The Gift: Poems by Hafiz The Great Sufi Master
Chosen by author Elizabeth Gilbert as one of her ten favorite books, Daniel Ladinsky’s extraordinary renderings of 250 unforgettable lyrical poems by Hafiz, one of the greatest Sufi poets of all time\ \ More than any other Persian poet—even Rumi—Hafiz expanded the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry. Because his poems were often ecstatic love songs from God to his beloved world, many have called Hafiz the "Invisible Tongue." Indeed, Daniel Ladinsky has said that his work with Hafiz is an...
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More than any other Persian poet, it is perhaps Hafiz who accesses the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry.. "With this collection of 250 of Hafiz's most intimate poems, Daniel Ladinsky has succeeded in capturing the essence of one of Islam's greatest poetic and religious voices. Each line of The Gift imparts the wonderful qualities of this spiritual teacher: an audacious love that empowers lives, profound knowledge, wild generosity, and a sweet, playful genius unparalleled in world literature.Sandra MarshallFor those initiated in colder faces of worship, this Sufi's passionate freedom as God's loving partner is beyond heartwarming; reinvigorate yourself y opening any page and accepting its call. >br>— Napra Review
Preface1Introduction: The Life and Work of Hafiz71Startled by GodStartled by God21Let's Eat22When the Violin23Looking for Good Fish24A Hunting Party26This Sane Idea27We Have Not Come to Take Prisoners28I Can See Angels29You're It30I Rain312I Have Learned So MuchI Have Learned So Much32God Just Came Near33The Sun Never Says34The Seed Cracked Open35Why Just Ask the Donkey36Who Wrote All the Music38Your Mother and My Mother39Mismatched Newlyweds40Your Seed Pouch41That Magnificent Storm423Removing the Shoe from the TempleRemoving the Shoe from the Temple43Against My Own Hand45Out of This Mess46If God Invited You to a Party47To Build a Swing48A Crystal Rim49This One Is Mine50Curfews51The Ear That Was Sold to a Fish52An Infant in Your Arms564I Hold the Lion's PawI Hold the Lion's Paw57If the Falling of a Hoof59What the Hell61Someone United Your Camel62When I Want to Kiss God64For a Single Tear65That Shapes the Eye66So Many Gifts67Love Is the Funeral Pyre69Allah, Allah, Allah705Don't Die AgainDon't Die Again71Like a Life-Giving Sun73The Great Work74Effacement75Some Fill with Each Good Rain76The Vintage Man77Everywhere78Lifts beyond Conception79God's Bucket81Just Looking for Trouble826The GiftThe Gift83Laughing at the Word Two84Life Starts Clapping85The Foundation for Greatness86Courteous to the Ant87His Winter Crop88The Scent of Light90No Conflict91Stop Calling Me a Pregnant Woman92A Strange Feather947I am Really Just a TambourineI Am Really Just a Tambourine95The Stairway of Existence96What Do White Birds Say97How Do I Listen?99The Earth Braces Itself100The Difference Between102The Angels Know You Well107Crooked Deals108The Millstone's Talents109Let Thought Become Your Beautiful Lover1108Get the Blame StraightGet the Blame Straight111Rewards for Clear Thinking113Please115This Constant Yearning116The Sad Game117That Regal Coat118Stop Being So Religious119Friends Do Things Like This120It Felt Love121Look! I Am a Whale122Two Bears123The Sky Hunter124Forgive the Dream1259The Prettiest MuleThe Prettiest Mule127Today128Wise Men Keep Talking About129Back into Herself131The Mule Got Drunk and Lost in Heaven132Why Abstain?134The Warrior135Dividing God136I Saw Two Birds138Muhammad's Twin13910Tiny GodsTiny Gods140This Union142When You Can Endure143This Talking Rag144Who Will Feed My Cat?145Burglars Hear Watchdogs146A Still Cup147That Lamp That Needs No Oil148Too Wonderful14911Elephant WonderingElephant Wondering150An Old Musician151The Fish and I Will Chat152The Heart Is Right153Out of God's Hat154The Clay Bowl's Destiny157I Hope You Won't Sue This Old Man158Faithful Lover159Now Is the Time16012Counting MolesCounting Moles162Hafiz163The Body a Tree164A Great Need165There Could Be Holy Fallout166Trying to Wear Pants168This Sky169It is Unanimous170Two Puddles Chatting171His Ballet Company17213ReverenceReverence173That Tree We Planted174I Vote for You for God175A One-Story House176The Great Religions177What Happens to the Guest178I Want