"Within the pantheon of Persian poets, perhaps none is as cherished and
revered as Hafez, and with good reason. Reading the poetry of Hafez
induces fragmented moments where one oscillates between body and soul;
indeed, Wheeler Thackston writes that Hafez “sang a rare blend of human
and mystic love so balanced, proportioned, and contrived with artful
ease that it is impossible to separate the one from the other”. Within
his poetic lines are levels and layers, each unfolding simultaneously
upon the page and within the reader. Ethics, aesthetics and philosophy
are all intertwined, and all possible meanings simmer simultaneously
beneath the surface.
..I present below an analysis of a verse to demonstrate the
multi-layered and rich understanding of Hafez, with the hope that it
will also inspire introspection, wherever stage you may be at in life,
as it has for Persian readers for generations upon generations.
In Shiraz I am famous for my love’s lively ways
My eyes have not been polluted with an evil gaze
On first reading, the meaning of the verse – in the original Persian –
is apparent. Hafez is famous – or infamous – in Shiraz for his exuberant
love and does not attune his eyes to see the faults of others. This is
an admirable trait, particularly prominent within Malamati Sufism, that
one should busy oneself with one’s own faults instead of the perceived
faults of others. The key principles of the Malamati worldview include
exuberant love; being open with one’s beliefs; concealing the faults of
others; persevering through sneers and censures of others; and a
perpetual struggle against self-centredness.
The second level takes a step further. The evil gaze can also be
interpreted as one infused with desire; not desire in and of itself, but
a base desire motivated by deceit and duplicity that festers within the
lower parts of the human soul and incites one to evil. Hafez informs us
that he does not gaze upon others with such a fraudulent eye, instead
opting to look upon others with genuine care and compassion.
But beyond these levels is something else; a perspective that offers a
radical rethinking of how we view the relationship between God and
creation. In the first line, when Hafez says that he is renowned in
Shiraz for his audacious expressions of love, he is speaking to the idea
that love is not something that can remain concealed. A lover may be
able to conceal their love for a brief period of time, but if it is a
true love, it will eventually burst forth; every glowing glance and
minor motion will sing songs of their love. In this respect the lover
mirrors God, as not even God could conceal his love, weaving it
seamlessly into the tapestry of the cosmos.
The second line explains the result of this manifest love. The lover
does not pollute their eye with seeing bad because a lover only sees
beauty in existence. A gaze that is infused with love, purity and
sincerity is incapable of seeing any evil in the world. The world’s
beauty comes to the fore in all that they see, radiating from the
mundane. The hidden hand of God becomes visible, the artist and artwork
become one, and the Qur’anic verse “And God’s is the east and the west:
and wherever you turn, there is God’s countenance” manifests before
one’s eyes."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/23/persian-poetic-tradition-hafez
The words of the master Persian poets carry a mystical power