Khwaja Shamsuddin Muhammed Hafez of Shiraz (1315-1390 CE) was a Persian mystic who remains to this day the most popular poet in Iran. He was a master of the verse form called the ghazal, and most commonly wrote about love, the beloved, the pain of separation, and also the denunciation of hypocrisy. We know little for certain about his life. From the legends that are told, it was his pursuit of earthly beauty that led him to a recognition of Divine beauty; it is said that, while working in a bakery delivering bread, he caught sight of a beautiful woman, and committing himself to a vigil to succeed in winning her, he had an experience of even greater beauty, a visit from an angel.
From the Large Jug, Drink
From the large jug, drink the wine of Unity,
So that from your heart you can wash away the futility of life’s grief.
But like this large jug, still keep the heart expansive.
Why would you want to keep the heart captive, like an unopened bottle
of wine?
With your mouth full of wine, you are selfless
And will never boast of your own abilities again.
Be like the humble stone at your feet rather than striving to be like a
Sublime cloud: the more you mix colors of deceit, the more colorless
your ragged wet coat will get.
Connect the heart to the wine, so that it has body,
Then cut off the neck of hypocrisy and piety of this new man.
Be like Hafiz: Get up and make an effort. Don’t lie around like a bum.
He who throws himself at the Beloved’s feet is like a workhorse and will
be rewarded with boundless pastures and eternal rest.
From: Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved
Translated by Thomas Rain Crowe