“Scientific and Specialized Journal of Modern Literary Research”

“Scientific and Specialized Journal of Modern Literary Research”

"The Secret of Returning to primordial homeland and Its Relationship with the Category of Love in the Lyric Poems of Khajeh Hafez Shirazi"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
reyhaneh karimaei 1
shahin ojaq alizadeh 2
1 Department of Persian Language and Literature. Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages. Islamic Azad University. Roudehen Branch.
2 Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Iran
Abstract
The concept of the “primordial homeland,” understood as the metaphysical origin of humankind, is vividly manifested in the ghazals of Hafez of Shiraz. Drawing upon his mystical worldview, Hafez conceives of the human being as a creature perpetually bound to the Divine source, whereby existence as a whole acquires meaning as the presence of God. Within this perspective, ethnic, racial, and geographical distinctions hold no fundamental value; rather, what is essential is the human being’s belonging to the Divine origin and the innate yearning to return to it. This study, adopting a descriptive–analytical approach, explores the notion of homeland in Hafez’s poetry, its relation to the covenant of ʿAhd al-Alast (the primordial pact), and the role of “love” in both enduring the separation from and attaining reunion with that homeland. Through the portrayal of a vast and enchanting cosmos, Hafez demonstrates that reaching this spiritual homeland is neither unattainable nor exclusive to a privileged few; rather, it becomes possible through the universal and fundamental force of “love.” Thus, in Hafez’s thought, the mystery of creation and the ultimate purpose of existence are embodied in a passionate attraction that leads humankind back to its primordial homeland.
Keywords
primordial homeland
return to the origin
mystical worldview
divine love
Hafez of Shiraz
Subjects
The Holy Quran.
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“Scientific and Specialized Journal of Modern Literary Research”
Volume 5, Issue 1 - Serial Number 9
Spring and Summer 2026
April 2026
Pages 253-271