The Story of Hāfez’s Eternal Resting Place — Part one

Nasser Kanani (Berlin)

Hāfez died around 791 A.H¹ (1389/1390 A.D.). There is no consensus of opinion as to the exact date of his death; some authorities hold the view that he died as early as 1384, whilst others prolong his life till 1393. Hāfez allegedly made a last will determining the ceremony of his own funeral. The following poem ascribed to him is supposed to be his testament:

من از رز به مستی چو گردم هلاک

به آئین مستان بریدم به خاک

به آب خرابات غسلم دهید

پس آنگاه بر دوش مستم نهید

به تابوتی از چوب تاکم کنید

به راه خرابات خاکم کنید

مریزید بر گور من جز شراب

میارید در ماتمم جز رباب

مبادا عزیزان که در مرگ من

بنالد بجز مطرب و چنگ زن

تو خود حافظا سر زمستی متاب

که سلطان نخواهد خراج از خراب

If toping be true cause of my demise,

Then bring me to my grave in toper’s guise.

My corse with tavern-water let them lave;

On toper’s shoulder bear me to the grave.

In vine-wood casket make my last abode,

And put my grave beside the tavern road.

With ruby wine let them my dust allay,

And for sole mourning rite the rebeck play.

And, when I die—this is my testament—

Let only mime or minstrel make lament.

But thou, Hafiz, from wine turn not away;

Sultans no impost on the drunken lay.²

 

The demise of the poet triggered a debate whether his body might be given the rites of burial. The orthodox clergy, who had always opposed the free spiritedness of Hāfez and branded him as a heretic, objected to his being buried in a Muslim cemetery. The objection was also supported by poet’s worldly enemies and detractors. As the story goes the people of Shiraz, however, strongly refused to accept the verdict. As a result an atmosphere of serious conflict arose. To resolve the controversy, it was agreed on an augury being taken from Hāfez’s poetry to decide the matter. To this end his poems were divided into couplets, and a young boy was asked to draw one of them.³ The following verse was the result of the procedure, a tongue-in-cheek response from Hāfez to the orthodox clergy:

قدم دریغ مدار از جنازه حافظ

که گر چه غرق گناه است میرود به بهشت

The following three English translations of this verse were made over a period of hundred years, 1802, 1845 and 1920, respectively:

Oh! Turn not your steps from the obsequies of Hafez,

For tho’ immersed in sin, he will enter into heaven.⁴

Withhold not thou thy foot from the bier of Hafiz!

Though he be sunk in sin, his soul rises to Paradise.⁵

Withhold not thy footsteps from the bier of Ḥáfiẓ,

For, though he is immersed in sin, he will go to Paradise!⁶

Thus, Hāfez received an honorable religious burial and his body was buried at the foot of a cypress tree that he himself had planted. Thousands attended his funeral in the rose-gardens of Mossallā⁷, a promenade on the banks of the Roknābād River. The waters of this river running from mountains to Shiraz reached the vicinity of his final resting place. The poet’s tomb was surrounded by a garden of roses, narcissi and violets. During the following centuries the shrine of Hāfez became again and again a victim of the ravages of time and often had to be restored. This story is being told in the following.

 

Sultan Bābur

When, some sixty years after Hāfez’s death, Sultan Bābur (reign: 1449-1457), a great-grandson of Timur, conquered Shiraz, he decided to beautify his shrine. In 1452, a small dome-like structure was erected in the Mossallā Gardens and an oblong block of stone, on which two songs of Hāfez were carved, marked the gravestone. Sultan Bābur honored the spot by building a chapel in memorial of the poet.

