What it means
حافظ (hâfez) is an Arabic-origin word meaning “guardian,” “protector,” or “one who has memorized the Quran by heart.” In Persian it is best known as the pen name of Khwaja Shams al-Din Mohammad of Shiraz (c. 1315 to 1390), one of the great poets of world literature.
How to use it
- دیوان حافظ (divân-e hâfez) “the collected poems of Hafez”
- حافظ شیرازی (hâfez-e shirâzi) “Hafez of Shiraz”
- حافظ قرآن (hâfez-e qor-ân) “a memorizer of the Quran”
Common pairings
- غزل حافظ (ghazal-e hâfez) “a Hafez ghazal” (his signature poem form)
- فال حافظ (fâl-e hâfez) “divination by Hafez”
- آرامگاه حافظ (ârâmgâh-e hâfez) “the tomb of Hafez” (in Shiraz)
Cultural note
Hafez occupies a place in Iranian life that has no real Western equivalent. His Divan is consulted for guidance, recited at weddings, read aloud on Yalda night, and quoted in everyday conversation. Visiting his tomb in the Mosalla gardens of Shiraz is a near-pilgrimage. Iranians often say they have two books at home: the Quran and Hafez.
References
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