Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry

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translations, either in books devoted to Ḥāfiẓ or (as was the case with Jones) scat-
teredamongstessaysandtravelbooks.^28 LordByronistheonlypoetofthisperiod
whohadfirst-handexperienceoftheSufisinhistravelsintheLevant.^29 Heisper-
haps the only Romantic poet to make extensive use of these ‘thousand metaphors
and poetical figures’. A couple of examples will have to suffice here. The most
prominentḤāfiẓianallusionsemployedbyByronarethoseofthatinimitablepairof
allegorical lovers: the rose (gul) and the nightingale (bulbul). InThe Bride of Abydos,
ByronactuallyusesthePersiannamefor‘rose’:

Knowyethelandofthecedarandvine,

Wheretheflowerseverblossom,thebeamsevershine;

WherethelightwingsofZehyr,oppress’dwithperfume,

Waxfainto’erthegardenofGulinherbloom;

Wherethecitronandolivearefairestoffruit,

Andthevoiceofthenightingaleisnevermute.^30

There are other relevant lines inThe Bride of Abydos, and the Ḥāfiẓian garden of
love,roseandnightingaleandbreezeareinvokedinmanyotherofByron’spoems,
such asDon JuanandThe Giaour.^31 This last poem also includes a passage which is
indicative of Byron’s understanding of the mysticism that is present in Ḥāfiẓ’s
poetry:

Hereye’sdarkcharm’twerevaintotell,

ButgazeonthatGazelle,

Itwillassistthyfancywell;

Aslarge,aslanguishinglydark,

ButSoulbeam’dforthineveryspark

Thatdartedfrombeneaththelid,

BrightasthejewelofGiamschid...

OnhermightMuftisgaze,andown

Thatthroughhereyetheimmortalshone;

Onherfaircheek’sunfadinghue

Theyoungpomegranate’sblossomsstrew

Theirbloominblushesevernew;

Herhairinhyacinthineflow,

Whenlefttorollitsfoldsbelow.^32

ByroncouldhaveeasilyfoundsourcesforthesepassagesinJones’translations.We
might,forexample,comparethefollowingpassagesinJones:

Zéphyr,distenrementacechvreuildelicat,

c’esttoiquinousfaisdesirerlescollinesetlesdeserts.[...]

ḤāfiẓandtheReligionofLoveinClassicalPersianPoetry