The first European who visited the tomb of Hāfez and wrote about it was the Italian scholar and nobleman Pietro Della Valle (1586-1652). In summer 1621 he arrived in Shiraz and on July 27 of that year he wrote a letter from the Gardens of Shiraz (Lettera XVI, Dai giardini di Sciraz, del 27 di Luglio), in which he described his visit to the tomb of Hāfez:

“On July 1, I went alongside a lengthy and beautiful route, which led to the shrine of Chogia⁸ Hafiz, the celebrated Persian poet. The entire poetry collection of this poet consists of lyric poems. His poetry is highly admired and keeps changing hands like that of our famous Petrarch. The first thing the visitor perceives in the spacious and ornate garden is a small temple covered by a cupola, under which the tomb of the poet is located, as well as a marble arch, on which scripts are engraved. The poet’s name is written on the gravestone. I copied it, but I shall not reproduce it here since the language and the characters are foreign to us. The whole place has been created solely for the poet although there are other gravestones belonging to less noble people.”⁹

Elsewhere¹⁰ Della Valle quoted the following four lines, which he called “a noi troppo strano” (too strange to us), as the most prominent Epitaph containing the name of Hāfez”

چراغ اهل معنی خواجه حافظ

که شمعی بود از نور تجلی

جود در خاک مصلی ساخت منزل

بجو تاریخش خاک مصلی

Khájah Háfiz, the spiritual lamp of the learned and devout,

Was brightly illumined by divine splendour;

As he took up his abode in the earth of Mosella;

Therefore seek the date of that event in the “Earth of Mosella.¹¹

The above poem by an anonymous Persian poet was engraved on Hāfez’s tombstone. It is a chronogram that reveals the year of Hāfez’s death if deciphered properly. The last line of the poem contains the two key words “Earth of Mosella” (خاک مصلی). The individual Persian letters possess certain values in the Arabic Abdjad numeral system.¹² The sum of the values of خاک مصلی gives the year of Hāfez’s death as 791 A.H. which corresponds to 1389/90 A.D.

Letter	ی	ل	ص	م	ک	۱	خ
Value	10	30	90	40	20	1	600

The next European who visited the shrine of Hāfez was the French gem merchant and traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689). He undertook his first trip to Persia in 1665 and upon visiting the tomb of the poet, he noted:

“About a quarter of a league [≈ 5.6 kilometers] from the City, toward the West, is to be seen a Church-yard encompast with Walls; in the middle whereof, looking toward Mecca, stands a Monument very much frequented by the Dervis [dervish¹³], and other devout people, who say their Prayers there, it being the Sepulcher of Hougia [Khājeh] Hafiz, for whom they have a very great veneration.

The year of his decease is set down upon his Tomb; being in the year 1381: and he purchas’d that great esteem among the Persians, for having compos’d a great Book of Morality, and for that he was also one of the best Poets of his time. He has left one great Poem behind him in the praise of good Wine; which has caus’d many to aver, that Hougia Hafiz was no good Mussulman, in regard he has so highly prais’d a thing which is so strictly forbidd’n by the Law of Mahomet.”¹⁴

Twenty years later, in 1685, a German naturalist, physician and explorer by the name of Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716) visited the tomb of Hāfez. He not only wrote down his impressions, but also produced a painstakingly precise drawing of the Mossallā Gardens, which showed interesting features of the old tomb (Fig. 1).

Kaempfer cited also the Persian chronogram engraved on Hāfez’s tombstone and provided its Latin transcription (Fig. 2). In addition, he explained how the specific numbers of the letters added up reveal the year of Hāfez’s death.

 

Shah Abbās

Shah Abbās I, the most famous ruler of the Safavid dynasty, ordered to restore the shrine of Hāfez during his reign that lasted from 1587 to 1629. He strongly believed he was ordered to do so by omens in Hāfez’s poetry. The graveyard was called henceforth Hāfezieyh.¹⁶

 

Nāder Shah

Further restoration works on Hāfez’s shrine were carried out at the behest of Nāder Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, who ruled over Persia from 1736 to 1796. On the occasion of his being at Shiraz he visited Hāfez’s tomb and when he opened a copy of his Divān (the collection of Hāfez’s poetry), which was kept there for inspection, he found a passage so applicable to his own case that he decided to repair and embellish the whole place.

