As interpreted by Daniel Ladinsky
With a deep bow of gratitude to sister Amina Janet who posted this lovely poem in her blog, “Love, Harmony, and Beauty #79”
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Take one of my tears,
Throw it into the ocean
And watch the salt in the wounds
Of this earth and men begin to disappear.
Take one of my tears
And cradle it in your palm.
Mount a great white camel
And carry my love into every desert,
Paying homage to every Prophet
Who has ever walked in our world.
O take one of my tears
And stop weeping only for sadness,
For there is so much More to this life
Than you now understand.
Take one of my tears
And become like the Happy One,
O like the Happy One —
Who now lives Forever
Within me.
When a drop from my Emerald Sea
Touches your soul’s mouth,
It will dissolve everything but your Joy
And an Eternal Wonder.
Then,
The Beloved will gladly hire you
As His minstrel
To go traveling about this world,
Letting everyone upon this earth
Hear
The Beautiful Names of God
Resound in a thousand chords!
Hafiz himself is singing tonight
In Resplendent Glory,
For the cup in my heart
Has revealed the Beloved’s Face,
And I have His oath in writing
That He will never again depart.
O Hafiz, take one of your tears,
For you are weeping like a golden candle-
Throw one tear into the Ocean of your own verse
And let the wounds
Of every lover of God who kneels in prayer
And comes close to your words
Begin, right now,
To disappear.
From: I Heard God Laughing – Renderings of Hafiz – Daniel Ladinsky