Here is another lovely fragment from Mala of the Heart, this time by Hafiz of Persia (Iran). It reminds me of the need and mutual benefit of kindness in the world.
God
blooms
from the shoulder
of the
elephant
who becomes
courteous
to the
ant.
***
Hafiz (ca. 1320-1389) was born in the garden city of Shiraz. It is said that after the early death of his father, Hafiz worked for a bakery, where he caught sight of Shakh-e Nabat, whose incredible beauty moved him to write and sing of his love for her. During a forty-night vigil to win this girl’s love, Hafiz had a vision of an angel, whose beauty led Hafiz to realize that God was infinitely more beautiful than any human form. The angel revealed where Hafiz could find a spiritual master. Hafiz then met and became a disciple of Attar of Shiraz, who led Hafiz to union with God. Like other great Sufi poets, Hafiz employed imagery to express his longing and love for the divine.
This biographical information is quoted from Mala of the Heart.
This has the feel of a proverb or haiku. ❤️
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In a wander through the wonderful world of WordPress I happened upon some poetry by Hafiz, and thus to this post. Would it be OK to share this on my blog please?
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Yes, thank you! Please feel free to share this post as long as you give credit to my blog as the source of it. 🙂 And then you are welcome to come back here and post the link, so we can all see your blog as well!
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Thank you.
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You’re welcome!
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Pingback: Poem-A-Day 2021, Day 11: Hafiz — Sappho’s Torque – Peter's pondering
I read this poem quite quickly, some hours ago. But it’s stayed with me, as all good poems do. Thank you! I came to it via Pete’s Pondering.
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Lovely! And welcome! 🙂 I do a Poem-A-Day series all April every year, plus plenty of other interesting things the rest of the time. I hope you’ll stay and enjoy it.
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Thank you! I will!
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🙂
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Such a beautiful reminder! We can always use more kindness. 🙂
(((HUGS)))
🙂
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Connection with god
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