Khwaja Šams ud-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Širazi, or Hafez, was a Persian mystic and poet of the 14th century. Occasionally attaining high office in court life, he is best remembered for his influential poetry. Considered by major European literary figures as the greatest known poet, the works of Hafez were translated into German in the 19th century. This edition of Brockhaus is still considered one of the most reputable of the scholarly German editions. The poems of the Divan are here presented in Persian along with the commentary of Sudi. Originally three volumes, the collection is here bound in a single volume for affordability. Even reprinted editions of this book are difficult to locate, despite the importance of Hafez’s work on later literary developments. Noted for his appreciation of the finer things of life, as well as a mysticism that influenced Sufism, Hafez remains a major figure in world literature.

Hermann Brockhaus (1806-1877) was a German Orientalist. He studied oriental languages in Leipzig, Göttingen, and Bonn. After residing in France and England, he returned to Dresden, eventually teaching at Jena and Leipzig. He is noted for having married the sister of the composer Richard Wagner.