Hafiz: The Door of the Beloved - Poems of Hafiz

What does it mean to open the door to divine love? Hafiz's The Door of the Beloved presents selected poems by the great fourteenth-century Persian poet whose mystical love poetry has captivated readers for over six hundred years. Hafiz (c. 1315-1390) is one of the most beloved poets in Persian literature, a Sufi master whose verses celebrate divine love, wine, beauty, and the ecstatic union of the soul with the Beloved. His poetry moves seamlessly between earthly and heavenly love, using the imagery of wine, roses, nightingales, and the beloved's face to express the soul's longing for God.

This modernized edition of Justin McCarthy's elegant prose translation gives us a direct Hafiz, full of clear imagery and personal poetry. The poems reveal Hafiz's mastery of the ghazal form, his playful wit, his profound spiritual insight, and his ability to find the divine in everyday beauty. Unlike more interpretive modern versions, this translation stays close to the Persian original while making Hafiz's voice accessible to English readers.

For contemplative readers, Hafiz's poetry offers profound meditation on divine love, spiritual longing, and the examined life. His work asks: What is the relationship between earthly and divine love? How do we open ourselves to the Beloved? Hafiz's verse becomes a companion for spiritual seeking—teaching openness to divine love, joy in beauty, and the conviction that the door to the Beloved is always open to those who knock with sincere hearts.

What You'll Discover
Selected poems by Hafiz, master of Persian mystical poetry
Justin McCarthy's elegant prose translation, modernized for contemporary readers
Poems on divine love, wine, beauty, and ecstatic union with the Beloved
Fourteenth-century Persian Sufi poetry beloved for over 600 years

Hafiz (c. 1315-1390) was born in Shiraz, Persia, and became one of the greatest poets in Persian literature. His pen name "Hafiz" means "one who has memorized the Quran." He spent most of his life in Shiraz, writing ghazals that celebrated divine love through the imagery of wine, roses, and earthly beauty. His influence extends far beyond Persia—Goethe praised him, Emerson translated him, and his mystical vision continues to inspire spiritual seekers worldwide.

Perfect for: Readers of mystical and spiritual poetry, students of Hafiz and Persian literature, contemplative readers exploring Sufi mysticism, those interested in divine love and spiritual longing, anyone drawn to poetry that bridges earthly and heavenly beauty, admirers of verse that celebrates ecstatic union with the Beloved.

Paperback edition. Hafiz's selected poems—offering contemplative wisdom on divine love and spiritual union through the clear voice of one of Persian literature's most beloved mystical masters.