘Aynal-Quḍāt,Ḥallāj,IbnKhafīfandRūzbihān,areinvokedand
quoted.Onthesymbolismof‘lastnight’,Davānīexplains,‘altogether,thegroupof
Sufisexpressestheperiodofthistravelfromtherealmofnonexistence[to]essen-
tialandcompulsorypossibility,withthehelpofspiritualloveandtheoverpower-
ingofspirituallonging,as“lastnight”.Inthatsituation,sobrietywasproduced
fromintoxicationandattainment[from]therootofexistence.’^13 Summarizingthe
senseofthefirsthalfoftheverse,hewrites:‘Intheperiodofthetravelofexisting
things,Iturnedaroundthefoldsandorbits,andIsawthedegreesofeachattain-
ment.Intheirmidst,howevermuchtheangelswerepraisingtheseaofdivine
isolation,andhadnoimpuritywithintheveilofchastity,theystilldidnothavethe
adornmentofbeingwoundedbylove.’^14 Inconclusion,heobserves,‘thiswasa
sampleofcommentaryontheversebytheexperienceoftheSufis,whoannihilate
multiplicityinunity,andatthetimeofintoxicationspeakinthemannerofthe
peopleofsobriety.’^15 Sowhilethereissomeparallelbetweentheviewsofthe
unitariansandtheSufisonthisverse,insofarasbothgroupsseeitassymbolizing
thecosmogonicprocessofGod’screationoftheworld,theyneverthelessexpressit
inverydifferentterms.
Davānībeginsthesectiononthesagesbycommentingsarcasticallythat,while
thephilosophicalsageisclosetotheSufi,hissighthasbeendarkenedbytheover-
turningofintellectmixedwithimagination.Intellectandlogic,asRūmīpointsout,
arepoorsupports.Davānīcontinues:‘Altogether,“lastnight”inthetechnicallan-
guageofthephilosophicalsagesisthetimeofthereleaseoftherationalsoulfrom
thecontrolofthebodybycontemplationofitssuperiororigins,fortheintellect,
becauseofbeingveiledwiththecoveringsofthebody,hasnoportioneitherofthe

Ḥāfiẓ and the Persian Sufi Tradition 201