 

Karim Khān

The major reconstruction of Hāfez’s shrine, which was falling to decay, was undertaken during the reign of Karim Khān (1751-1779), the founder of the Zand dynasty, who preferred the title Vakil (Representative of the People) to that of Shah. After making Shiraz his capital in 1762, he ordered in 1773 the erection of a four-columned memorial in the Mossallā district with two buildings constructed at the east and west end leaving thus the north and south sides open. As a result the garden was split into two regions, with the orange grove (Nārenjestān) in the front and the cemetery (Gurestān) in the back. The actual tomb was outside of the structure, in the middle of the cemetery (Fig. 3).

On the order of Karim Khān the old tombstone was removed and replaced by a new one made of marble with the dimensions of 40 cm × 80 cm × 266 cm (Fig. 4).

On the marble tombstone, which has remained undamaged until to-day, two poems (ghazal) of Hāfez were inscribed in nasta’liq¹⁸ style by the celebrated calligrapher Hāji Āqassi Beyg Afshār Āzarbāijani¹⁹ The ghazal beginning with “مژده وصل تو” was inscribed in the center panel under an Arabic phrase, and the second ghazal beginning with”ای دل غلام” on the margin around the first one. The Persian chronogram revealing the year of Hāfez’s death was inscribed on the lower corner of the gravestone.

Hāfez’s shrine constructed by Karim Khān was visited and described by many European travelers who explored the territory of Persia in the following centuries. Several of them are mentioned below in chronological order. According to some of the authors the tomb of Hāfez was regularly frequented by wandering dervishes who, while reading and singing the verses of the poet, executed certain ritual actions.

In 1786 an English orientalist and army officer by the name of William Francklin (1763-1839) made a tour through Persia and resided for eight months at Shiraz. He visited the tomb of Hāfez and provided a detailed description of the construction works. Below is given an excerpt of his account:

“The tomb of the celebrated and deservedly admired Hafiz, one of the most famous of the Persian poets, stands about two miles distant from the city walls; here the late Vakeel Kerim Khàn has erected a most elegant Ivàn²⁰ or hall, with apartments adjoining: no cost has been spared to render it agreeable: it stands in the middle of a large garden; in front of the apartments is a stone reservoir, in the center of which is a fountain:‒‒in the garden are many cypress trees of extraordinary size and beauty, as well as of great antiquity. Under the shade of these trees is the tomb of the poet Mahòmed Shems ad deen Hàfiz, of fine white marble from Tauris [Tabriz], eight feet in length and four in breadth: this was built by order of Kerim Khan, and covers the original one: on the top and sides of the tomb are select pieces from the poet’s own works, most beautifully cut in the Persian Nustàleek character.

During the spring and summer seasons, the inhabitants visit here, and amuse themselves with smoking, playing at chess, and other games, reading also the works of Hafiz, who is in greater esteem with them than any other of their poets, and they venerate him almost to adoration, never speaking of him but in the highest terms of rapture and enthusiasm: a most elegant copy of his works is kept upon the tomb for the purpose, and the inspection of all who go there. The principal youth of the city assemble here, and shew every possible mark of respect for their favourite poet, making plentiful libations of the delicious wine of Shirauz to his memory.

Close by the garden runs the stream of Roknabad, celebrated in the works of Hafiz; this, however, is now dwindled into a small rivulet, which takes its source from the mountains to the N. E. The water is clear and sweet, and in that respect deserves the fame it has obtained; it is held in great estimation by the modern Persians, who attribute medicinal qualities to it.”²¹

In 1807 Edward Scott Waring (1783-1821), an English officer working as a Bengal civil servant, visited the tomb of Hāfez and described it as follows:

“The tomb of this celebrated poet is of white marble, built by the munificence of the Vakeel [Karim Khān], and is situated in a small garden called the Hafizeeh. On the tablet are two of his odes, very beautifully cut.”²²

