Hafez was born in Shiraz in about 1320 (CE), some twenty years after the death of Sa'di, whose works inspired him as a boy.  Little factual information is known about his life, but it is commonly reported that he was a baker by trade and wrote poetry in his spare time.  He became increasingly well-known as a teacher and mystic.  He died in 1389 and his tomb in Shiraz is still a major tourist attraction.