thereinsofpowerforfouryears(786/1384–789/1387),beforehewasdeposed.
Mīrkhwānd^218 and‘Abdal-RazzāqSamarqandī,^219 contemporaryPersianhistorians,
tellusthatḤāfiẓcomposedthefollowingghazalforZaynal-‘Ābidīnontheoccasion
oftheprince’sreturningfromabattleandupontriumphalentryintoShīrāz:
Thefirmamentauguredwellforyou;
Itgaveyoufavouronthatdayyoutook
Uparms–soastotestyourgratitude
Andseehowyou’dgivethanksandmeetyourdues.
Forkingship’spompandgloryarenotworth
AmiteinLove’sprecinct.–Confessyourself
Aslaveandacknowledgeyourservitude.
Takeheedofonewhostumbled,yetGodlenthim
Ahand–andknowfromthisthatfallenmen
Muststirinyouyourpityanddistress.
Andwhenyoucrossthethresholdwiththewine
Cup-bearer!Beargoodnews,soyourentrancecause
Theseworldlygriefsbutoncetoleavemyheart.
Theroyalroadofpompandcircumstance
Hasmanyperils.Itisbestyoumarchatop
Thatknollwithnotmuchbaggageonyourback.
TheSultanandhisfightingmen,inlove
Withjewelsandcrowns–thedervishwithhispeace
Ofmindandnookfitforavagabond.
Myeyes’verylight!Allowmeciteforyou
OneSufibonmot:‘Peaceexcelsresort
Toarmsandisbetterthanhostility.’
Tosatisfyambition,slakedesire
Andgainone’sendsdependsuponone’sthought
Andwill:thekingproposeshisgooddeeds,
ThenGoddisposesHissuccessandgrace.Don’tbrushthedustandgrimeofpoverty
Andcontentment–Ḥāfiẓ–offyourface.
Thosestainsarebetterthantheartofalchemy.Ascanbeseenfromthispoem,Ḥāfiẓ’gentlysubvertsthebragsoftheprince’s
might such that the poem’s text completely negates its political context.
Admonishingtheyoungprince,thepoetextolsthedustyvestimentsofhisdervish
habit,andlikeShakespeare’sHenryVI(‘mycrowniscall’edcontent/Acrownitis
thatseldomkingsenjoy’^220 ),vauntsthevirtuesofcontentmentandholypoverty,
beforeupbraidinghim:
ḤāfiẓintheSocio-historical,LiteraryandMysticalMilieuofMedievalPersia 25