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Gift (Paperback)

by Daniel Ladinsky (Author, Translator) "HAFIZ, whose given name was Shams-ud-din Muhammad (c. 1320-1389), is the most beloved poet of Persia ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Hafiz, a secret Sufi, came to prominence in his day as a writer of love poems. That love transformed into an all-consuming passion for union with the divine. In The Gift, Daniel Ladinsky bestows on us the impassioned yet whimsical strains of Hafiz's ecstasy. Never forced or awkward, Ladinsky's Hafiz whispers in your ear and pounds in your chest, naming God in a hundred metaphors.
I once asked a bird,
"How is it that you fly in this gravity
Of darkness?"
She responded,
"Love lifts
Me."
Like Fitzgerald's version of Khayyam's Rubaiyat, the language of The Gift strikes a contemporary chord, resonating in the reader's mind and then in the heart. Ladinsky's language is plain, fresh, playful--dancing with an expert cadence that invites and surprises. If it is true, as Hafiz says, that a poet is someone who can pour light into a cup, reading Ladinsky's Hafiz is like gulping down the sun. --Brian Bruya


From Booklist

Less well known in the U.S. than his Sufi predecessor, Rumi, Hafiz (Shams-ud-din Muhammad) is also worthy of attention, and Ladinsky's free translations should help see that he gets it. Hafiz is so beloved in Iran that he outsells the Koran. Many know his verses by heart and recite them with gusto. And gusto is appropriate to this passionate, earthy poet who melds mind, spirit, and body in each of his usually brief pensees. Ladinsky has deliberately chosen a loose and colloquial tone for this collection, which might grate on the nerves of purists but makes Hafiz come vividly alive for the average reader. "You carry / All the ingredients / To turn your life into a nightmare--/ Don't mix them!" he advises, and "Bottom line: / Do not stop playing / These beautiful / Love / Games." Nothing is too human for Hafiz to celebrate, for in humanity he finds the prospect of God. In everything from housework to lovemaking, he celebrates the spiritual possibilities of life. A fine and stirring new presentation of one of the world's great poets. Patricia Monaghan
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HAFIZ, whose given name was Shams-ud-din Muhammad (c. 1320-1389), is the most beloved poet of Persia. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

47 Reviews
5 star:
 (34)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (47 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
5.0 out of 5 stars Look at the smile on the earth's lips..., April 2 2004
By A Customer
Hafiz says, "Look at the smile on the earth's lips this morning she laid again with me last night." Well, I can't see the earth's mouth but I do know that my own has been smiling more than usual especially when reading these poems/renderings that have a higher alcohol content that anything a store hawks.
And speaking of alcohol: I don't think Amazon should hand any drunk monkey a microphone and let them smear this remarkable book out of ignorance or jealousy as some of these tight-pursed one star raters apparantly did.

I recently saw a lovely Hafiz greeting card with this line that
I found so deep, significant and touching. It read:

"God courts us with the beauty of this world."

I could not recommend this book enough! Right on Hafiz.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Close but not perfect, Jan 17 2004
By Michael Allison (Layton, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
While I think that Ladinsky has done a commendable job translating much of the essence of these poems, it is clear that he wanted to "Christ" -ify the message. References to "God" and "Christ" or Jesus are probably not appropriate translations.

While I do not doubt that Hafez probably reached a point where he transcended common distinctions between religions, he was a Muslim and there are issues about using "God" as a translation for Allah and references to Jesus as a diety run against the current of monotheism.

There is no need to present the poems in a way that would make them seem Christian. Most Christians can appreciate them for what they are as songs to Allah. Just as anyone can appreciate the beauty of the Psalms or even Shakespeare's sonnets.

Dont get me wrong, I do enjoy Ladinsky's work and it does persent Hafez in a an attractive accessible manner. I just feel that presenting them with the Christian slant is distracting where it needn't be.

Certainly you should add this to your collection especially for the casual enjoyer. For serious access to Hafez, this should be supplemented with more serious works.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Craft, ear and heart, Jan 13 2004
By Stephen W. Cole III (Overland Park, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Poetry is a craft. It is said Yeats worked prose into poetry, some of the finest of the last century.

"...'A line will take us hours maybe;
Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought,
Our stitching and unstitching has been naught.'"

However, translation is, we must admit, a ruse. It cannot be done to the satisfaction of all. To his credit, Mr. Ladinsky admits as much in his preface. Nevertheless, we are far better for his attempt then without it. At times, I feel as if we missed the 'soul' of the poem but never the effort. If I cannot stand as close to the fire as I would wish, I am still thankful for the warmth Mr. Ladinsky has bought to us. It is well worth the experience.

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 		 Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Hold your nose here!
I have got no idea whether these translations are genuine or not. The only thing I know, for sure, is that they really stink. Read more
Published on April 6 2004 by Jimmy Dao

1.0 out of 5 stars Understanding the Ladinsky problem!
I truly do think that more people should pay attention to their teachers. In the case of this book by Mr. Ladinsky, there are two completely separate questions:

1. Read more
Published on April 6 2004 by Marion Bradley

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift indeed!
I recently saw the amazing modern poet Saul Williams in an informal reading, and he recommended Hafiz highly. Read more
Published on Jul 12 2003 by E. Curran

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Hafez
While the poems may be interesting at times, this is not Hafez. At best, it's poems _inspired_ by Hafez, and as such, the author is abusing the name of Hafez to sell books. Read more
Published on May 15 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars It touches my Innermost Being!
When you read each poem, take a moment to let it soak in. It'll drench you in the Love of the Beloved in us all.

In Him,
Christina

Published on Nov 18 2002 by Christina Florida

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Hafez "translation"
Yes, Hafez is the greatest Persian-language poet outselling the Koran in Iran!

No, Hafez's poetry cannot be translated: it is both beautiful (in Persian) and meaningful... Read more

Published on May 8 2002 by Farhad Bahrami

3.0 out of 5 stars Lovely--but is it Hafiz?
Hafiz has long been one of my favorite poets. I first discovered him when I was in college via Goethe and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and I've been readng his poems ever since. Read more
Published on May 3 2002 by Kerry Walters

5.0 out of 5 stars Title says it all..
This book of verse is a blessing and a gift - you may find yourself purchasing it more than once - it's not the kind of book you just keep to yourself. Read more
Published on May 2 2002 by James A. Dees

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting!
The poet is wildly exuberant in the close embrace of the mystical presence of God which he finds anywhere and everywhere. The presence is dizzying. Read more
Published on Jan 10 2002 by VHW

5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate scholarship and inspired poetry
This is a book of poetry that is inspired by the love-songs of the Persian poet, Hafiz who lived in the 1300s... Read more
Published on Oct 15 2001

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