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The Tangled Braid book cover
The Tangled Braid
Ninety-Nine Poems by Hafiz of Shiraz
Hafez
2010
First Published
4.26
Average Rating
124
Number of Pages
A unique collaboration between a Cistercian monk and a scholar of Islamic translation, this volume offers fresh and distinctive interpretations of works by the spiritual Sufi poet, Hafiz of Shiraz. Combining scholarly precision with keen sensitivity to the mystic contours of the Persian originals, these esoteric verses are rendered into English without forfeiting the artistry or accuracy of the original intent. Knitting together aesthetics and erudition, each poem seeks to be intellectually stimulating and spiritually invigorating. Generated through conversation and exchange, and supplemented with reflective introductions and notes, these poetic translations provide an authentic means of crossing religious and cultural borders, admitting contemporary audiences into the world of Persian Sufism.
Avg Rating
4.26
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Author

Hafez
Hafez
Author · 21 books

Hāfez (حافظ) (Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī) was a Persian poet whose collected works (The Divan) are regarded as a pinnacle of Persian literature and are to be found in the homes of most people in Iran, who learn his poems by heart and still use them as proverbs and sayings. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-14th century Persian writing more than any other author Themes of his ghazals are the beloved, faith, and exposing hypocrisy. His influence in the lives of Persian speakers can be found in "Hafez readings" (fāl-e hāfez, Persian: فال حافظ‎‎) and the frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art, and Persian calligraphy. His tomb is visited often. Adaptations, imitations and translations of his poems exist in all major languages. Though Hafez is well known for his poetry, he is less commonly recognized for his intellectual and political contributions. A defining feature of Hafez' poetry is its ironic tone and the theme of hypocrisy, widely believed to be a critique of the religious and ruling establishments of the time. Persian satire developed during the 14th century, within the courts of the Mongol Period. In this period, Hafez and other notable early satirists, such as Ubayd Zakani, produced a body of work that has since become a template for the use of satire as a political device. Many of his critiques are believed to be targeted at the rule of Amir Mobarez Al-Din Mohammad, specifically, towards the disintegration of important public and private institutions. He was a Sufi Muslim. His work, particularly his imaginative references to monasteries, convents, Shahneh, and muhtasib, ignored the religious taboos of his period, and he found humor in some of his society's religious doctrines. Employing humor polemically has since become a common practice in Iranian public discourse and persian satire is now perhaps the de facto language of Iranian social commentary.

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