Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry

Preacherswhopreeninprayer-nicheandpulpit,

Wheninprivate,quiteanothermatterdotheypractise–

thantheypreach!^5

Themainarch’sinscription,featuringanotherversefromadifferentghazalby

Ḥāfiẓ,reads:

Burūbikār-ikhwud,ayvā‘iẓ,īnchifaryādast?

Ma-rāfutāddilazrāh.Turā,chiuftādast?

Goaboutyourbusiness,preacher!Whatisthisoutcryfor?

Myheart,forme,felloffthepath.Sowhatfelloff,foryou?^6

Thewindowlintel’sinscriptioniscappedwithanotherofḤāfiẓ’slines,reading:

Ravāq-imanẓar-ichashm-iman,āshiyāna-yitust!

[Karamnumāyufurūdā,kikhāna,khāna-yitust!]

Thearchofmyeye’sorbitisyourverynest!

[Showmercyandcomedown!Forthiseye’shouse–isyours!]^7

Andoverthecloseddoor,withinthemosque’sarch,runsafurtherinscription,not

exactlyfromtheghazals,butaninvocationcommonlyseeninBihzād’sandother

Timuridmaster-painters’architecturalsettings:

YāMufattiḥal-Abwāb!

OhOpenerofGates!

TheovertthemeofShaykh-Zāda’spaintingisthecontrastsooftenstressedbyḤāfiẓ
himself–astheartistimpliesbyquotingfromthesecondghazaloverthearch–
betweenthesuperficialorhypocriticalpreacher,percheduponhispulpitand
drapedincorrectritualobservance,andthehonestSufiecstaticwithtrueinner
spirituallove.
ButShaykh-Zādaplaysafurthervisualgamewithhiscitationfromathirdghazal,
fraughtwithevenprofoundermeaning.Aclusterofthepainter’sastonishedspec-
tators(onebiteshisfingerinawe),thoseframedbythemosque’sarchedwindowon
the left, are shown here to behold a spiritual mystery disclosed by the artist
through the very shape of the arched window, itself reflected by the quoted
hemistichimmediatelyabove:clearlyalludingtotheravāq-imanẓar-ichashm-iman,
literally‘thearchofthewindowoftheeyeofme’;thatis,totheeye’sorbit,and
moresharply,tojustwhatthateyeseesandtowhatvisionlodgeswithinthatsame
eye’sorbit:Thou,theTajallīorDivineManifestation,heretheDivinemadevisible

Ḥāfiẓ’s Romantic Imagery and Language of Love 215