Hafiz and the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry (International Library of Iranian Studies)

"I.B.Tauris in association with the Iran Heritage Foundation The romantic lyricism of the great Persian poet Hafiz (1315-1390) continues to be admired around the world. Recent exploration of that lyricism by Iranian scholars has revealed that, in addition to his masterful use of poetic devices, Hafiz's verse is deeply steeped in the philosophy and symbolism of Persian love mysticism. This innovative volume discusses the aesthetic theories and mystical philosophy of the classical Persian love-lyric (ghazal) as particularly exemplified by Hafiz (who, along with Rumi and Sa'di, is Persia's most celebrated poet). For the first time in western literature, Hafiz's rhetoric of romance is situated within the broader context of what scholars refer to as 'Love Theory' in Arabic and Persian poetry in particular and Islamic literature more generally. Contributors from both the West and Iran conduct a major investigation of the love lyrics of Hafiz and of what they signified to that high culture and civilization which was devoted to the School of Love in medieval Persia. The volume will have strong appeal to scholars of the Middle East, medieval Islamic literature, and the history and culture of Iran."--Bloomsbury publishing. Contents......Page 6 List of Contributors......Page 8 List of Plates......Page 9 Foreword: Hafiz of Shiraz -- Peter Avery......Page 10 Editor's Introduction and Acnowledgements......Page 20 PART I - HAFIZ IN THE SOCIO-HISTORICAL, LITERARY AND MYSTICAL MILIEU OF MEDIEVAL PERSIA......Page 28 1 - Socio-historical and Literary Contexts: Hafiz in Shiraz -- Leonard Lewisohn......Page 30 2 - The Mystical Milieu: Hafiz's Erotic Spirituality -- Leonard Lewisohn......Page 58 PART II - HAFIZ AND THE SCHOOL OF LOVE IN CLASSICAL POETRY......Page 102 The Principles of the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry -- Husayn Ilahi-Ghomshei......Page 104 The Erotic Spirit: Love, Man and Satan in Hafiz's Poetry -- Ali-Asghar Seyed-Gohrab......Page 134 The Radiance of Epiphany: The Vision of Beauty and Love in Hafiz's Poem of Pre-Eternity -- Leili Anvar......Page 150 PART III - HAFIZ AND THE PERSIAN SUFI TRADITION......Page 168 Hafiz and the Sufi -- Charles-Henry de Fouchecour......Page 170 The Religion of Love and the Puritans of Islam: Sufi Sources of Hafiz's Anti-clericalism -- Leonard Lewisohn......Page 186 Jalal al-Din Davani's Interpretation of Hafiz -- Carl W. Ernst......Page 224 PART IV - HAFIZ'S ROMANTIC IMAGERY AND LANGUAGE OF LOVE......Page 238 The Allegory of Drunkenness and the Theophany of the Beloved in Sixteenth-Century Illustrations of Hafiz -- Michael Barry......Page 242 Transfiguring Love: Perspective Shifts and the Contextualization of Experience in the Ghazals of Hafiz -- James Morris......Page 256 The Semiotic Horizons of Dawn in the Poetry of Hafiz -- Franklin Lewis......Page 280 Hafiz and the Language of Love in Nineteenth-Century English and American Poetry -- Parvin Loloi......Page 308 Bibliography......Page 324 Index of Proper Names, Places, Works and Themes......Page 348 Index of Persian and Arabic Technical Terms......Page 356 I. B. Tauris Contents 6 List of Contributors 8 List of Plates 9 Foreword: Hafiz of Shiraz -- Peter Avery 10 Editor's Introduction and Acnowledgements 20 PART I - HAFIZ IN THE SOCIO-HISTORICAL, LITERARY AND MYSTICAL MILIEU OF MEDIEVAL PERSIA 28 Prolegomenon to the Study of Hafiz 30 1 - Socio-historical and Literary Contexts: Hafiz in Shiraz -- Leonard Lewisohn 30 2 - The Mystical Milieu: Hafiz's Erotic Spirituality -- Leonard Lewisohn 58 PART II - HAFIZ AND THE SCHOOL OF LOVE IN CLASSICAL POETRY 102 The Principles of the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry -- Husayn Ilahi-Ghomshei 104 The Erotic Spirit: Love, Man and Satan in Hafiz's Poetry -- Ali-Asghar Seyed-Gohrab 134 The Radiance of Epiphany: The Vision of Beauty and Love in Hafiz's Poem of Pre-Eternity -- Leili Anvar 150 PART III - HAFIZ AND THE PERSIAN SUFI TRADITION 168 Hafiz and the Sufi -- Charles-Henry de Fouchecour 170 The Religion of Love and the Puritans of Islam: Sufi Sources of Hafiz's Anti-clericalism -- Leonard Lewisohn 186 Jalal al-Din Davani's Interpretation of Hafiz -- Carl W. Ernst 224 PART IV - HAFIZ'S ROMANTIC IMAGERY AND LANGUAGE OF LOVE 238 The Allegory of Drunkenness and the Theophany of the Beloved in Sixteenth-Century Illustrations of Hafiz -- Michael Barry 242 Transfiguring Love: Perspective Shifts and the Contextualization of Experience in the Ghazals of Hafiz -- James Morris 256 The Semiotic Horizons of Dawn in the Poetry of Hafiz -- Franklin Lewis 280 Hafiz and the Language of Love in Nineteenth-Century English and American Poetry -- Parvin Loloi 308 Bibliography 324 Index of Proper Names, Places, Works and Themes 348 Index of Persian and Arabic Technical Terms 356 1848853394,9781848853393 "This innovative volume discusses the aesthetic theories and mystical philosophy of the classical Persian love-lyric (ghazal) as particularly exemplified by Hafiz (who, along with Rumi and Sa'di, is Persia's most celebrated poet). For the first time in western literature, Hafiz's rhetoric of romance is situated within the broader context of what scholars refer to as 'Love Theory' in Arabic and Persian poetry in particular and Islamic literature more generally. Contributors from both the West and Iran conduct a major investigation of the love lyrics of Hafiz and of what they signified to that high culture and civilization which was devoted to the School of Love in medieval Persia."--From publisher description