Hearing Hafez: Recent Episodes
Kia Aliakbar & Yadi Aliakbar
Swamps, nightingales, and mythical kings. Even in exile, Hafez is ready to serve up some wicked bars. (Recorded during an atmospheric river)
I know we’re publishing this very late but Happy New Year! Happy Yalda! Happy Holidays! And happy 3-year anniversary of Hearing Hafez!
Happy Thanksgiving! This was a tough one to decode, but that’s what we would expect for a poem that explains the evolution of Hafez’s philosophy in life.
Yadi and I are casual fans of Hafez, but in this episode we discuss one of the eminent Hafez scholars of the 20th and 21st century, Houshang Ebtehaj. Better known by his pen name “Sayeh”.
In this episode, Yadi and I take a detour from Hafez to talk about one of his predecessors and influences, the legendary poet Rudaki. Plus, hang around until the end of the episode for a treat.
In this poem, Hafez reconciles with the loss of a loved one and offers perspective on the things we can’t always change, such as ourselves.
Happy (Late) Yalda! In this episode, Hafez talks to us about how it feels to outlast the night and the love that awaits on the other side. Plus (a podcast first) Yadi finally reads us one of his own poems!
Happy Father’s Day! Coming to you from the picnic table in Kia’s Corner, Hafez has us discuss the physics and philosophy of what it means to “get close”.
Happy Norooz! Today we read a random poem by Hafez and, in typical Norooz tradition, divine a good omen for the new year.
We take a quick break from Hafez to sneak a peek into the perplexing perspectives and existential wisdom of Omar Khayyam’s rubaiyats.
Happy Yalda! Thanks to all of our listeners for following along with us. We made it to our one-year anniversary!
Mystic birds, shadows, and wine? Hafez gives us the sparknotes on political activism. Also, Attar came first.
Happy Norooz! Sorry we’re getting this out late, but we just couldn’t resist the weather on Persian New Year. If you too feel a deep longing for springtime make sure to give this episode a listen!
Magicians, flying horses, and eyebrow pencils. Plus, Yadi tries to answer the age old question: What is love?
If you’ve been eagerly waiting for the next episode then look no further! We spent extra time working on this one because in this poem Hafez delves into one of his favorite topics...wine.
In this poem, Hafez helps us unpack that feeling of longing we all get for the friends and family we miss.
It’s Yadi and Kia, back for Episode #2 of Hearing Hafez! This time we’re reading a poem in which Hafez discusses the complicated nature of the expectations we have for our friendships.
We figured Yalda Night would be perfect to kickoff this new podcast. So here we are! Featuring a poem Hafez wrote about Yalda Night.
Hello! Glad to have you join us as we explore the poetic beauty and wisdom of Hafez’s writing. Tea and sweets are highly recommended while listening. Stay tuned for a new poem every episode!