Hafiz was born around the year 1320 and died in 1389, and he was Persia’s most beloved poet and lived most of his life in Shiraz, the town of his birth. At his death, he was thought to have written some 5,000 poems.
Even though Hafiz's poem is a short one, it is very beautiful since it explaines the relationship of the earth and the sun in a very artistic way. Hafiz uses simple words that have powerful meaning. It descirbes how the sun expects nothing in return for the fact that gives life to earth, lightenes the days, illuminates the whole earth. In life it is important to do things and not wait for something in return, because in one way or another, what comes around goes around; and, what you give is what you take.
I believe that what Haviz tends to communicate through most of his poems is to appreciate things in life, live, love, give, and feel the good in the heart.
The Sun Never Says
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.
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."
Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.
Even though Hafiz's poem is a short one, it is very beautiful since it explaines the relationship of the earth and the sun in a very artistic way. Hafiz uses simple words that have powerful meaning. It descirbes how the sun expects nothing in return for the fact that gives life to earth, lightenes the days, illuminates the whole earth. In life it is important to do things and not wait for something in return, because in one way or another, what comes around goes around; and, what you give is what you take.
I believe that what Haviz tends to communicate through most of his poems is to appreciate things in life, live, love, give, and feel the good in the heart.
REALLY BEAUTIFUL
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and insightful, yes, but this is not Hafez's beauty (even in translation). Unfortunately, this poem has no basis of fact in Hafez's work. The author is Daniel Ladinsky, whose poems may be lovely, but arent even loosely based on Hafez.
ReplyDeleteTranslation, especially of poetry, is a tricky business, but Ladinsky not only doesn't read Persian, he doesn't even pretend his versions are based on revered works written thousands of years ago. According to Ladinsky, Hafez appears to him in dreams and relates poems for Ladinsky to transcribe.
I really like a lot of Ladinsky's work, and much of it has gotten me through difficult times or helped me see the beauty in the world. The problem is that they are not translations (of Hafez or anyone else).
I'm all for you keeping this blog post up -- the sentiment really is wonderful -- but works you be open to amending the credit to clarify the it was written by Daniel Ladinsky and, if you would be so kind, to also post a poem that was actually written by the hand of the great 14th century Persian master?
If you'd like, is be happy to help you find and choose one that might be fitting.