Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved: 100 Poems of Hafiz

by Hafez, Thomas Rain Crowe (Translator)

The Persian Sufi poet Hafiz (1326�1390) is a towering figure in Islamic literature—and in spiritual attainment as well. Known for his profound mystical wisdom combined with a sublime sensuousness, Hafiz was the supreme master of a poetic form known as the ghazal (pronounced "guzzle"), an ode or song consisting of rhymed couplets celebrating divine love. In this selection of his poems, wine and the intoxication it brings are the image that expresses this love in all its joyful abandon, painful longing, bewilderment, and surrender. Through ninety-five free-verse renditions, we gain entry into the mystical world of Hafiz's Winehouse, with its happy minstrels, its bewitching Winebringer, and its companions in drunken longing whose hearts cry out, "More wine!" Thomas Rain Crowe brings a new dimension to our growing appreciation of Hafiz and his wise drunkard's advice to the seekers of God:



In this world of illusion, take nothing other than this cup of wine;
In this playhouse, don't play any games but love.

Genres: Poetry, Iran, Spirituality, Classics

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2001

About the author

Hāfez (حافظ) (Khwāja Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī) was a Persian poet whose collected works (The Divan) are regarded as a pinnacle of Persian literature and are to be found in the homes of most people in Iran, who learn his poems by heart and still use them as proverbs and sayings.

His life and poems have been the subject of much analysis, commentary and interpretation, influencing post-14th century Persian writing more than any other author

Themes of his ghazals are the beloved, faith, and exposing hypocrisy. His influence in the lives of Persian speakers can be found in "Hafez readings" (fāl-e hāfez, Persian: فال حافظ‎‎) and the frequent use of his poems in Persian traditional music, visual art, and Persian calligraphy. His tomb is visited often. Adaptations, imitations and translations of his poems exist in all major languages.

Though Hafez is well known for his poetry, he is less commonly recognized for his intellectual and political contributions. A defining feature of Hafez' poetry is its ironic tone and the theme of hypocrisy, widely believed to be a critique of the religious and ruling establishments of the time. Persian satire developed during the 14th century, within the courts of the Mongol Period. In this period, Hafez and other notable early satirists, such as Ubayd Zakani, produced a body of work that has since become a template for the use of satire as a political device. Many of his critiques are believed to be targeted at the rule of Amir Mobarez Al-Din Mohammad, specifically, towards the disintegration of important public and private institutions. He was a Sufi Muslim.

His work, particularly his imaginative references to monasteries, convents, Shahneh, and muhtasib, ignored the religious taboos of his period, and he found humor in some of his society's religious doctrines. Employing humor polemically has since become a common practice in Iranian public discourse and persian satire is now perhaps the de facto language of Iranian social commentary.


شمس الدین محمد، حافظ شیرازی، ملقب به حافظ و لسان الغیب
مشهورترین و محبوبترین شاعر تاریخ زبان فارسی و ادبیات ایران
حوالی سال ۷۲۶ هجری قمری در شیراز متولد شد. علوم و فنون را در محفل درس برترین استادان زمان فراگرفت و در علوم ادبی عصر پایه‌ای رفیع یافت. خاصه در علوم فقهی و الهی تأمل بسیار کرد و قرآن را با چهارده روایت مختلف از برداشت. پژوهشگران احتمال می‌دهند همین دلیل باعث شده لقب او حافظ شود. حافظ مسلمان و شیعه مذهب بود و در وادی سلوک و طریقت، عرفان خاص خود را داشت. دیوان اشعار او شامل غزلیات، چند قصیده، چند مثنوی، قطعات و رباعیات است. اما در شعر آنچه بیش از همه او را دست نیافتنی کرده است غزل‌های حافظ است. حافظ در سال ۷۹۲ هجری قمری در شیراز درگذشت. آرامگاه او در حافظیهٔ شیراز زیارتگاه صاحبنظران و عاشقان شعر و ادب پارسی است. او همواره و
همچنان برای ادبیات پس از خود الهام‌بخش و تاثیرگذار بوده است

شعرِ حافظ در زمان آدم اندر باغ خُلد
دفترِ نسرین و گُل را زینتِ اوراق بود

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading one poem each morning as part of my daily practice & then journaling. I love how each day some line in the poem speaks to the experience of that moment.

[Anima · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is Nothing in this Well but Wind

"There Is Nothing in This Well but Wind
I'm drunk again on the wine of love—Winebringer, bring more wine!
And fill up my cup, for without wine this party will be no fun.

My love won't even penetrate that veil covering the Beloved's face;
So Minstrel, give us a melody, and Winebringer, bring us some more wine!
To get in this place, I bent my body into the shape of a doorknocker, so
That the doorman wouldn't send me away to another door.

