The Gift

This is my first Review ever on Amazon and I am doing this for the love of Hafiz. I am originally of Persian origin and a life long lover of Hafiz... Have visited his tomb and the beautiful city of Shiraz. For people who are looking for a perfect translation, let me tell you that this is not it, not even close. To translate Hafiz, is to try and reproduce Shakespeare in another language and have it somehow come out with the same texture for the modern age (perhaps impossible). So reading Hafiz in Farsi requires years and years of cultural, intellectual and spiritual studies. To me he was an enlightened artist that had walked the esoteric Sufi path to full and authentic comprehension/liberation, in the process one can sense his love for existence and connection to the source (his own being). It feels like he had reached a place where like any great artist he had the necessary tools developed physically/mentally/intellectually to be able to translate his mystical experiences fluently and effortlessly into an external art form (in his case lyric poetry and who knows what else). I am explaining my understanding of him/her to make a point here. Mr. Ladinsky has somehow connected to the essence of Hafiz. In order to comprehend Hafiz in another language (and a whole different time/setting), one has to somehow try the impossible and reproduce the texture by trying to remove vague cultural, intellectual and spiritual references with ideas and thoughts that resonate with people today. Ladinsky has tried and somehow succeeded with giving us a glimpse (just a glimpse) of Hafiz and his loving/playful spirit. In my opinion, this book is mainly an intro to Hafiz, but even an intro is enough to open the door for those that like to venture deeper. In Iran Hafiz (or Hafez) and his main and perhaps only book 'Divan' is read like an Oracle (like the I Ching) - with intention and perhaps a lingering question one opens up to a page to receive his guidance. Well this book, carries the same fire if you're able to get past your ideas of right and wrong and just tune into it. For many Iranians (lots of my own friends), this book brings up a lot of challenges and I can understand that because it's so different from the original, but yet if you are able to realize that his poetry was from over 600 years ago, from a time when the culture was so different and language was a lot more evolved, than maybe you can put into context what this book is actually doing. And yes, language was more evolved, just look at the older writings by poets and writers and it should be obvious (that's a whole other subject). Mr. Ladinsky, has tried his best and this seems like the only book so far that allows one to get a glimpse of Hafiz in the english language, but he also does fall short in many aspects obviously (There probably isn't anyone that could perfectly translate Hafiz, even in Iran people argue about the deeper meanings of most of his writings). Hafiz's words are from another dimension and brought to life in Farsi, so to truly feel Hafiz, one has to study Farsi.

Having already been enchanted by Daniel Ladinsky's previous rendererings of Hafiz in _I Heard God Laughing_ and _The Subject Tonight is Love_, Ladinsky's present effort is worthy of no less acclaim. In fact, his choices this time from the _Divan_(250 poems) bring home with exquisite precision that Hafiz, the Perfect Master is in fact, a Master of Love. The reader gets the clear message in Ladinsky's portrait that Hafiz has intermalized to perfection his teacher's (Mohammad Attar)lessons on the manifold levels of love and its demands: "I saw it was Hafiz who wrote all your notes of sadness, But also etched and gave you Every ecstatic wince of joy your face, body and heart has ever known." (p.38). This is no "New Age" nonsense, which at its worst hails the light and avoids the shadow, Hafiz (though seducing the beginner lover by his promises of sweetness and tenderness, that God could actually "become an infant in your arms"[p,56]) cautions that he "hold's the Lion's Paw whenever I dance."(p.57). Western culture has not received such lessons on divine love since Jesus and Plato, and unfortunately, the fresh images of their teachings on love have all been but lost to humanity, save a small remnant of sketches. Ladinsky's Hafiz both assures and challenges the seeker because any fully-alive being with such capacity for loving as Hafiz dwarfs our puny notions of western romantic love without shaming or condemning it. Only encouraging like a true teacher with compassion would: "You ask for a few words of comfort and guidance. I quickly kneel at your side offering you this whole book . . . Here's a rope, tie it around me, Hafiz will be your companion for life."(p83). Hafiz's language of love utilized the metaphor of his time and culture as Jesus incorporated the images of parable. Ladinsky courageously steps out of line (as surely did Hafiz) and takes the risk to be mundane without being irreverent when describing the labyrinth that is the heart: "There are different wells within your heart. Some fill with each good rain. Others are far too deep for that." (p76) Ladinsky's Hafiz teaches us of a divine being who walks among and talks with and celebrates his creation; yet challenges it to stretch beyond its boundaries of self-interest: " I want both of us to start talking about this great love. As if you , I, and the sun were all married and living in a tiny room, helping each other to cook, do the wash, weave and sew, care for our beautiful animals."(p.180). Ladinsky's fine portrait of this 14th century Perfect Master gives the West the certain bugal cry that God is not dead, but it is we who are dead to God. The success of this book will measure how many of us are indeed alive here, and how many are really interested in the more mature lessons of loving.

Thanks to ladinsky for making the essence of Hafiz accessible to the English reader. For a select some, the purpose of Hafiz's poems is the supernal transportation that takes place in the heart, mind and soul of the seeker. A simple reader of Hafiz may appreciate a more mundane rendition; but a Lover comes to Hafiz to be lost in his drunkenness. ladinsky's interpretations above and outside of translations renders the Realm for the English reader. For hearts seeking higher service to the Friend this indeed is all that matters and yes, our hearts do joy at the criticism of those who yet court the kiss of the King for they are still engaged in the evolution back into essence and oh how the heart does dance at the thought of these.Wayfarer, do God, the "field of holiness" and all creation a favor, purchase this friend's every interpretation of Hafiz and devotionally devour massive morsels until the Final Friend causes YOU to spit out spontaneous sputterings of His own. But don't hurry or worry, for the process may take months or millennia but eventually all will evolve back home to Him.In joy enjoy in-Joy. Dear one read through that last line again, breathe through that last line again. It is far far deeper than most know.

I love this book. It’s not a sit down and read it through (unless you want to!). It’s a sit, turn to a random page, and read. Sit with it for a bit and think. It’s great poetry and always is insightful. I often purchase this as gifts for friends and is great to have on a “coffee table” or lamp stand.