ʿĀrifī Hiravī

Poet

Little is known of the life of Maḥmūd ʿĀrifī Hiravī, who flourished in 9th/15th century Tīmūrid times. Some referred to him as “the Second Salman” in reference to an earlier poet, either because they both shared similar poetic styles or the same chronic eye disease. ʿĀrifī’s popularity rests on his most famous work, the Ḥāl-nāmah (The Book of Ecstasy), which is also referred to as Gūī va Čawgān (The Ball and the Polo-Stick) on account of its subject matter. Ḥāl-nāmah is a mystical and allegorical poem of pure and self-sacrificing love, written in manavī. It was composed in 842/1438. ʿĀrifī died in 853/1449.