...
Together, all of us are waiting with our vain hopes
....

So don't waste your time trying to fill your cup with water
When you know that there is nothing in this well but wind.
O Hafiz, in this desert, you have fallen victim to your own illusions.
When was a pilgrim's thirst ever quenched by a mirage? "

[Allen Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

From what I can tell, I enjoy the poetry of Hafiz, but Crowe's attempt to modernize Hafiz's imagery was jarring. He mentions "movie stars," "cars, "the stock market,"--none of which fits the 14th century Persian and Sufi vibe that I wanted from the book.

[Oksana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This translation was such a disappointment. The use of terms like "credit card" was clunky for a 14th-century poet.

[Sreena · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What use are sugary lips and roses that look like God,
Without his kiss or smothering embrace?"

For years I have heard Hindi songs that has been inspired by the poetry of this beloved Persian Sufi Poet Hafiz. I have to say his poems are just beautiful, I am in love with the way he uses the metaphor of wine to represent divine love, and his poems are full of rich and evocative description of drunkenness.

For example, in one poem he writes:

I am drunk on the wine of the Beloved,
And I know not where I am or who I am.
My heart is lost in the ocean of love,
And I am drowned in the waves of ecstasy.

This verse is a beautiful expression of the feeling of being completely consumed by love. Hafiz's use of the metaphor of wine is particularly effective, as it conveys the sense of intoxication and abandon that comes with falling in love with the divine.

Another thing I love about Hafiz's poetry is its wisdom. For example, in one poem he writes:

The world is a riddle,
And the only answer is love.
So love with all your heart,
And let go of all your worries.

Hafiz was a controversial figure in his own time. His poems were often seen as being subversive and heretical, and he was accused of promoting drunkenness and libertinism. However, Hafiz's poems were also immensely popular, and he was revered by many as a great spiritual teacher.

Be warned: once you start reading Hafiz's poems, it's hard to stop. You may find yourself neglecting your work, your family, and your social life in order to spend more time with his words.

But it's worth it. Hafiz's poetry is a gift, and it has the power to transform your life.

So if you're feeling thirsty for love, pick up a copy of "Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved" and get ready for a wild ride.

[Jestora (muaad) the poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I’m giving this book 5 stars because it’s the first translated poetry book of Hafiz that I’ve come across which shows many of his poems and his biography too. Amazing work by the author.


As a poet this book helped me over the past week to compose many love poems. I’ve come to appreciate Hafiz as a skilful craftsman who’s able to craft the body of a poem together and his genius is available for everyone to see. I love Hafiz, what a wonderful human being and what a man who made me fall in love with poetry again.

[D.F Weston]

Though I believe this might be quite a poor translation with it modernising some of the language to reference things in our own time (i feel like it takes the audience to be less intelligent then they are (just include footnotes!)) there are parts which are very insightful.

There is also a great introduction which explained the metaphors of wine and the wine seller, which I did not pick up on in the other translation of Hafez I read. And it includes an excellent and concise biography at the end.

[Daniel Muleady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a few of these each day and sat with them. I marked up lines, made annotations, tried to understand. These 100 poems are all loosely about the same thing - life, death, change, love (and of course, wine).

Definitely recommend reading the foreword and the About section at the end. This just did not resonate with me. I have to imagine on some level that it had to do with the translation to English. This was my introduction to Hafiz/Hafez and I just wasn't taken...

[Armando · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
La segunda colección de poemas que leo de el, genio absoluto.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The explanation at the front helped with the metaphors used. This was ok, not my favorite. I’m looking forward to reading more of his poems. I have heard some amazing quotes of his work!

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

surprisingly weak translation/selection? felt nothing compared to the others i'm familiar with

[Caroline Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

these poems were most endearing to me. but i would say the main function of this book is to say "last night was a medieval persian poem"

[Omama. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ecstatic and mystical and a divine philosophical depth; Hafez has built upon a different kind of Sufi tradition in respect to God, wine and love. His imagery, while hermetic at first sight, is imbued with a richness in double-meanings that allows for an ever deeper interpretation of its words.

[Steven Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent!

[Moyank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beliau adalah murid dari Fariduddin Atthar, bergelar Hafidz karena beliau juga penghafal Qur'an. Aku menyukai puisi-puisi cintanya...

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An inspiration for the modern era, and a way to find ourselves on path towards greater union.

[Pamela · Rating 2 out of 5]

didn't enjoy near as much as "The Gift" a lot of poems about winehouses.. who cares? Hafiz likes his drink.. that's nice.

[Marjorie Jensen]

"Like the laughter from a cup of wine and the braid of the Beloved's hair /
Hafiz has had a life that is joyous and then has come untied."

I'd like to imagine that Hafiz and Li Po are off drinking wine and declaiming poetry together somewhere right now.