Hafez

~1315–1390 · Persian (Shiraz, modern-day Iran) · Medieval Persia

Known for: Supreme lyric poet of Persian literature—his Divan is Iran's most beloved book

Hafez (meaning 'one who has memorized the Quran') was a master of the ghazal—a short lyric poem of love, wine, and mysticism that operates on multiple levels simultaneously: literal wine and lovers, mystical divine love, and satirical mockery of religious hypocrisy. He spent most of his life in Shiraz and was revered even in his lifetime.

His tomb in Shiraz is the most visited site in Iran. Iranians use his Divan for fortune-telling (fal-e Hafez), opening it randomly for guidance. Goethe was so inspired by reading Hafez that he wrote his own West-östlicher Divan in response.

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