Born as Shamsuddin Mohamed in 1320 AD in Shiraz, Persia, Hafiz memorized the Quran at an early age to become known as Hafiz, which he later adopted as his pen name. A self taught scholar, mystic, and poet, he became the favorite of kings, princes as well as ministers and spent his adult life in affluence. Without a doubt he remains one of the most revered poets of all time and while much of his poetry has been lost over centuries, about six hundred poems, mainly odes, survive. Herein two hundred ninety nine are offered as a tiny celebration of what the world, in all her glory, provides.
