A Student of Love & Happiness!

I want to give a big thank you to Lisa at Lit and Life for giving me the SUPER COMMENTS AWARD!!

I am going to pass this award on to Holli at Three Wishes who always leaves the best and nicest comments; not only on my blog but on everyone else's too! Sometimes Holli's comments literally make my day!

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After reading the following poem, my thoughts for today are focused on love and happiness! I am a life-long student; still trying to learn what makes it all work and happen!

THE GREAT WORK

Love
is the great work
though every heart is first an
apprentice

that slaves beneath the city of Light.

This wondrous trade,
this magnificent throne your soul
is destined for-

You should not have to think
much about it,

is it not clear
an apprentice needs a teacher
who himself

has charmed the universe
to reveal its wonders inside his cup.

Happiness is the great work,
though every heart must first become
a student

to one
who really knows
about Love.

~ Hafiz ~

I have posted several poems by "Hafiz". Just who is Hafiz, I wonder!

Hafiz is one of the world’s most beloved poets, he is affectionately known as the “Tongue of the Invisible” and Ralph Waldo Emerson himself remarked that “Hafiz is a poet for poets.”

Hafiz was born in the beautiful city of Shiraz in Persia (now Iran ). As a young child he was called Shams Mohammed. At an early age he successfully memorized the Qu’ran, and this is why he took the pen name of “Hafiz” – Hafiz means one who has memorized the entire Qu’ran by heart. As well as studying the Qu’ran, Hafiz was also introduced to the other great Sufi poets such as Rumi, Farid Attar and Saadi, these Sufi poets would later have some influence on the poetry of Hafiz.

Hafiz wrote about 5,000 poems, although unfortunately these were never written down and therefore there is a scholarly dispute about the authenticity of some poems. In the West, Hafiz has only become famous in the last century. One of the most important early translations was by Gertrude Bell in 1897. Recently there have been new translations and versions by authors such as Daniel Ladinsky. These have helped Hafiz become a well renowned poet in the West. The poetry of Hafiz has a universal attraction. It is said Hafiz once stated,

“No one could ever paint a too wonderful picture of my heart or God.”

--This information about Hafiz is part of my "Learn something new everyday" motto! I hope you've enjoyed learning something new with me!