In 1808 the British historian and diplomat Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833) paid a visit to the shrine of Hāfez and noted thereafter:

“… his tomb is the constant resort of the young and the gay, as well as the aged. A fine copy of his Works is kept here, and is consulted as oracular by his admirers.”²³

In 1808 the British traveler and man of letters James Morier (1780-1849) visited the tomb of Hāfez. Below is an excerpt of his account:

“There are several mausolea in Shiraz; the most distinguished of those without the walls is that of Hafiz, the most favourite of Persian poets. This monument also, in its present state at least, is alike the work of Kerim Khan. It is placed in the court of a pleasure-house, which marks the spot frequented by the poet.

The building extends across an enclosure: so that the front of it, which looks towards the city, has a small court before it, and the back has another. In the centre is an open vestibule, supported by four marble columns, opening on each side into neat apartments. The tomb of Hafiz is placed in the back court, at the foot of one of the cypress-trees, which he planted with his own hands.

It is a parallelogram with a projecting base, and its superficies is carved in the most exquisite manner. One of the odes of the poet is engraved upon it, and the artist has succeeded so well, that the letters seem rather to have been formed with the finest pen than sculptured by a hard chisel. The whole is of the diaphanous marble of Tabriz, in colour a combination of light greens, with here and there veins of red and sometimes of blue. This is a place of great resort for the Persians, who go there to smoke kaleoons [water pipe], drink coffee, and recite verses.”²⁴

In 1811 the British linguist and diplomat Sir Gore Ouseley (1770-1844) visited the shrine of Hāfez and gave the following account of the status of his mausoleum:

“When I saw it [the tomb of Hāfez] in 1811, on my way as Ambassador from King George III. to the Court of Persia, it was in excellent order. The Vakil (as he modestly called himself), Kerim Khán Zend, had directed a slab of the finest alabaster, brought from Marághah, in Azerbaiján, to be placed over the tomb, with two odes from his Diwán, beautifully sculptured on it in bas-relief of the finest Nastaalik characters.

He also built a neat pavilion or hall, (in which a superb copy of the poet’s works is open for perusal) with apartments adjoining for the Mùlláhs and Dervishes who attend the tomb; and he beautified the little garden, in which the poet’s remains are interred, in such a manner as to render it the most delightful retreat in the vicinity of Shiráz, from which city it is about two miles distant to the N.E.

There are some other tombs in the garden, but not of any importance, except what they may derive from their propinquity to the immortal Háfiz’s ashes. In front of the apartments there is a fine fountain of pure water, and the garden is judiciously ornamented with beautiful specimens of the funereal cypress, of great size and age. The small stream of Rukni [Roknābād], so celebrated by the bard, runs close by the garden, and the temple Mosella lies about a quarter of a mile west of the tomb.”²⁵

to be continued

1. The migration (Arabic: Hijrah) of Prophet Mohammad from Mecca to Medina took place on 19 July 622 A.D. This event called Anno Hegirae = A.H. marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar.
2. Reuben Levy: “Persian Literature: an introduction,” Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford, London, 1923, p. 78.
3. Following this event, the practice of consulting Hāfez’s Divān as an oracle became customary among the Persian speaking people. This kind of divination for guidance is called in Persian fāl-e Hāfez.
4. Sir John Richardson: “A Specimen of Persian Poetry,” London, 1774), p. 16.
5. Edward Singleton Holden: “Flowers from Persian Gardens: Selections from the Poems of Saadi, Hafiz, Omar Khayyám and others,” R. H. Russell, New York, 1901, p. 109.
6. Edward G. Browne: “A History of Persian Literature under Tatar Dominion (A.D. 1265-1502),” Cambridge University Press, London, 1920, p. 316.

