A Report on a Verse by Ḥāfeẓ and the Story Behind It
Document Type : pajoohesh
Author
10.22081/jap.2025.79051
Abstract
The poems of Ḥāfeẓ, due to the numerous textual variations, diverse readings, and inherent ambiguities and complexities within them, have always given rise to a wide range of interpretations. The verse “Mājrā kam kun va bāzā ke marā mardum-e cheshm / khirqi az sar bedar āvard va be-shukrāni besūkht” (“Reduce the tale and return, for the people of the eye took the cloak off my head and burned it in gratitude”) is among the most eventful and debated couplets in the Dīvān of Ḥāfeẓ. It has long attracted the attention of scholars and commentators, inspiring various mystical and theological readings and interpretations. This study first offers a concise and reasoned explanation of the elements and structure of the verse, then provides a survey of the detailed analyses and commentaries by different exegetes regarding this highly controversial and enigmatic couplet—one that, despite the precision and scrutiny devoted to it, is still considered unresolved by many scholars. The author finally attempts to present a clear and straightforward interpretation of the verse.
Keywords
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