The Garden of Heaven: Poems of Hafiz (Dover Thrift Editions) [Paperback]

Hafiz (Author), Gertrude Bell (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Dover Thrift Editions | Publication Date: November 4, 2003

"Hafiz has no peer." — Goethe

Poetry is the greatest literary form of ancient Persia and modern Iran, and the 14th-century poet known as Hafiz is its preeminent master. This collection is derived from Hafiz's Divan (collected poems), a classic of Sufism. This 19th-century translation by historian Gertrude Bell remains widely acclaimed by scholars and readers.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (November 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486431614
• ISBN-13: 978-0486431611
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Inspirational & Religious
  • #43 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > General

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

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gertrude Bell vs. Daniel Ladinsky, August 5, 2009

By 

A. Windsor "A Reader" (Woodstock, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Garden of Heaven: Poems of Hafiz (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

I'm troubled (though not altogether surprised) by the previous reviewer's criticism of Gertrude Bell's translations of Hafiz by comparing them to the work of Daniel Ladinsky. I'm troubled because Daniel Ladinsky is not a translator of the poetry of Hafiz. Daniel Ladinsky writes all-new, all-original English-language poems but publishes them under the name of Hafiz rather than taking direct credit for them himself. But I'm not altogether surprised by the previous reviewer, because Daniel Ladinsky's poems are far more popular in the United States than the actual poems of Hafiz, and most people who read Daniel Ladinksy's poems are under the mistaken impression that they're reading translations of Hafiz.

Gertrude Bell's translations may leave something to be desired. But at least they're actual translations of Hafiz.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Hafiz collection of only historical interest, April 21, 2010

By 

G. Campbell - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Garden of Heaven: Poems of Hafiz (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

There is a reason this book (and all the others in this series) is so cheap. It is one of the earliest English language books of Hafiz's poetry and thus the style belongs to a historical period now quite dead. But if you enjoy reading how an early English translator understood the poet it is interesting.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro, July 14, 2009

By 

Jeffree Mars "Itinerant Dervish" (Santa Rosa, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Garden of Heaven: Poems of Hafiz (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

This is the weirdest book! It was published in 1897 and it is now being replicated. The translation of the poems, one should not be too surprised, are basically in King James' Biblical English! She (Gertrude Bell, the author) actually uses the words "ye" and "thou" and "o'er"! The sensuality of Hafiz is thus systematically eliminated! Read Daniel Ladinsky's "The Subject Tonight Is Love" to see the difference.
The introduction, on the other hand, is a delight, and it is worth the price of the book itself. It gives insight into the Victorian mindset, allowing one to triangulate a position in respect to the Divine, given the simultaneous thoughts of Hafiz in the 10th century, Bell in the 19th century, and the Beloved Reader in the 21th century!