Circa 1325 - 1390
Poet

Early Life. Hafiz is the nickname of Shams al—Din Muhammad Shirazi, a major Persian poet who was born and died in Shiraz in southern Iran. His nickname means "Qur'an memorizer" and is given to people who have learned the entire Muslim holy book by heart. Hafiz had humble beginnings and is said to have worked as a baker's apprentice and a manuscript copyist, the latter an occupation through which he may have obtained his broad education. In addition to having memorized the entire Qur'an, he knew Arabic well and was widely read in Persian literature. By the time he was in his twenties, Hafiz had begun serving as a poet who sang the praises of the local rulers of Shiraz. It is uncertain how close he was to the court, and since he seems to have sometimes lectured on the interpretation of...