HAFEZ: A Poetic Portal Into the Soul

Most books on Hafez translate the words.Few try to pass through the words,to the pulse, the presence, the change they bring.HAFEZ: A Poetic Portal into the SoulOffers new translations,and it moves beyond translationto speak of how Hafez meets a readerand how that meeting touches the heart.I write from insidemy own encounters with Hafez,not from a distanceas an Iranian immersed in his poetryfrom a young ageand as a depth psychologistwho ventures into therealm of psyche and symbolevery day.I write of the shiftsin heart and in sightthat his poetry creates,and of the transformationhis verses awakenin the depths of the soul.Rather than going poem by poem,I carefully gather coupletsacross Hafez’s poetryaround living centers of meaning,symbols and themesfrom whichcurrents of deep emotionand synchronicitiesarose for me:Himmah: The Call Back to Our RootsOn attuning to the will of the heartand the remembrance that draws us home.Rend: From Persona to PersonhoodOn shedding the masksand standing in the naked truth of the soul.Night: Encounters with the UnconsciousOn walking through darkness, fear, despairas thresholds of transformation.Sāqi: Remedies for FragmentationOn the cupbearerand transcending the tension of opposites.Love: Creation and the Divine ChildOn existence, ecstasy,and the embodiment of wholeness.If you are drawn to mysticism,poetry, depth psychology,or simply to the mystery of how wordscan move a life from the inside,this work offers itself as a companion,an invitation to enter the Garden of Hafez,to be present where Hafez is present,and to let that presencetouch the heart. Read more