This is, I believe, the longest poem in the book, The Gift. I don't know. I'm reading the book as I record it. It is long, epic and transcendent. This poem clocks in at eleven minutes, sixteen seconds and I think this must be one of Hafiz' songs because it circles from beginning to end. I am used to smaller runes. This one was a real dose and made me a bit giddy.
Like the way
The valleys of the earth
Cup their hands for light and drink,
Like
The way
The desert opens up his sweet mouth
And laughs
When someone melts pearls in the sky
And rain, rain
Returns like a divine lover
With a thousand wonderful
Gifts,
It is epic and swoon-worthy. There is nothing more to say but thank you for listening.
Music: One epic sharing deserves another. The Royal Conservatory of Music performing the classic, Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov
Painting by Sophie Gengembre Anderson
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz (including an addendum regarding the authenticity of these poems) can be found here. Also, my thoughts on this series a year into these poems, HERE.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.
My book can be purchased HERE. E-book HERE. The Season Two blogcasts with audio excerpts from my book begin HERE: in Behind The Lines. This reading of the book excerpts in a mixed media format is Season Two of this blog. These recorded excerpts are outside the chronological order in which the book was written. Podcasts with audio only beginning with episode 22 can be found HERE.