۷. مُصَلّی (مصلا) در آن دوران مکانی خوش آب و هوا و مصفا در شمال شهر شیراز بود که از ساحل شمالی رودخانهٔ خرم‌ دره تا دامنهٔ کوه چهل مقام امتداد می‌یافت.

8. Khājeh (خواجه) is a Persian title and means, among other things, the scholar. Hafez was called Khājeh while he was still alive.
9. “Viaggi di Pietro della Valle, il pellegrino: La Persia,” volume secondo, A spese di Biagio Deversin, Roma, MDCLIII (1653), p. 425.
10. Marion Vitalone: “Il Diario di viaggio in Persia di Pietro della Valle: un confronto con le Lettere,” in “Annali di Ca’ Foscari,” serie occidentale/orientale, XLII, 3, 2003, pp. 205-222.
11. Sir Gore Ouseley: “Biographical Notices of Persian Poets with Critical and Explanatory Remarks,” London, DCCCXLVI (1846), p. 38.
12. In this system a numerical value is assigned to each individual letter of the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet.
13. A dervish is a person who is supposed to focus primarily on the universal values through religious practices. He often belongs to a Sufi order and as such performs ritual acts to attain the ecstatic trance. Dervishes are known for their poverty and austerity.
14. The six voyages of John Baptista Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne through Turky, into Persia and the East-Indies, for the space of forty years,” published by Dr. Daniel Cox, London, 1677, p. 250.
15. Engelbert Kaempfer: “Amœnitatum Exoticarum,” (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Germany) p. 369.
16. مقبرهٔ حافظ و پیرامون آن در آغاز “تِکْیهٔ حافظ” نام داشت. نام “حافظیه” را برای نخستین بار شاعری به نام اوحدی بَلیانی به کار برد که در دوران شاه عباس صفوی شهرت یافت و از او لقب “شاه پسند” را دریافت نمود. او در سال ۹۵۱ خورشیدی در قریه بلیان کازرون زاده شد و گفته می شود که بسال ۱۰۱۸ خورشیدی در هندوستان درگذشت.
17. Drawing by the French architect Xavier Pascal Coste (1787-1879), see:

“Voyage en Perse de mm. Eugène Flandin, peintre, et Pascal Coste, architecte, entrepris par ordre de m. le ministre des affaires étrangères, d’après les instructions dressées par l’Institut,” Publié sous les auspices de m. le ministre de l’intérieur, Volume 1, Gide et J. Baudry, Paris, 1851.

18. Nasta’liq (نستعلیق‎) is traditionally the predominant style in Persian calligraphy. It was developed in Persia in the eighth and ninth centuries.

۱۹. حاجی آقاسی بیگ افشار آذربایجانی از مردم آذربايجان و سرکرده عده ای از سواران در اردوی نادرشاه بود. كريمخان به مناسبت آشنائی با او و اینکه خط نستعليق را بسیار نيكو مينوشت، از او دعوت نمود تا به شیراز آمده و روی سنگ مرمر قبر حافظ كتيبه نویسی نماید.

20. Iwan (Persian: eyvān) is a rectangular hall usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
21. William Francklin: “Observations made on a Tour from Bengal to Persia in the years 1786-7; with a short account of the remains of the celebrated Palace of Persepolis,” Stuart and Cooper, Calcutta, MDCCLXXXVIII (1788), pp. 36-39.
22. Edward Scott Waring: “A tour to Sheeraz, by the route of Kazeroon and Feerozabad; with various remarks on the manners, customs, laws, language, and literature of the Persians,” T. Cadell and W. Davies, London, 1807, p. 37.
23. Sir John Malcolm: “Persia: A Poem with Notes,” London, 1814, p. 23.
24. James Morier: “A journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the years 1808 and 1809; in which is included, some account of the proceedings of His Majesty’s mission, under Sir Harford Jones to the court of the king of Persia.” M. Carey, and Wells and Lili, Boston, 1816, pp. 111-112.
25. Sir Gore Ouseley, op. cit., p. 40-41.