تداعی آزاد معانی برپایة اصطلاحات کم‌کاربرد موسیقی در دیوان حافظ

This article, drawing upon the theories of free association of meanings and the unconscious of texts, offers a deeper aesthetic appreciation of Hafez's poetry for the professional reader. By discovering and explicating the intricate networks of words in his poetry, it provides the necessary grounds for a richer and more profound understanding of his verses. Among the numerous semantic networks formed through punning in Hafez’s Divan, the network of musical terms plays a significant role in shaping hidden associative puns. Terms such as Eghamat (residence), Bo’d (interval), Chap (left), Chanbar (tambourine), Khorouj (exit), Dokhoul (entry), Delgosha (delightful), Delnavaz (pleasant), Raj’at (return), Reshte (string), Zanjir (chain), Sadeh (simple), Sabok (light), Shaneh (shoulder or comb), Shahin (scale arm), Tariq (path), and Fann (technique)—when placed alongside more common musical terms such as parde (tone), maqam (mode), and rah (path)—create a broader and more complex associative pun network in the Divan. These connections elevate the literary device of pun from mere rhetoric to a tool for free semantic association. This paper explores the intricate and concealed network of musical associative puns in Hafez’s poetry and, based on the aforementioned theories, identifies and explicates several of these puns.
Keywords: Hafez, music, free association of meaning, unconscious of texts, hidden associative pun.
Introduction:
Words, terms, and concepts from various sciences and arts such as astronomy, medicine, mysticism, philosophy, logic, jurisprudence, theology, calligraphy, architecture, and music are widely used in literary works. Familiarity with such fields is helpful for understanding literature; the deeper the reader’s knowledge of these terms, the richer and more layered their understanding of literary texts becomes. Among these disciplines, music and its associated terminology hold special importance, as the connection between poetry and music has always been close, and musical concepts frequently appear in literary texts. Among Persian poets, some have used musical terminology more creatively and artistically in their works. Undoubtedly, one of the most prominent among them is Hafez of Shiraz. Several studies have addressed Hafez’s familiarity with music and the integration of musical terms in his poetry. Mallah notes: “Hafez was inherently a music connoisseur or musician... I intentionally use the term ‘musician’ for Hafez, as there are strong indications not only in the beautiful words and charming rhythms of his poetry, but also in his familiarity with Persian musical modes.” The author of Majma' al-Fusaha also states: “He must be considered both a singer and a master of music.” Thus, a precise and detailed understanding of musical terms can significantly enhance the reader’s comprehension and interpretation of Hafez’s verses.
Statement of the Problem and Methodology:
Hafez’s Divan contains words and expressions that, due to the passage of time, are not immediately understood by contemporary readers. Some of these terms belong to the domain of music and form latent lexical associations within the poems. These associations lead to the formation of hidden associative puns. By tracing such words in lexicons and dictionaries of musical terminology, we have identified and introduced several of these hidden puns.
It is possible that some of these interpretations are reader-constructed, and the poet himself may not have been consciously aware of them—however, proving such unconsciousness is difficult and perhaps impossible. Therefore, these interpretations are validated based on the theory of free association of meaning and the theory of the unconscious of texts.
Discussion and Analysis:
In this section, we examine hidden musical associative puns in Hafez’s poetry. The primary aim is not to provide detailed definitions of each musical term, but rather to reveal the hidden associative connections that these terms establish within the text. We focus on expressions identified as musical terms in lexicons and music dictionaries.
Eghamat (Residence): A term used in music.
Bo’d (Interval): The space between tones in music.
Baqiyyah (Remainder): In Old Iranian music, post-Islamic era, referred to small and very small seconds.
Chap (Left): Refers to a musician deviating from the standard musical mode; playing out of tune.
Chanbar (Tambourine): A type of musical instrument.
Khorouj (Exit): A term used in ancient music, referring to the concluding stage of a musical composition or form.
Dokhoul (Entry): A term for the introduction or prelude of a musical mode, song, or vocal performance.
Delgosha (Delightful): Term associated with music in the past.
Delnavaz (Pleasant): A melodic term from the Sassanian era, found in ancient texts.
Raj’at (Return): Repetition of a musical theme or melody.
Reshte (String): Refers to the string of string instruments.
Zanjir (Chain): An ancient musical instrument.
Sadeh (Simple): Used metaphorically to imply clarity or straightforwardness in melody.
Sabok (Light): Associated with rhythm or tempo.
Shaneh (Shoulder): Symbolic or metaphorical in musical contexts.
Shahin (Scale arm): From weighing scales, metaphorically related to balance in rhythm or tone.
Tariq (Path): Another term for musical mode or style.
Fann (Technique): Refers to skill or method in music.
 
Conclusion:
By investigating the complex network of associative puns derived from musical terminology in Hafez’s poetry, we conclude that free association of meaning can enrich the implicit imagery in his poems, enhancing artistic enjoyment for seasoned readers. These interpretations also highlight the reader’s active role in uncovering latent textual meanings. Thus, despite the absence of such terms in the linear or explicit meanings of verses, their implicit presence—manifested through pun—cannot be denied. This study, by tracing musical terms in historical lexicons, uncovers hidden readings validated by literary theories. It also identifies rarely used musical terms such as Eghamat, Bo’d, Baqiyyah, Chap, Chanbar, Khorouj, Dokhoul, Delgosha, Delnavaz, Raj’at, Reshte, Zanjir, Sadeh, Sabok, Shaneh, Shahin, Tariq, and Fann. For thirteen of these terms, textual evidence from older sources is presented, suggesting they were likely known in Hafez’s time. For the remaining five, due to lack of historical citations, we cannot definitively assert their usage in his era—but based on the employed theories, their interpretation remains justifiable.