author
active 14th century Ḥāfiẓ
A master of the Persian ghazal, this 14th-century poet of Shiraz wrote verses that move easily between love, wit, longing, and spiritual reflection. His poems have remained beloved for centuries and are still widely read, quoted, and cherished.
4 Audiobooks
The Persian Literature, Comprising The Shah Nameh, The Rubaiyat, The Divan, and The Gulistan, Volume 1
by Firdawsi, active 14th century Ḥāfiẓ, Omar Khayyam
Sonnets from Hafez & Other Verses
by Elizabeth Bridges Daryush, active 14th century Ḥāfiẓ
Songs of Hafiz
by active 14th century Ḥāfiẓ
Poems from the Divan of Hafiz
by active 14th century Ḥāfiẓ
About the author
Born in Shiraz around the early 14th century, Ḥāfiẓ—often known in English as Hafez—became one of the best-loved poets in Persian literature. Traditional accounts say his pen name reflects that he knew the Qur'an by heart, and sources agree that he received a strong classical education and spent his life closely connected with the literary and religious culture of his city.
He is especially famous for his Divan, a collection of lyric poems, many of them ghazals. These poems blend earthly love, spiritual longing, sharp observation, and playful ambiguity, which helps explain why readers have found new meanings in them for generations. His work is often linked with Sufi thought, though it also stands out for its musical language and its resistance to simple interpretation.
Ḥāfiẓ likely died in Shiraz around 1390, but his influence only grew after his lifetime. He became a central figure in Persian poetry, and his verses have traveled far beyond Iran through translation, scholarship, and popular reading traditions. Even today, he is remembered not just as a historical poet, but as a living presence in literary culture.