Poet Hafiz sent sweet to Indian subcontinent 700 years ago

Reputed Persian poet Hafez Shams-ud-Din Muhammad Shirazi, or Poet Hafez, sent sweet to the Indian subcontinent 700 years ago and that sweet made many people of the region as sweet people.

Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Nafar commented this while addressing a discussion meeting and cultural session in remembrance of Poet Hafez at Iranian Cultural Center in Dhaka on Monday evening.

Nafar termed the participation of Iranian and Bangladeshi people together in discussion on Poet Hafez as a matter of great pleasure for him.

He said that Poet Hafez had a great love to the then Bangla that prompted him to send sweet for the people of the region.

The passion between the two nations reflected through that sweet is still glittering. “Still a huge number of people of Bangladesh lure a great love in their heart for Persian culture and language.”

The program was attended by noted music director and former director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Azad Rahman, as special guest.

Cultural Counsellor of Iranian Cultural Center in Dhaka Syed Hasan Sehat presided over the program while visiting professor of the Persian Language and Literature Department at Dhaka University, Dr. Kazem Kahdui, was the keynote speaker.

Speakers at the program also discussed on different aspects of Poet Hafez’s poetry and songs based on the lessons of the Holy Quran.

Poet Hafez, also a great Hafez-e-Quran, had a deep relation with religious teachings bestowed by Allah in the Quran for the welfare of humankind.

Speakers added that in many cases Bangladeshi national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam followed the style of Poet Hafez in holding Islamic lessons in the inner heart of oneself not based on the speeches of others.  

Syed Hasan Sehat added that Iran Cultural Center in Dhaka will arrange for special classes for those who are interested to learn about great Iranian poets like Hafez, Sadi, Ferdous, Omor and the like.  

The great Iranian poet Hafez, however, born in 1315 and died in 1390. His great writings have been studied by millions of people across the world for the last 700 years and in course of time the appeal of his writings is broadening.

Kamruzzaman