Exploring the Infinite Wisdom of Persian Poetry: Rumi and Hafiz

Choosing a favorite Persian poet is no easy task as each one brings profound insights and rich beauty to the literary landscape. However, personal connections and cultural influences often play a significant role. For me, it's Ferdowsi—specifically his epic work, Shahnameh. My sister's renditions of these ancient tales nurtured my fascination, and the memories associated with those early years remain incredibly dear.

Rumi and Hafiz: My Personal Favorites

While I admire many Persian poets, Rumi and Hafiz hold a special place in my heart. Their timeless wisdom and deep understanding of the human experience continue to inspire me. Below, I share some of my translations of their works, hoping to capture the essence of their profound messages.

Epigrams by Rumi

Let's start with a series of epigrams that encapsulate the essence of Rumi's poetic philosophy:

Raise your words, not their volume.
Rain grows flowers, not thunder.

Your heart’s candle is ready to be kindled.
Your soul’s void is waiting to be filled.
You can feel it can’t you?

This is love: to fly toward a mysterious sky
to cause ten thousand veils to fall.
First to stop clinging to life
then to step out without feet...

Be guided by the strange magnetism of what you really love.
It will not lead you astray.
The lion is most majestic when stalking prey.

I am not this hair
nor this thin shell of skin.
I am the Soul that abides within.

Loving in Silence by Rumi

I choose to love you in silence
where there is no rejection
not to possess you in loneliness
where you are mine all mine
not to adore you from a distance
which diminishes pain
not to kiss you in the wind
stealthier than my lips
not to embrace you in my dreams
where you are limitless...

Songbird and Birdsong by Rumi

Birdsong relieves my deepest griefs
now I'm just as ecstatic as they
but with nothing to say!

Please universe, rehearse your poetry
through me!

Beyond by Rumi

Don't demand union.
There's a closer closeness beyond.
The instant love descends to rest in men, many beings become One.
In a single grain of wheat ten thousand sheaves germinate.
Within the needle's eye innumerable stars radiate.

The Field by Rumi

Far beyond sermons of right and wrong, there's a sunlit field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lazes in that lush grass, the world is too full for discussion.

Two Insomnias by Rumi

When I'm with you we're up all night.
When we part I'm unable to sleep.
I'm grateful for both insomnias
and the difference maker.

Poetry by Hafiz

Now let's move on to Hafiz, another timeless figure in Persian poetry:

I became infected with happiness tonight as I wandered idly singing in the starlight. Now I'm wonderfully contagious—so kiss me!

The imbecile constructs cages for everyone he knows while the sage, who has to duck his head whenever the moon glows, keeps dispensing keys to the beautiful rowdies prison gang.

Lovers, don't reveal all their Secrets under the covers they may count each other's Moles that reside and hide in the shy regions by forbidden holes then keep the final tally strictly from Aunt Sally!

The Heart is the Thousand-Stringed Lyre by Hafiz

The heart is the thousand-stringed lyre tuned to the chords of Love.

These translations, while undoubtedly loose renditions, aim to capture the spirit and essence of their original works. The works of Rumi and Hafiz continue to resonate deeply, offering timeless wisdom and profound insights that speak to the human condition. Whether you are seeking inspiration, comfort, or simply a deeper understanding of life's mysteries, they are certainly worth exploring further.