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Summary: A unique portrait
Review: Like millions of Persians I sat on my grandfather's knee and listened to Rumi and Hafez. I was and am struck by what I have read in The Gift. Are these Hafez's poems or are they just Ladinsky's? The essence of Hafez is truth, beauty, humor, endearment to the Self, and light, above all - a freeing whirling light. With that in mind, after some soul searching, I must admit this book is wonderful, a unique portrait of Hafez. I have never seen this great Persian Master more glorious in the English language.
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Summary: A Persian's view:
Review: Don't worry if thesepuffy confections taste saltier than you might expect. Their sole link to Hafez is through the run of his tears and a friend's betrayal.
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Summary: A powerful book for anyone with a love of metaphor
Review: The Gift is an extraordinary book. Speaking both as a poet and as a teacher of writing for more than twenty years, I strongly recommend this surprising, powerful work to anyone with a love of metaphor. And for the reader who is drawn to the spiritual, these poems will reawaken the soul and evoke the honeymoon stage of the Divine Romance.
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Summary: buy this book now!!!!!!!
Review: These poems are the conversations angels have while they are taking tea. These poems are like walking a gangplank and diving into the ocean of love. These poems want to be shouted from the rooftops and whispered in the ear of your beloved. These poems remind me why I am alive. You must have these poems at your bedside. Read them before you go to sleep and you will dream the most delicious dreams.
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Summary: to kiss the hand of the man who labored to translate it.
Review: Every seeker lucky enough to stumble across this book will spontaneously want to kneel and kiss the hands of Hafiz and the man who labored to translate it for our modern ears.
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Summary: sipping away at gold....
Review: Someone sent me a copy of this book, and I find myself diving into it again and again, often with tears in my eyes(and in my heart). I feel like a parched wanderer who's just been handed a beautiful, gilded canteen - and sips away at gold.
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Summary: Reading "The Gift" will make you glad to be alive.
Review: At last Hafiz has found the modern voice he needed . Dan Ladinsky's renderings have (in my opinion) for the first time, made all the marvel and wonder of this poet known as "The Tongue of the Invisible" available to a contemporary audience. I have known the poetry of Hafiz for years, but couldn't quite crack it. Dan has done a tremendous service to lovers, and poetry lovers everywhere. "The Gift" is just that. It's a book to be carried along, and to have at hand at all times. These renderings reach out in a magical way and bring Hafiz to life right now, so that his wisdom and compassion come to life in the life of the reader. These poems touch the root of love, joy, and compassion that lies at the heart of the universe, and the individual. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in this project. I wish I could give "The Gift" to everyone.
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Summary: A true elixir.
Review: There is tangible light in this book, so palatable I don't think I will ever know depression again. I would not have believed words could be so alive and charming, seductive for my welfare. I can't imagine any trooper not putting this book at the top of their Y2K survival list. And come the new millennium tattooing the word Hafiz everywhere. I am thinking about renting one of those old airplanes that sends news to us from the sky with a banner that reads: No one, I mean no one, makes love like Hafiz. Should I be more serious, okay. There is a rare medicine here that comes from a different reality; one more true than any world where so much suffering exists. If any part of you is aching - if your soul is thirsty - you got to read this wonderful stuff.
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Summary: You are God's sweetheart.
Review: One of the great wonders of Hafiz is that one cannot seriously read him without then knowing you are God's sweetheart. And the range of this poet-saint dazzles; he says, "I am a hole in a flute that the Christ's breath moves through -- listen to this music." And, "Look at the smile on the earth's lips this morning, she laid again with me last night." There is a wild divine party going on in this book that will lift the corners of your soul's mouth, probably comfort, inspire and free you as few books ever have. To again quote from The Gift, Hafiz says, "Dear ones, let's anoint this earth with dance!" Indeed.
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Summary: Some Notes
Review: I am a Persian, and dont know about the above translation However I am not a good source but want to say something maybe be helpful,
-- translation of Hafez book is a hard task, and needs care , and maybe the spirit and freshness of poems can not be translated
[...]
-- as you know we can't change any word in a poem of a poet, becaues many times he has some meaning in every word or orders of word, similes, metaphores, ...,
-- you need read more books of other poet, to be familiar with Persian Poetry spirit and also Sufism doctrine (like Books of Sa'di, Attar, Rumi, Jami, Sana'i, Khayyam... ),
for example do you know the story of Hallaj (Persian Mysitcist that was hanged because he was saying "I am the God")
Hafez says (not exact words)
the mate that was hanged
his guitt, was revealing the secrets
Mansur Hallaj is menioned in many poems of Persian Poet
so the translation need some comment about some stories
(excuse me for bellow comment I wrote it to respond some messages)
-- I respect and love all Poet of the world,but you know, if we can't underestand a book, it does not mean the book is meaningless, actually it is not rationalism because he belives what he knows and underestand can not be mentioned rationalisty, and he claims no One Like hafez could take the veil of thought, someone like Goethe in the West after 65 years study while be facinated by Hafez,it means we should be careful to judge him,
however for me as a Persian and all Persian, he is one of the Greatest Sage and Wise man of Iran like an Angel and we don't doubt
-- as you know we can't judge Hafez were drunk man or not, in the Persian Poetry these are symbols, wine, drinking, the love of batterfly to candle, or nightingale to flower, Majnoon to Leili, these are show the enthusiasm of Poet in his love to the god
-- his poems is layering, even some Poems are related to each other, manytimes when you experience the concept find what Hafez means
-- he doesn't advertise any specefic relegion tradition , while the relegion tradition in Poetry is not important, just the love and the Sufism doctrine in some of them, however we can't call Hafez even Sufi, he is Sufi and more he is Hafez,
his book in Persion does not look like a relegious preach about God or religion or anything else but he guide you, I hope the translator don't show it such, in English
-- the manner and viewpoint of Hafez can be considered that howmuch is beatuful, and great, a free man
-- these men doesn't seat in a place and say something, they dealing with many concepts, thoughts and have high position in sufism, and then they told their findings that nead a good ear, that show the spirit of our life
-- you can refer to Rumi or Attar for some initial concept that they say them more directly, but Hafez manner is different
-- however I don't deny any thought and diversity of them, buts the translator can't use his own thoughts and show them as Hafez, he should be careful and fettered to the origin
-- some says Hafez blends secular and mysticism visions, anyway I see his book from most valuable book about mysticism, and I believe Hafez is from those that knows his creator, however he says all doubt and hope and the great point of his poem is this
-- actually I can's judge Hafez, I know he is more than that I think
anyway I know easily you can to distinguish above matters and I am not a good resource but you can research then decide
and excuse me for my bad english
GOOD LUCK
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