This volume gathers together the works of Hafiz (1325-1390), the best-known Persian classical poet. He is most famous for his ghazals, short lyric poems about love. Like sonnets, these were intended to be sung or recited with heavy intonation. Hafiz’s poetry tells of the unrequited love of a young man, which he uses as a metaphor for the path to divine love. Reflections on morality, hypocrisy and the transience of life feature throughout, often expressed through a celebration of wine and intoxication.

This manuscript was probably copied in India around 1600, but its calligrapher remains unknown. The opening pages are decorated with an illuminated headpiece, heavy washes of gold pigment surrounding the calligraphy, and a scrolling design in gold on the borders. Small pairs of birds are painted on both sides of the final verse, a distinctive motif found in many early 17th-century Mughal manuscripts.

The original flyleaves are missing but the Indian seal impression on f.1r dates to 1764-65.

Binding description
Re-bound in India in the late 18th century. Gilt-stamped goatskin.