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