A description for now. An interactive tool for this method is planned but not built yet.
Background
Hafez (1325–1390) is one of the most celebrated Persian poets, and many Iranians use his Divan for bibliomancy, a custom somewhat similar to the Roman Sortes Vergilianae.
How it works
With an intention in mind, the reader opens the Divan at random and reads the poem found there, interpreting its imagery as guidance.
Notes and limits
Culture: Fal-e Hafez is a cherished Persian cultural custom with its own etiquette. Any digital version should present the Persian original respectfully, credit translators, and avoid turning the poems into fortune-cookie predictions.
Licensing: Hafez’s Persian text is public domain. Gertrude Bell’s 1897 English translation is available on Project Gutenberg as public domain in the US; check local law elsewhere. Most modern translations (and popular "versions") are copyrighted.
At a glance
- Also called
- Fal-e Hafez, فال حافظ, Hafez fal, Faal-e Hafiz
- Traditions
- Persian, Iranian
- Regions
- Middle East & Persia
- You need
- A question, A random draw
- Price
- Free