Metaphors of Wine, Cup and Tavern in Poetry of Rumi and Hafiz

Abstract

Poetry is one of the most prominent spiritual genres of mystic literature. Most of the mystics have expressed their thoughts in poetry. Mystic poetry is replete with metaphors of “wine”, “cup”, “tavern” and “wine-bearer” although, in Islam, the use of wine is strictly prohibited. However, the mystic poets make repeated use of such metaphors. This paper aims to compare the use of the metaphor of wine, cup, and tavern in the poetry of Rumi and Hafiz. Further, it spotlights the hidden meaning of mystical metaphors to make it expressible. The current research is based on Ricoeur’s hermeneutic model of understanding text which Ricoeur calls the Hermeneutic Arc. This study concludes that the cornerstone ideology beyond the use of metaphors is to awaken the sleeping souls, the negation of material pursuit, and realization of spiritual truth---Divine love and unity with God. Hafiz focuses on freedom, an eternity of soul, joy, and immortality; further. While Rumi talks about enlightenment of soul, union with Beloved and strong faith. Rumi’s use of language, imagery, and ideas are more powerful than Hafiz.