Divan Hafez (2 results)

hardcover. Condition: Acceptable. Eghbal Publications [Published date: 1985]. Hard cover. Text in Persian and English. Acceptable/ NO dust jacket. Glossy illustrated paper over boards have 1/4" tears at the top and bottom of spine at the hinges and a bit of nicking and fraying to the paper over the corners. Moderate overall scuffing and bubbling of thin clear plastic coating over the covers as well. Binding tight. Pages are clean and unmarked. NO remainder marks. NOT Ex-library. Includes several lovely illustrations, illuminations and miniatures by Ustad Khosh-nevis-zadeh, Hosein Khosravi and Ali Nasajpor. Overall, a solid reading copy. [From Preface] Lesan-ol-Ghayeb Khajeh Shamseddin Mohammad HAFEZ Shirazi, the most famous sonnet poet of Persia, was born in 1325 at Shiraz where he lived all his life. He died in 1390 at Shiraz and was buried there. His tomb is visited by the lovers of his thoughts and poetry. During his life, Hafez lectured on Koranic and other theological subjects. He is said to have learned by heart, 14 interpretations of the Koran and his surname Hafez, was given to him for this reason. Hafez lived in troubled times, sovereigns were overthrown, Shiraz was taken by force more than once and in the world loomed the menacing shadow of Timur (Tamerlane). These events are all mentioned in his poetry. However, the poems tell more of the social life of his time with Sufism as his guide, the mystical movement that demands complete self-abandonment for union with the ultimate reality. The most beautiful of Hafez's poetry is undoubtedly his "ghazal" (sonnet) which he brought to a perfection never achieved before. In this poetic form he presents unity and continuity of thought rather than the nature of the ghazal which is a lyrical poem of six to fifteen couplets without continuity and where each couplet may deal with different topics or ideas. Generally, the ghazal deals with wine and love but in Hafez's poems these are connected with Sufism. Basically, in any of Hafez's poetry, the poem can be read on two levels: 1) at its face value which tells about the gay and civilised life of medieval Iran and as a tribute to his wealthy patrons; 2) in a cryptic way which tells about the Sufi mystical theology. Above all, Hafez's poetry is characterised by his love of humanity, sympathy for the problems of ordinary people, contempt for hypocrisy and the search for the ultimate reality . . . This volume contains a number of sonnets translated into English by Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell. Her translation of Hafez's sonnets is probably one of the best translations ever done. Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, an English traveller, was born at Washington Hall, County Durham, England, in 1868. Her successful career at Oxford , where she took a first in History in 1887, was followed by some time in Tehran. . . The last three years of her life were devoted to the creation of an archaelogical museum at Baghdad which is her monument in the land she loved and served so welt She died at Baghdad on 12 July 1926 and was buried there.

Condition: Collectible; Good.