Swamps, nightingales, and mythical kings. Even in exile, Hafez is ready to serve up some wicked bars. (Recorded during an atmospheric river)

I know we’re publishing this very late but Happy New Year! Happy Yalda! Happy Holidays! And happy 3-year anniversary of Hearing Hafez!

Happy Thanksgiving! This was a tough one to decode, but that’s what we would expect for a poem that explains the evolution of Hafez’s philosophy in life.

What did the red flower say to the purple flower?

Yadi and I are casual fans of Hafez, but in this episode we discuss one of the eminent Hafez scholars of the 20th and 21st century, Houshang Ebtehaj. Better known by his pen name “Sayeh”.

In this episode, Yadi and I take a detour from Hafez to talk about one of his predecessors and influences, the legendary poet Rudaki. Plus, hang around until the end of the episode for a treat.

In this poem, Hafez reconciles with the loss of a loved one and offers perspective on the things we can’t always change, such as ourselves.

Happy (Late) Yalda! In this episode, Hafez talks to us about how it feels to outlast the night and the love that awaits on the other side. Plus (a podcast first) Yadi finally reads us one of his own poems!

زن، زندگی، ازادی

Happy Father’s Day! Coming to you from the picnic table in Kia’s Corner, Hafez has us discuss the physics and philosophy of what it means to “get close”.