The Gift Paperback – August 1, 1999

This is my first Review ever on Amazon and I am doing this for the love of Hafiz. I am originally of Persian origin and a life long lover of Hafiz... Have visited his tomb and the beautiful city of Shiraz. For people who are looking for a perfect translation, let me tell you that this is not it, not even close. To translate Hafiz, is to try and reproduce Shakespeare in another language and have it somehow come out with the same texture for the modern age (perhaps impossible). So reading Hafiz in Farsi requires years and years of cultural, intellectual and spiritual studies. To me he was an enlightened artist that had walked the esoteric Sufi path to full and authentic comprehension/liberation, in the process one can sense his love for existence and connection to the source (his own being). It feels like he had reached a place where like any great artist he had the necessary tools developed physically/mentally/intellectually to be able to translate his mystical experiences fluently and effortlessly into an external art form (in his case lyric poetry and who knows what else). I am explaining my understanding of him/her to make a point here. Mr. Ladinsky has somehow connected to the essence of Hafiz. In order to comprehend Hafiz in another language (and a whole different time/setting), one has to somehow try the impossible and reproduce the texture by trying to remove vague cultural, intellectual and spiritual references with ideas and thoughts that resonate with people today. Ladinsky has tried and somehow succeeded with giving us a glimpse (just a glimpse) of Hafiz and his loving/playful spirit. In my opinion, this book is mainly an intro to Hafiz, but even an intro is enough to open the door for those that like to venture deeper. In Iran Hafiz (or Hafez) and his main and perhaps only book 'Divan' is read like an Oracle (like the I Ching) - with intention and perhaps a lingering question one opens up to a page to receive his guidance. Well this book, carries the same fire if you're able to get past your ideas of right and wrong and just tune into it. For many Iranians (lots of my own friends), this book brings up a lot of challenges and I can understand that because it's so different from the original, but yet if you are able to realize that his poetry was from over 600 years ago, from a time when the culture was so different and language was a lot more evolved, than maybe you can put into context what this book is actually doing. And yes, language was more evolved, just look at the older writings by poets and writers and it should be obvious (that's a whole other subject). Mr. Ladinsky, has tried his best and this seems like the only book so far that allows one to get a glimpse of Hafiz in the english language, but he also does fall short in many aspects obviously (There probably isn't anyone that could perfectly translate Hafiz, even in Iran people argue about the deeper meanings of most of his writings). Hafiz's words are from another dimension and brought to life in Farsi, so to truly feel Hafiz, one has to study Farsi.

I love this book. It’s not a sit down and read it through (unless you want to!). It’s a sit, turn to a random page, and read. Sit with it for a bit and think. It’s great poetry and always is insightful. I often purchase this as gifts for friends and is great to have on a “coffee table” or lamp stand.

I love Hafiz, the Sufi Persian poet, and have been reading this and works by other poets in Farsi for many years. I still remember some of these poems and go back them whenever I need spiritual guidance. Recently, of my grandsons who is in highschool told me he has been introduced to Hafiz by one of his teachers. I searched for a good rendering of Hafiz poems for him and found this book suitable for an English language speaker. Many thanks to Daniel Ladinsky, the author for his thoughtful and spiritual rendering of the selected Hafiz immortal poems.

For me, Like many others who have read Dan Ladinsky's unique versions of Hafiz, I find them an ever fresh fountain. These poems hold the essence of experiential spirituality, the possibility of unlimited creativity, the ocean of love, the sweet agony of longing, and the unbearable joy of ectsasy.It is difficult to remember that these miraculous jewels sprang from a life (Hafiz's)that was not without difficulty. The images here are startling and often hilarious and irreverent. But I think that most important Hafiz expands our ability to imagine and understand God. I grew up as a fundamentalist Christian and it never occurred to me that God could be as tender as this,"When the violin can forgive the past It starts singing. . . . You will become such a drunk laughing nuisance That God will then lean down And start combing you into His hair."Here is Hafiz's breathtaking yet practical image of unconditional love,"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."In GREETING GOD Hafiz exquisitely describes spiritual longing this way,". . .Tonight there is a jeweled falcon singing In a blessed pain using the tongue of Hafiz."I have given more than a few copies of THE SUBJECT TONIGHT IS LOVE as gifts. Now I'll give the gift of THE GIFT.I am a singer and a songwriter and I hear songs in these poems. Thank you Dan Ladinsky! You are like the "jeweled falcon" singing with "the tongue of Hafiz."Many blessingsDavid Bankston, DMA