HAFIZ (one who knows the Koran and theTraditions by heart), MonAmmED, SHAMS AD-DIN (sun of religion), also called LISHAN-AL-GHAM (voice of mystery), an eminent Persian divine, philosopher, and grammarian, and one of the greatest poetical geniuses of all times. He was born in the beginning of the 14th c. at 'Shiraz, and early applied himself to the pursuit of science and learning. His proficiency in various branches of knowledge brought him under the notice of the then reigning house of Muzaffer, and he was not only appointed teacher in the royal family, but a special college was founded for him. His spirit of independence, however, stood in the way of his worldly advance ment, and notwithstanding many offers of princely favor, he remained during his whole life in the humble condition of a dervish. The burden of his poetical composi tions is for the most part wine, love, nightingales, flowers—in fact, beauty in every form; occasionally also the praise of Allah and the prophet, and reflections upon the instability of life and its joys; through all of them, there runs, however, a withering contempt of all professional piety, mock-humility, and sanctified abhorrence of the good things of this world. These poems are of such exquisite sweetness, that the poet has also received the name of Tschegerleb (Sugarlip); and his contemporaries speak of his having drunk from the fountain of life, a draught of which was brought to him, in reward for his untiring perseverance in study, and his power of self abnegation, by Zikhr (the Mohammedan Elijah) himself. No less remarkable are the sudden and striking transitions in his writings, and the readiness of wit which he displayed on several noticeable occasions during his lifetime.
Hafiz was married, and appears to have reached a happy old age. The time of his death is uncertain, the dates being variously given between the years 791 H. (1388 A.D., the date on his tombstone), and 797 H. (1394 A.D.). The enmity, however, which had been provoked in the breasts of the zealous defenders of religion by the freedom of his manners, and his more than Sufistic contempt for the outward forms of godliness, broke out undisguisedly at his death. The ministers of religion refused to repeat the usual
prayers over the dead body, and after long altercations between the members of his family and his enemies, it was agreed that the question, according to the usual customs of the east, should be decided by lot. The result was favorable; whereupon he was buried with great honor. His tomb, situated about 2 m. to the n.e. of Shiraz, has been adorned with the greatest sumptuousness by princes and nobles, and is still resorted to by pilgrims from all parts of Persia. It has been visited and described by Kmmpfer, Pietro della Valle, Chardin, Le Brun, Scott Waring, W. Franklin, Ouseley, and others.
How far some of the odes of Hafiz are bond fide productions of a most licentious nature, or are intended as an allegorical and mystical revelation of things divine in the manner of Sufism (q.v.), as is declared by Hafiz's pious admirers, is a question which has at different times been raised before ecclesiastical and critical courts. A style bril liant, yet clear—imagery gorgeous, yet clothed in pure and unaffected diction—undu biting melody and classical harmony, are the chief characteristics of Hafiz's anacreontic lyrics, which have not only become the national poetry of his country, but are even appealed to as an oracle on most important questions of peace and war. The number of their commentators is legion; the most valuable notes, however, are those of Shemn, Sururi, Stull. The Divan was first collected by Said Kasim Anvari, after the death of the poet. Lithographed and printed editions of Hafiz have been published at Calcutta (1790 and 1826), at Bombay (1828-50), at Cawnpore (1831), Bulak (1834 and 1840), Con stantinople (1841), etc. A very valuable edition by II. Broekbaus was, published at Leipsic in 1854-61. Of translations in European tongues, we may mention those of Rewitzki in Latin (Vienna, 1771); Richardson, Jones, Ouseley, Hindley, Rousseau, Bicknell (1876) in English; and by Hammer-Purgstall and Daumer, in German.