Poems that I love

This world is no match for your Love Being away from you Is death aiming to take my soul away My heart, so precious I won’t trade for a hundred thousand souls Your one smile, takes it for free Hafiz, it may be that you’ve just poured a toast that will wash love clean of all its pictures. ~ Hafiz

by Hafiz for Jihad You have done well In the contest of madness. You were brave in that holy war. You have all the honorable wounds Of one who has tried to find love Where the Beautiful Bird Does not drink. May I speak to you Like we are close And locked away together? Once I found a stray kitten And I used to soak my fingers In warm milk; It came to think I was five mothers On one hand. Wayfarer, Why not rest your tired body? Lean back and close your eyes. Come morning I will kneel by your side and feed you. I will so gently Spread open your mouth And let you taste something of my Sacred mind and life. Surely There is something wrong With your ideas of God O, surely there is something wrong With your ideas of God If you think Our Beloved would not be so Tender.

by Hafiz Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me.” Look what happens with a love like that. It lights the whole sky. For more poems by Hafiz and Rumi..

by Hafiz One day the sun admitted, “I am just a shadow. I wish I could show you The infinite Incandescence That had cast my brilliant image!” “I wish I could show you, When you are lonely or in darkness, The Astonishing Light Of your own Being!” For more poems by Hafiz and Rumi..

by Hafiz We have not come here to take prisoners, But to surrender ever more deeply To freedom and joy. We have not come into this exquisite world To hold ourselves hostage from love. Run my dear, From anything That may not strengthen Your precious budding wings. Run like hell my dear, From anyone likely To put a sharp knife Into the sacred, tender vision Of your beautiful heart. We have a duty to befriend Those aspects of obedience That stand outside of our house And shout to our reason "O please, O please, Come out and play." For we have not come here to take prisoners Or to confine our wondrous spirits, But to experience ever and ever more deeply Our divine courage, freedom and Light! from "The Gift ~ versions of Hafiz" by Daniel Ladinsky For more poems by Hafiz and Rumi..

by Hafiz For more poems by Hafiz and Rumi.. This is not a courtroom anymore! The time of judging who's drunk or sober, who's right or wrong, who's closer to God or farther away, all that's over. This caravan is led instead by a great Delight, the simple joy that sits with us now, that is the grace. Hafiz, it may be that you've just poured a toast that will wash love clean of all it's pictures.

by Hafiz for Morgan I know the voice of depression Still calls to you. I know those habits that can ruin your life Still send their invitations. But you are with the Friend now And look so much stronger. You can stay that way And even bloom! Keep squeezing drops of the Sun From your prayers and work and music And from your companions' beautiful laughter. Keep squeezing drops of the Sun From the sacred hands and glance of your Beloved And, my dear, From the most insignificant movements Of your own holy body. Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins That may buy you just a moment of pleasure, But then drag you for days Like a broken man Behind a farting camel. You are with the Friend now. Learn what actions of yours delight Him, What actions of yours bring freedom And Love. Whenever you say God's name, dear pilgrim, My ears wish my head was missing So they could finally kiss each other And applaud all your nourishing wisdom! ...

by Hafiz for Jihad You have done well In the contest of madness. You were brave in that holy war. You have all the honorable wounds Of one who has tried to find love Where the Beautiful Bird Does not drink. May I speak to you Like we are close And locked away together? Once I found a stray kitten And I used to soak my fingers In warm milk; It came to think I was five mothers On one hand. Wayfarer, Why not rest your tired body? Lean back and close your eyes. Come morning I will kneel by your side and feed you. I will so gently Spread open your mouth And let you taste something of my Sacred mind and life. Surely There is something wrong With your ideas of God O, surely there is something wrong With your ideas of God If you think Our Beloved would not be so Tender.

by Hafiz Once a young woman asked me, “How does it feel to be a man?” And I replied, “My dear, I am not so sure.” Then she said. “Well aren’t you a man?” And this time I replied, “I view gender as a beautiful animal That people often take for a walk on a leash, And might enter in some odd contest To try to win strange prizes. My dear, A better question for Hafiz Would have been, ‘How does it feel to be a Heart?’ For all I know is love, And I find my heart Infinite And everywhere!”

by Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi (Hafiz) When The violin Can forgive the past It starts singing When the violin can stop worrying About the future You will become such a drunk laughing nuisance That God Will lean down And begin combing you into her hair When the violin can forgive Every wound caused by Others, The heart starts singing Daniel Ladinsky, translator Thanks to Morgan Zo-Callahan who found this poem after the murder of five Amish girls.

by Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi (Hafiz) Though wine gives delight, and the wind distills the perfume of the rose, Drink not the wine to the strains of the harp, for the constable is alert. Hide the goblet in the sleeve of the patchwork cloak, For the time, like the eye of the decanter, pours forth blood. Wash the wine stain from your dervish cloak with tears, For it is the season of piety, and the time for abstinence. Translation by Edward Browne