Tired of Speaking Sweetly

Hafiz

Hafiz (1315 - 1390?) is one of the world’s most beloved poets and Sufi mystics. He is affectionately known by his admirers as “the Tongue of the Invisible”. His Divan is to be found at the home of most Iranians who recite his poems by heart and draw upon his proverbs and sayings to this day. In a myriad of poetic ways, Hafiz expresses the spiritual experiences of a mystic, in love with his Beloved. His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary, and interpretation and have influenced the course of post-fourteenth century Persian lyrics more than any other poet.

His poem about "the Beloved" (God) is even more apt when applied to God appearing in the human form of the Guru (who is actually in a position to "kick ass").

The English translation is by Daniel Ladinsky in his book of Rumi's poems, The Gift.

Love wants to reach out and manhandle us,
Break all our teacup talk of God.

If you had the courage and
Could give the Beloved His choice, some nights,
He would just drag you around the room
By your hair,
Ripping from your grip all those toys in the world
That bring you no joy.

Love sometimes gets tired of speaking sweetly
And wants to rip to shreds
All your erroneous notions of truth
That make you fight within yourself, dear one,
And with others,
Causing the world to weep
On too many fine days.

God wants to manhandle us,
Lock us inside of a tiny room with Himself
And practice His dropkick.

The Beloved sometimes wants
To do us a great favor:
Hold us upside down
And shake all the nonsense out.

But when we hear He is in such a "playful drunken mood"
Most everyone I know
Quickly packs their bags and hightails it
Out of town.

Back to "Wisdom and Advice from the Great Tradition of Crazy Wisdom"