The altar of my prayer
is the corner of the winehouse,
and my morning mantra is
praising the beloved.
Since I have taken refuge
in this majestic kingdom,
my place of rest is beyond
the throne of the sun.
image by Rassouli
point of union
http://www.rassouli.com
O slumbering one! Wake up and raise your awareness!
In the light of truth, submit to the teacher of love!
Let go of the copper of your being like the true wayfarers!
Find the alchemy of love and become shimmering gold.
O Hafiz, if union is the desire of your heart,
become the dust on the threshold of those who have vision.
Hafiz
_____________________________________________________________________
O light of my eyes! There is something I long to tell you.
Come close and take it into your listening heart.
When your urn is filled and overflowing,
drink and share the wine with the thirsty ones
Let the voice of love within your heart
guide you through this life.
The hand of love does not touch the followers of the mind.
It you want to caress the beloved’s hair, let go of reason!
Lay down your life and wealth freely for your friends.
Give love and praise to friends who seek guidance.
O Winegiver, may your urn be forever full,
cast a light-filled glance toward this thirsty lover.
And when you pass by in your golden robe,
offer a kiss as alms for Hafiz in his beggar’s rags!
Hafiz
A safe haven, vintage wine
and a caring friend,
if they could last forever,
are worth a fortune.
The world and everything in it
is nothing in nothing.
This is a point I have realized
a thousand times.
I regret and grieve
that I didn’t know until now
the alchemy of success
is friendship, my friend.
Seek a shelter and seize
every moment, for
the ambusher of time is waiting
to steal your life away.
Hafiz
__________________________________
Cry, O sweet nightingale,
cry, for you feel what I feel!
We are two deprived lovers,
singing songs of our longing.
In the meadow where the breeze
brings the scent of the beloved,
there is no place for musk
to boast about its fragrance.
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The mystery is revealed to the seeker in the glistening of the wine,
for the true essence is perceived in that ruby glow.
Only the night bird truly values everything about the rose.
Not every one who reads can realize hidden meanings.
I offered this world and the next to the weary heart of mine.
Except for your love, all others were temporal and fleeting.
The time is past since public opinion was important to me.
Now, even the magistrate knows that I drink wine in secret.
The beloved does not wish for us to always be satisfied,
else every desire of our hearts would be forever fulfilled.
The one who treasures the breeze from the beloved’s kingdom,
can transform the dust and stone into jewels and rubies with a glance.
O you searching for the truth of love in the book of knowledge,
I am afraid this is an insight far beyond reading and research.
Pour the wine! No one aware of the autumn winds,
would ever boast of flowers in the garden of this world.
This poem is woven from pearls strung from the soul of Hafiz
created under love’s guidance from the lord of generosity.
Hafiz
_________________________________
Remember the time your stolen glances were mine,
and the mark of love shone so clearly on my face.
Remember when your commanding eyes slew me,
and your Christ-like lips gave me new life.
Remember when you and I paired, drunk with love
until dawn, with only the grace of God between us.
Remember when your face lit up with joy like a candle,
and my flowing heart circled about you like a fearless moth.
Remember when the ruby wine sparkled in the chalice
as intimate tales fluttered between your ruby lips and mine.
Remember those winehouse days, ruined in ecstasy.
What I found there, I cannot find now, even in prayer.
Remember when you chose to depart, and the silver crescent
of the new moon became the envoy of your light.
Remember when your alterations aligned every new verse
of Hafiz to become poetry like a string of finest pearls.
Hafiz
_________________________
Painting by Rassouli
Embrace
When the light of the wine rises over the horizon of the chalice,
tulips bloom by the thousands in the garden of the winegiver.
When the scent of thriving love rises in the meadow,
the morning breeze tears open the corral of the jasmine.
The saga of the night of yearning is not a tale that
even a fraction of it can be told in hundreds of books.
Oh heart! Don’t grasp at the overturned table of the universe!
Without prevalent longing not even a morsel would be found.
The pearl of desire cannot be found by effort alone.
Without guidance and help, it is just a mirage in the desert of longing.
If you have the patience of Noah waiting for the storm to calm,
the calamity would transform into the bounty of a thousand years.
If the wind carries the scent of your hair over the tomb of Hafiz,
thousands of tulips would rise from the dust of his body.
Hafiz
__________________________
Last night, midnight became an exalted dawn as they kissed
the grief from my mouth, breathed the breath of life between these lips,
and in that holy darkness, let me drink from the waters of life.
The light of love poured through me until I fell down, reeling in ecstasy.
This cup has spilled over! Now the wine of reflection reveals the Beloved’s grace.
What a glorious midnight! What a blessed darkness! When, on that night
of great reward, I at last received the deed to the fortune of my soul.
Now, my face is the mirror which reflects love’s ultimate beauty everywhere.
In the splendor of this place, I saw all the wonders of eternity revealed.
So does it truly surprise you that I dance through the streets singing out joy
for all who have ears to hear! For this, I received the alms of my salvation.
For on that day, the unseen messenger brought me this magnificent news,
tyranny and grief can never prevail over patience and the steadfast heart.
These, my friend, were the keys to my freedom. This sugar pouring from my words
is the sweet reward of patience. For this, they gave me the whole Cane Stalk!
Rejoice! The aspiration of Hafiz and the breath of all believers, who rise in the sun
with God, have broken the heavy chains of illusion and set me free!
Hafiz
_____________________________
Your face is lovely. Every cell of your body is joyful!
And your honeyed lips, sweetly entice my heart.
Your body is as soft and delicate as a fresh rose petal
Your grace is like a cypress in the garden of paradise.
You are the temptation! Every line and dot of your body attracts me.
And the scent of your jasmined hair brings joy to my heart.
The garden of my dreams is blossoming in your lines and forms.
The eternal peace in my heart is from longing for you!
In the path of love that is flooded with threats ,
my only driving power is the hope of being in your arms.
How can I thank the sweetness of your eyes that in the midst of illness,
seeing your face, transforms my pain into joy!
The valley of quest is a dangerous place, but fearless Hafiz
is passionately running around searching for you.
Hafiz
________________________
Heart of a great mystic poet 