The Quotidian, November 27, 2010 ~ Love Kicks Ass

“Love kicks the ass of time and space.” ~ Hafiz (circa 1325 to circa 1390)

Hafiz (Hāfez in Wikipedia; see note below) was the pen name of a Persian lyric poet. According to Wikipedia, his collected works (Divan) are to be found in the homes of most Iranians and continue to have huge influence” in Iran and around the world to this day. (partially paraphrased). Note: Ladinsky (below) used Hafiz; Wikipedia uses Hāfez.

[Source for quotation: an advertisement for a new translation of poems by Hafiz: I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Joy and Hope, translated by Daniel Ladinsky (2010). Dates and biographical information on Hafiz from Wikipedia, accessed November 26, 2010.]

For my friends and readers: if any of you are discouraged or going through a difficult time, I want to send you blessings and healing. Consider picking up a volume of poems by Hafiz. (Ladinsky’s new translations of Hafiz, I Heard God Laughing, sounds great!) Additionally, try volumes of poems by Rumi or text by Gibran. I find these especially consoling.

Warm regards, Andy