For Hafiz reveals a God with a billion I.Q. — a God that would never cripple us with guilt or control us with fear. - Hafez

I
Have
Learned
So much from God
That I can no longer
Call
Myself A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,
A Buddhist, a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself
With me That I can no longer call myself
A man, a woman, an angel,

I WISH I COULD SPEAK LIKE MUSIC I wish I could speak like music. I wish I could put the swaying splendor
Of the fields into words So that you could hold Truth
Against your body
And dance. I am trying the best I can
With this crude brush, the tongue, To cover you with light. I wish I could speak like divine music. I want to give you the sublime rhythms
Of this earth and the sky’s limbs As they joyously spin and surrender,
Surrender
Against God’s luminous breath. Hafiz wants you to hold me
Against your precious
Body And dance,
Dance.

English. I believe the ultimate gauge of success is this: Does the text free the reader? Does it contribute to our physical and emotional health? Does it put “golden tools” into our hands that can help excavate the Beloved whom we and society have buried so deep inside? Persian poets of Hafiz’s era would often address themselves in their poems, making the poem an intimate conversation. This was also a method of “signing” the poem, as one might sign a letter to a friend, or a painting. It should also be noted that sometimes Hafiz speaks as a seeker, other times as a master and guide. Hafiz also has a unique vocabulary of names for God — as one might have endearing pet names for one’s own family members. To Hafiz, God is more than just the Father, the Mother, the Infinite, or a Being beyond comprehension. Hafiz gives God a vast range of names, such as Sweet Uncle, the Generous Merchant, the Problem Giver, the Problem Solver, the Friend, the Beloved. The words Ocean, Sky, Sun, Moon, and Love, among others, when capitalized in these poems, can sometimes be synonyms for God, as it is a Hafiz trait to offer these poems to many levels of interpretation simultaneously. To Hafiz, God is Someone we can meet, enter, and eternally explore.