Hafez - Divan - 1708

A rare and beautifully illuminated opening of the Divan of Hafiz, containing the celebrated opening ghazal beginning "Ala ya ayyuha al-saqi" ("O Cupbearer). It is dated AH120, which translates to 1708/9. One of the poet's most famous compositions, the poem explores the paradox of love's apparent simplicity and its profound spiritual and emotional challenges.

The folio has a stunning and richly illuminated headpiece with a scalloped arch enclosing dense floral arabesques in gold, blue, red and pink. Delicate scrolling vines and blossoms fill the field. Beneath, sitting within a gold ground cartouche, is the Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful", a device common to the opening pages of the Diwan of Hafiz and indeed common to the opening of Qur'anic chapters.

The script is Persian poetry in black nasta'liq calligraphy, a cursive style common in Persian manuscript production. It is the famous first ghazal of many manuscript renditions of the Divan, which begins, "Oh cupbearer, bring forth the wine and pass the cup. What first appeared to be an easy path of love soon revealed itself as a journey filled with trials. Drawn by the scent of the Beloved, the lover willingly endures hardship, surrendering comfort, reason and worldly ambition".

The folio is in fair condition with some repairs to the top margin and some worm-holing (images 2607e & f). This does not detract from what is a unique and much sought after folio.

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