Author: Pourafzal, Haleh

For six hundred years the Persian poet Hafez has been read, recited, quoted, and loved by millions of people in his homeland and throughout the world. In Hafez: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love new contemporary translations by one of the leading scholars of Hafez connect this traditional spiritual and philosophical wisdom to a modern vision of the world. The book includes over thirty complete poems by Hafez, accompanied by commentary from the authors on the meanings and contexts of the poetry and philosophies of this spiritual teacher. Authors Haleh Pourafzal and Roger Montgomery show how the visionary poet Hafez -- whose work inspired Goethe, Nietzsche, and Ralph Waldo Emerson -- can serve as an ideal source of inner renewal in our often troubled world, as well as a bridge between the West and Middle East, two cultures in desperate need of mutual empathy. Haleh Pourafzal (1956-2002) was the daughter of Abdol-Hossein Pourafzal, a lifelong student of Persian linguistics and direct descendant of the creator of the contemporary Farsi prose form. Haleh grew up tuned to the spirit of the great poet during her childhood in Tehran, where her father would perform daily recitations of Hafez's poetry. She drew upon her father's expertise in developing her own interpretations of the poet's verse. From the moment Haleh introduced her husband, Roger Montgomery, to the poetry of Hafez, they shared a deep love and respect for his work. It was in the spirit of gaining a greater understanding of this great poet, sage, and philosopher that this book was born. Book jacket.