Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved: Poems of Hafiz [Paperback]

Hafiz (Author), Thomas Rain Crowe (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 14, 2001

The Persian Sufi poet Hafiz (1326–1390) is a towering figure in Islamic literature—and in spiritual attainment as well. Known for his profound mystical wisdom combined with a sublime sensuousness, Hafiz was the supreme master of a poetic form known as the ghazal (pronounced "guzzle"), an ode or song consisting of rhymed couplets celebrating divine love. In this selection of his poems, wine and the intoxication it brings are the image that expresses this love in all its joyful abandon, painful longing, bewilderment, and surrender. Through ninety-five free-verse renditions, we gain entry into the mystical world of Hafiz's Winehouse, with its happy minstrels, its bewitching Winebringer, and its companions in drunken longing whose hearts cry out, "More wine!" Thomas Rain Crowe brings a new dimension to our growing appreciation of Hafiz and his wise drunkard's advice to the seekers of God:



In this world of illusion, take nothing other than this cup of wine;
In this playhouse, don't play any games but love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Thomas Rain Crowe brings the Persian Sufi poet Hafiz (1326–1390) to life in this lively version of his timeless work. A fine addition to the growing number of English translations of his work."—The Bloomsbury Review



"Takes us home to the truths that transcend political factionalism, religious fanaticism, and literary provincialism. . . . Thomas Rain Crowe takes this ancient form and makes it alive with our own language while still retaining the echoes of the old ways embodied in the ghazal."—Parabola

"Hafiz speaks the immortal language of love today through Thomas Rain Crowe."—Shaykh Sherif Baba, head of the Turkish Rifa'i-Marufi Sufi Order of America



"The source, the gravity, and the light that will direct us home is Love. Hafiz is a poet intoxicated by this incredible Love—a wise-drunk man—how rare! Thomas Rain Crowe brings this illuminating poetry to this edge of centuries as we continue to look for love—perfect timing for these songs."—Joy Harjo, author of In Mad Love and War



"This book is an inspiring reflection of the best of what humanity has to give. Congratulations to Thomas Crowe and his Persian muse."—Bobi Jones, Welsh poet and author of Welsh Mysticism

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (August 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157062853X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570628535
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #474,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hafiz of Shiraz was widely regarded as an infidel in his day. Today he is recognized in the East not only for the excellence of his poetry, but also as a Sufi illuminate. His major work, The Diwan, is found beside the Koran in the homes of the devout. In the West, Hafiz--a contemporary of Dante--is admired for his love-poetry; Goethe, among others, acknowledged his influence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine wine., November 14, 2001

By 

G. Merritt (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved: Poems of Hafiz (Paperback)

In this 100-poem collection of his Winehouse poems, Hafiz tells us, "this bitter wine that the Sufi calls the mother of all grief and pain, is a far sweeter wine than even a virgin's kiss" (p. 65). Goethe, Emerson, and Lorca have all praised Hafiz. Meher Baba called the fourteenth century Sufi poet "a fully realized Perfect Master" (p. xiii). His poems are inspired by his love of God, and they may be read as an expression of that love (p. xiii). It has also been said, "if God had taken form as a Poet, it seems He would have been happy to write as Hafiz wrote" (p. xiv). Meher Baba says that the Sufi poet is "a fish thrown up on the beach, leaping and squirming to regain the ocean. He sees God everywhere and in everything, but he cannot find the gate of union" (p. xx). Thomas Rain Crowe is perhaps better known as a poet, translator, editor and recording artist, than a Hafiz scholar. But his "transformative work" (p. xvii), as he calls it, in rendering Hafiz, succeeds in capturing all the divine sentiment of his subject's verse.

The ghazals collected here are vibrant and full of heart. They are the lyrical poems of a poet drunk with divine love. Hafiz uses wine as a metaphor of God's love. Both intoxicate. Both elate the spirit (p. xix), allowing the soul to take flight. Both allow us to forget the world, at least for awhile. Both loosen our affections, allowing us "to burn in blissful agony" (p. xx). Drink a cup of Hafiz. "Like a laughing candle," his poems will allow you to "abandon the life you live in your head" (p. 26). Although I found myself gulping them down like a wino, I say savor these poems slowly. They will leave your heart dancing like a dervish.

G. Merritt

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Poetry, May 10, 2003

By 

John Thomson (Kansas City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved: Poems of Hafiz (Paperback)

Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved is a collection of 100 Poems by the Persian Sufi poet Hafiz. Hafiz, properly Shamsuddin Muhammad-i-Hafiz-i-Shiraz, lived in the 14th century and is generally acknowledged to be the greatest poet of the Persian culture. Hafiz writes in a form known as the Ghazal, which is a short poem of 8 or so rhyming couplets, which was often set to music. The translations in this work are by Thomas Rain Crowe, who has many credentials as a translator of Eastern poetry.

Hafiz's poems are beautiful and have an enchanting cadence. They are full of hope, faith and conviction. He writes movingly of down-to-earth topics, but his underlying message is ever-present and positive. In one poem he writes: "If your life has hit hard times, go to the Winehouse and enjoy some Wine."

Wine and drinking are Hafiz's metaphor for overwhelming love of God. The image of drunkeness suggests both reckless abandon and a frustrating and intoxicating lack of control over human life. Whether you choose to embrace or pass over his symbolic message, you will enjoy the poetry. It's language is as simple as it is powerful and compelling. This is a splendid book of poems, and I highly recommend it. Enjoy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Respectable versions, but not original translations, July 3, 2007

By 

Nathan Higgins (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Drunk on the Wine of the Beloved: Poems of Hafiz (Paperback)

Thomas Rain Crowe's renderings of Hafiz are worth reading. They seem to be fairly close to the original, unlike some Coleman Barks mockeries I've read. (Barks is well-reputed. I am only speaking of his Hafiz renderings.) Rain Crowe does not translate from the original Persian, however, so its to be kept in mind that one is reading an American interpretation of the meaning of Hafiz' words. I'm wary of renderers who do not translate. I would recommend this book as an addition to one's Hafiz collection, but perhaps not as one's sole reference. For a very good original translation, I recommend The Green Sea of Heaven by Elizabeth T. Gray. In addition to excellent translations, it also has extensive notes on the text. Hafiz of Shiraz by Peter Avery and John Heath Stubbs is also an original translation and good, but I prefer Ms. Gray's. Beware of Daniel Ladinsky. You could read his books for hours and never read a Hafiz poem. Ladinsky writes his own poems and sells them as Hafiz poems. Whether you call that "forgery" or "smart-marketing", either way it is dishonest, but I suppose we'll all reap what we sow eventually.