The theme of love is central to this poem and to Sufism in general. People who follow the Sufi Path of Love, or the Way of the Lover, cultivate love on many levels. The coexistence of these facets of desire—human beloved and divine beloved—can aid in spiritual illumination.

Sufi love poetry is especially concerned with the beloved: The object of desire. In terms of interpreting and translating Hafez’s poetry, defining the beloved should be an inclusive and encompassing process. Pronouns are not gender-specific in Hafez’s native language (and other Persian languages), so his beloved could be of any gender. According to the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, “Persian pronouns give no indication of the gender, and the beloved was frequently a young male ephebe” (Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Edited by Stephen Cushman, Clare Cavanagh, Jahan Ramazani, and Paul Rouzer. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2021, page 1023). Emerson’s English translation of “See How the Roses Burn!” reflects this ambiguity, using gender-inclusive pronouns with the first-person plural “we” (Line 4) and “us” (Line 3). The nature of the speaker’s commands also imply a second person without limiting them to a specific gender.