- Count View : 5
- آدرس کوتاه شده مقاله: https://bahareadab.com/article_id/1955
- کد IranDOI مقاله: IranDOI:10.irandoi.2002/bahareadab.2026 .18 .8074
volume Number : 18
number In Volume : 11
issue Number : 117
Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 18،
number In Volume 11،
،
issue Number 117
The Good Mention of the Butler: An Analysis of the Frequency and Semantic Functions of the Word "Saqi" in the Sonnets of Hafez Shirazi
Ali Asghar Babasalar (Author in Charge), Seyedeh Nasrin Zolfaghari
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The term Saqi is one of the most significant symbolic elements in Hafez’s ghazals, deeply embedded in the mystical, semantic, and poetic structure of his work. Despite extensive interpretive discussions by commentators, systematic quantitative and comparative analyses of this term based on authoritative editions of Hafez’s Divan remain limited. This study aims to examine the frequency and semantic–syntactic functions of Saqi in Hafez’s ghazals and to clarify its role within the poet’s symbolic system.
METHODOLOGY: Using a descriptive–analytical approach and library-based research, five authoritative editions of Hafez’s Divan (Qazvini–Ghani, Khanlari, Mahmoud Hakim, Elahi Qomshe’i, and Sa’ye) were analyzed. All occurrences of the term Saqi were identified and counted. The number of ghazals containing this term was calculated and compared with the total number of ghazals in each edition. Furthermore, the syntactic functions of Saqi were categorized into vocative, descriptive, and declarative roles and examined comparatively.
FINDINGS: The results indicate that Saqi appears, on average, in approximately one-fifth of Hafez’s ghazals. From a syntactic perspective, descriptive and declarative uses collectively occur more frequently than vocative uses, although in the Elahi Qomshe’i and Sa’ye editions these roles are nearly balanced. In the Qazvini, Khanlari, and Hakim editions, descriptive and declarative functions are slightly more prominent, suggesting a shift from direct address toward conceptual and symbolic usage.
CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that the presence of Saqi in Hafez’s ghazals is intentional and structurally meaningful. The term functions as a key symbolic figure in conveying mystical, social, and critical dimensions of Hafez’s worldview, confirming its central role in the semantic architecture of his poetry.
Keyword
Hafez
, Ghazals
, Saqi
, Syntactic Role
, Symbolism
- Qur'an, The Holy.
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