The poetry of Hafiz

[Julie]

Ascent of the Spirit in the Poetry of Hafiz

Hafiz, the 14th-century Persian poet from Shiraz, is celebrated for his ghazals that explore the ecstasy of divine love and the ascent of the spirit. His poetry, composed primarily in Persian, captures themes of mysticism, divine yearning, and spiritual transcendence, making him a revered figure in the Sufi tradition. Hafiz’s verses transcend religious boundaries, appealing to a universal spiritual quest. Through an elaborate metaphorical landscape, Hafiz presents an upward journey of the soul, one that moves from earthly attachments toward divine love and union.

One of the most profound symbols in Hafiz’s poetry is wine, which represents divine ecstasy and the bliss of union with God. Contrary to the literal reading, Hafiz’s "wine" is not the intoxicant found in taverns but rather a symbol of the mystical experience of divine love that transports the soul beyond material confines. In the verse:

"With a sweet tumult I leave this ruined world
And in the tavern, I drink the cup of wine"
—(Divan of Hafiz, Ghazal 3)

Here, the tavern represents a spiritual space where the seeker meets the divine. The wine, a recurring symbol, is synonymous with enlightenment and the joy that one experiences on the path to union with God. By "leaving this ruined world," Hafiz implies detachment from worldly pleasures and the physical realm as necessary steps on the path to spiritual ascent. The spiritual ecstasy he describes transcends physical boundaries, connecting with the divine in a form of transcendental love.

Hafiz’s concept of "the Beloved" is frequently allegorical, representing the divine essence rather than a human lover. In Sufi poetry, the Beloved is God, and the poet’s longing for the Beloved is a metaphor for the soul's yearning for divine connection. Hafiz writes:

"I am a hole in a flute that the Christ’s breath moves through
Listen to this music"
—(Divan of Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky)

The "hole in a flute" symbolizes the poet’s complete surrender, his ego dissolved so that the divine can flow through him. This image portrays Hafiz’s ascent to a state where he becomes an instrument of divine presence. His references to "Christ’s breath" evoke a sense of divinity that moves beyond religious confines, focusing instead on universal spiritual truth.

For Hafiz, love is the primary path to God, reflecting the Sufi belief that divine love is the purest form of spiritual ascent. He speaks not just of earthly love but of a profound, ecstatic love for the divine that transports the soul. In his famous lines:

"I have come to take you away to the home of the Beloved,
We are one;
You are lost in my beauty,
I am lost in your beauty."
—(Divan of Hafiz, Ghazal 25)

Hafiz envisions a mystical union where the self dissolves entirely into the divine presence. The sense of "we are one" exemplifies the ultimate goal of Sufism — fana, or annihilation of the self in the presence of God.

One of Hafiz’s contributions to the Sufi tradition is his treatment of fana (self-annihilation) and baqa (subsistence in God) in poetic form. In the following verse, he expresses the theme of self-dissolution as necessary for spiritual ascent:

"Die before you die,
For I am the Beloved,
And the Beloved is in me."
—(Divan of Hafiz, Ghazal 34)

This idea of "dying before you die" is central to Sufi thought and suggests an ego-death where the self dissolves in the love of God. Through such verses, Hafiz indicates that the ascent of the spirit requires surrender of personal identity, paving the way for union with the Beloved. His concept of "the Beloved is in me" signifies the transformative power of love, where the individual soul realizes its divine essence.

Hafiz often uses the symbol of the garden to represent paradise or the divine abode. The garden, for him, is both a reminder of the temporal beauty of life and a metaphor for the eternal. In one poem, he writes:

"The garden of the lovers is beyond belief,
The rose of union blooms in silence"
—(Divan of Hafiz, Ghazal 57)

In the tradition of Sufism, the ascent of the spirit is often seen as an act of surrender to the divine will. Hafiz expresses this theme with unwavering devotion:

"My heart is a lantern; I surrender to the light
For it leads me home."
—(Divan of Hafiz, Ghazal 92)

Here, the heart symbolizes the inner world of the poet, which must be illuminated by the divine light. The poet’s surrender to this light encapsulates his spiritual ascent, where his inner light becomes a guide on the path to God. This "light" serves as both guidance and homecoming, uniting the self with the divine source.

Hafiz’s poetry not only celebrates divine love but also offers a roadmap for spiritual ascent through symbolic language that transcends the personal, guiding readers to explore their own spiritual journeys. His use of symbols like wine, the Beloved, the garden, and light provides a layered approach to understanding how the self moves from earthly limitations toward divine unity.

article on the discussion Ascent of the spirit in poetry ~ Robin