Hearing Hafez

Episode

• Ep. 40 - Breath of Longing 02.05.2026 42mnt

  New mics
• Ep. 39 - Rim of the Jar 27.03.2026 1j 6mnt

  If you want to understand why we do this podcast, you have to understand the history of Iran. Learn it. Study it.به افتخار مردم ایران
• Ep. 38 - Pomegranates 10.01.2026 43mnt

  Five years of Hearing Hafez! (And we just now got around to discussing pomegranates)
• Extra: Farhang Sharif 06.12.2025 13mnt

  We recently stumbled upon an old piece of podcast gold that never got released. In 2024, after recording an episode, we left the mics hot and put on our favorite Tar player, Farhang Sharif.Also, Hearing Hafez does not own any of the music on this extra.
• Ep. 37 - Counting My Breaths 05.11.2025 1j 10mnt

  You can stop holding your breath! Finally, after 7 months, a Hafez poem for a Hearing Hafez episode.
• Ep. 36 - When In Doubt…Khayyam 07.09.2025 31mnt

  After a 6-month hiatus, Yadi and I were so excited to read more Hafez! And then we realized we had prepared a poem that we already analyzed (Ep. 13 - The Trail to You), so we improvised by reading some Khayyam instead.
• Ep. 35 - Listen Up 26.03.2025 1j 27mnt

  Happy Norooz! This year, we read the most comprehensive Hafez poem yet. Plus stories from Yadi’s childhood celebrating the new year.
• Ep. 34 - Well-Content 22.12.2024 1j 4mnt

  It's Yalda Night, which means it's been four years since we started the podcast! And in those four years, Hafez is still figuring out what life is worth and how to be content.
• Ep. 33 - Two-Faced Cloak 28.10.2024 55mnt

  “You can’t sit with us!”What does Hafez say when he gets the Mean Girl treatment?
• Ep. 32 - Empty-Handed 30.08.2024 42mnt

  We took so long between episodes that we ended up recording this with iPads! But we have a very special subject, because in this poem, Hafez talks to a wine-vendor! And in doing so, cuts straight to the heart of his philosophy on life, which is itself a reflection of one of the most enduring realities of Iran’s existence.
• Ep. 31 - Another World 16.05.2024 1j 9mnt

  The most grand and quintessential Hafez poem we’ve read.
• Ep. 30 - Daughter of Grape 31.03.2024 52mnt

  Happy Norooz 1403!!! This one is dedicated to our friend Jamshid.
• Ep. 29 - My Clothes 10.02.2024 1j 1mnt

  Swamps, nightingales, and mythical kings. Even in exile, Hafez is ready to serve up some wicked bars. (Recorded during an atmospheric river)
• Ep. 28 - Stone-hearted 05.01.2024 1j

  I know we’re publishing this very late but Happy New Year! Happy Yalda! Happy Holidays! And happy 3-year anniversary of Hearing Hafez!
• Ep. 27 - The Lonely Zealot 28.11.2023 52mnt

  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.
• Ep. 26 - Broken 24.08.2023 34mnt

  What did the red flower say to the purple flower?
• Ep. 25 - Sayeh 23.05.2023 57mnt

  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”.
• Ep. 24 - Rudaki 14.03.2023 1j 2mnt

  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.
• Ep. 23 - Black Eyes 12.02.2023 45mnt

  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.
• Ep. 22 - Curled Bangs 26.12.2022 44mnt

  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!