Both of Us180Like Passionate Lips181Cucumbers and Prayers18214A Cushion for Your HeadA Cushion for Your Head183These Beautiful Love Games184The Bag Lady185The Ambience of Love186Tired of Speaking Sweetly187A Root in Each Act and Creature189Our Hearts Should Do This More191Turn Left a Thousand Feet from Here192Imagination Does Not Exist194Throw Me on a Scale195The Hatcheck Girl197Damn Thirsty19815Two Giant Fat PeopleTwo Giant Fat People199Scratching My Back200If You Don't Stop That201Elegance202A Hole in a Flute203Until204Why Aren't We Screaming Drunks?205Dropping Keys206All the Talents of God207The Great Expanse208I Imagine Now for Ages20916Spiced MannaSpiced Manna210A Hard Decree212And For No Reason213Sometimes I Say to a Poem214The Suburbs215She Responded216We Might Have to Medicate You217The Idiot's Warehouse218When You Wake219This Teaching Business Isn't Easy220The Mountain Got Tired of Sitting22117Where is the Door to the Tavern?Where Is the Door to the Tavern?222Becoming Human223In Need of the Breath225The Heart's Coronation227The Thousand-Stringed Instrument228Then Winks229And Then You Are230The Intelligent Man231The Chorus in the Eye232Find a Better Job234The Lute Will Beg23518When the Sun Conceived A ManWhen the Sun Conceived a Man236A Mime239The Quintessence of Loneliness241Needing a Mirror243Zikr244The Tender Mouth246Greeting God247Reaching Toward the Millet Fields24819Lousy at MathLousy at Math250The Sun in Drag252Between Our Poles253Stay Close to Those Sounds254An Invisible Pile of Wood255It Has Not Rained Light256Berserk257No More Leaving258Wow259What Should We Do about That Moon?26020Cupping My Hands Like a Mountain ValleyCupping My Hands Like a Mountain Valley261Why Not Be Polite26921The God Who Only Knows Four WordsThe God Who Only Knows Four Words270You Were Brave in That Holy War271Bring the Man to Me273Too Beautiful276My Eyes So Soft277The Diamond Takes Shape278That Does Perish279Chain You to My Body280Covers Her Face with Both Hands281Dog's Love28222Stay With UsStay with Us284I Am Full of Love Tonight286Many Lives Ago288It Will Stretch Out Its Leg289Some of the Planets Are Hosting291What Is the Root?293The Same Suntan294For Three Days29523A Clever Piece of MuttonA Clever Piece of Mutton297Who Can Hear the Buddha Sing?298Buttering the Sky300How Fascinating301Where Great Lions Love to Piss302A Potent Lover303An Astronomical Question304I Wish I Could Speak Like Music305In a Circus Booth306Maybe Even Lucrative307Troubled30824The Silk MandalaThe Silk Mandala309A Forest Herb310Your Camel Is Loaded to Sing311Stealing Back the Flute312Where the Drum Lost Its Mind313Every City Is a Dulcimer315Ruin317Between Your Eye and This Page318Practice This New Birdcall31925I Know I was the WaterI Know I Was the Water320With That Moon Language322Without Brushing My Hair323Integrity324There325When Space Is Not Rationed326Birds of Passage327Act Great328The Only Material329I Got Kin330Only One Rule331Your Thousand Limbs332And Love Says333
\ Sandra MarshallFor those initiated in colder faces of worship, this Sufi's passionate freedom as God's loving partner is beyond heartwarming; reinvigorate yourself y opening any page and accepting its call. >br>— Napra Review\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsThe Gift ( paperback original; Aug.; 326 pp.; 0-14-019581-5): A worthy companion volume to Coleman Banks's new translation of Rumi (The Glance, see below). It collects 250 poems written by Muhammad Hafiz (1320–89), the most popular and highly revered poet in Persian history, and renders them into a fresh translation from the Farsi. Like Rumi, Hafiz writes out of the Sufi tradition, and his work bears the Sufi hallmarks of ecstatic spirituality conveyed at once through lush imagery and verbal restraint. His fabulistic, almost didactic style can sound a bit flat at times ("How / Do I / Listen to others? / As if everyone were my Master / Speaking to me / His / Last / Words"), but there is a religious intensity in his work that is equally fresh and naive ("When no one is looking and I want / To kiss / God / I just lift my own hand / To / My / Mouth") and quite unlike anything found in the Western tradition (though modern minimalists such as Robert Lax come close). A fine preface by Ladinsky and an excellent introduction by Henry S. Mindlin.\ \
