A rich collection that brings the great Sufi poet Hafiz to Western readers, from bestselling poet Daniel Ladinsky Perhaps more than any other Persian poet, it is Hafiz who most fully accesses the mystical, healing dimensions of verse. Acclaimed poet Daniel Ladinsky has made it his life’s work to create modern, inspired renderings of the world’s most profound spiritual poetry. Through Ladinsky’s renderings, Hafiz’s voice comes alive across the centuries, singing his timeless message of love. With this stunning collection, Ladinsky has once again succeeded brilliantly in capturing the essence of one of Islam’s greatest poetic and spiritual voices. “Ladinsky is a master who will be remembered for finally bringing Hafiz alive in the West.” —Alexandra Marks, The Christian Science Monitor

"The Grande Dame of Iranian Cooking" Esteemed American chef. Award-winning cookbook author. Persian cooking instructor. Iranian immigrant. Storyteller. Mother of two acclaimed sons - Zal, a filmmaker; Rostam, a musician. Born in the middle of the 20th century in Tehran, Iran. Lives in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. Consults with restaurants around the world. Member of Les Dames d'Escoffier.

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.

Winner of the Nautilus Awards 2020 in Gold: Gift & Specialty Vivid translations by Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Omid Safi, Meher Baba, and others combine with Michael and Saliha Green's stunning illustrations to bring the immortal poetry of the great Persian master Hafiz to life “There is this matter of the light in my eyes. If you want to know the Friend, don’t expect elegant arguments! Demand a blessing from one who gives you joy.” —Hafiz (tr. Barks) “Hafiz is without peer!” exclaimed Goethe. Known as “The Tongue of the Hidden Mysteries,” Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafiz of Shiraz is the most revered of Persian poets. When the Sun of Infinite Reality dawned in his being, he poured forth mystic verse so sublime it touched the hearts of kings and commoners alike. Hafiz’s poems of intimate divine love spread through the East in his lifetime, then into the West, influencing such luminaries as Emerson, Brahms, Queen Victoria, Nietzsche, and Garcia Lorca. Today, nearly 700 years after his death, the unmatched genius and bold wit of Hafiz continues to ignite hearts and intoxicate souls everywhere. The Illuminated Hafiz brings together vivid translations by Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Omid Safi, Meher Baba, Peter Booth, and others with the luminous art of Michael and Saliha Green, weaving them into a stunning contemporary presentation in the tradition of classical Persian illuminated manuscripts and unveiling the mysteries of the path of love. Come, raise a cup! Join with Hafiz and his incomparable love poems in a holy revel on the journey into light.

Chosen by author Elizabeth Gilbert as one of her ten favorite books, Daniel Ladinsky’s extraordinary renderings of 250 unforgettable lyrical poems by Hafiz, one of the greatest Sufi poets of all time More than any other Persian poet—even Rumi—Hafiz expanded the mystical, healing dimensions of poetry. Because his poems were often ecstatic love songs from God to his beloved world, many have called Hafiz the “Invisible Tongue.” Indeed, Daniel Ladinsky has said that his work with Hafiz is an attempt to do the impossible: to render Light into words—to make the Luminous Resonance of God tangible to our finite senses. I am a hole in a flute that the Christ's breath moves through— listen to this music! With this stunning collection of Hafiz’s most intimate poems, Ladinsky has succeeded brilliantly in presenting the essence of one of Islam’s greatest poetic and religious voices. Each line of The Gift imparts the wonderful qualities of this master Sufi poet and spiritual teacher: encouragement, an audacious love that touches lives, profound knowledge, generosity, and a sweet, playful genius unparalleled in world literature.