On Jan. 28, 2024, 1:24 p.m. hamed:
Khāqānī (Afzal al-Dīn Badīl ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿOthmān) was a Persian poet and prose-writer who is widely regarded as one of the great masters of Persian literature. He was born in Shirvan, a historical region in present-day Azerbaijan, around 1120 CE. He served as a courtier and ode-writer to the Shirvanshahs, the ruling dynasty of Shirvan, and traveled extensively throughout the Islamic world. He died in Tabriz, Iran, in 1190 CE.
Khaqani's poetry is known for its elegance, wit, and mastery of language. He was particularly skilled in using metaphors, similes, and paradoxes to create vivid imagery and convey complex ideas. His poems often explore themes of love, beauty, politics, and religion.
Khaghani's most famous works include:
Divan (Collection of Poems): Khaqani's Divan is a collection of his most important poems, including his qaṣīdas (odes), ghazals (lyrics), robāʿīs (quatrains), and masnavis (narrative poems).
Panégyrics (Naʿtiyas): Khaqani was a master of composing panegyrics, poems in praise of important figures. His panegyrics for the Shirvanshahs are particularly notable for their lavish praise and skillful use of language.
Prison Poems (Habsiyāt): Khaqani was imprisoned several times throughout his life. His Habsiyāt, or "prison poems," are a collection of poems that he wrote while in captivity. They are characterized by their despair, longing for freedom, and philosophical reflections on the nature of existence.
Khaghani's poetry has had a profound influence on Persian poetry and literature. He is considered one of the most important figures in the development of the ghazal form, and his works have been translated into many languages. His legacy continues to inspire poets and readers around the world.
Here are some of Khaqani's most famous lines:
"Oh, to be a dervish in love's fire,
Lost in a heart burning with passion so pure!
"The wine of love is a potion so strong,
It makes the old man dance and the young man sing along."
"What is the world but a play of shadows and dreams?
The wise man does not seek to understand, but to laugh!"