This essay examines the reception of Persian poetry by the German philosopher and poet Friedrich Georg Jünger (1898-1977). This reception is relevant for a work-immanent interpretation of Jünger’s thoughts on poetry as well as in the sense of a (so far neglected) chapter in the history of the reception of Persian poetry in the German-speaking world. Jünger’s preoccupation with Persian poetry is focused on three main poets, namely Omar Khayyam, Saadi, and Hafiz, for whom Jünger showed the greatest admiration. After a historical-biographical localization of the topic, Jünger’s reception of these poets will be outlined in terms of content; not least, their influence on Jünger’s own poetical work will be examined. It will be shown how Jünger was particularly inspired by Hafiz, both in his theoretical reflections on the essence of poetry and in the composition of some of his own cycles of poems.
