Analyzing the social discourse contrast in a Ghazal of Hafez

In many of his ghazals, Hafez raises social issues with a poetic language. He tries to express resistance to the powers by supporting dominated discourses of the time. In his poetry, the most significant contrast happens between two discourses of hypocrisy and hedonism. This paper aims to provide a reading of a ghazal of Hafez that opens with “I am the infamous lover in this town / My eyes, evil seeds have never sown” within the multilevel interpretive paradigm. It is demonstrated that at that time, the religious dogmatism was a power tool in the hands of the authority for his own advantage. Against the monotonous voice of the society approved by the authority, Hafez tries to reflect another voice through his poetry, and protests against the circumstances of the time. His aim for representing the discourse of quasi-Malāmati is criticizing the dominant discourse, and implementing social reform; so that religion and piety won’t be a trap for misleading people and blaming others won’t lead to self-satisfaction. Of course, the masterful use of linguistic and aesthetic techniques and the lofty thoughts presented in the poetry of Hafez have given a meta-time effect to it, and caused to be considered as a constant voice of protest against the authorities’ hypocrisy and deception in all communities and eras.