I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz [Paperback]

Daniel Ladinsky (Author), Henry S. Mindlin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996 | ISBN-10: 0915828189 | ISBN-13: 978-0915828180 | Edition: First Edition

"I Heard God Laughing" is by Hafiz, one of Persia's most beloved poets. Hafiz describes the richness and beauty of the world when seen through the eyes of love and portrays all the stages and processes of spiritual unfolding that transform human love into divine love.

Product Details

• Paperback: 161 pages
• Publisher: Sufism Reoriented; First Edition edition (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915828189
• ISBN-13: 978-0915828180
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > Sufism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hafiz trues the course of our journey towards Love, December 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz (Paperback)

So much beauty! In this joyous book Hafiz appears to us as a beacon of pure light in contemporary garb. These deeply tender, witty, clear-eyed and fullest-hearted renditions have brightened my life. Hafiz can't help but true the course on our journey towards living Love. Because for him, in fact, nothing else exists. For Hafiz, only Love is Real.

Hafiz has influenced and nourished a great many through the years. In the West, inspired notables include Goethe, Nietzsche, Byron, Hugo and Emerson. Emerson wrote of Hafiz in his journals, "He fears nothing. He sees too far; he sees throughout; such is the only man I wish to see and be." And Goethe exclaimed, "This is madness, I know well, Hafiz has no peer!"

_I Heard God Laughing_ is a perfect gem of a book. Go ahead. Take Hafiz home with you. Why--he may even lead the way, dancing and singing all the while.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Simple, Extremely Profound, March 1, 2003

By 

Bruce Kendall "BEK" (Southern Pines, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz (Paperback)

On its surface this collection of simple wisdom would appear almost New-Agey in terms of its contents. The book is essentially just a series of messages sent from a "seeker" to a loved one. Yet there is much that lies beneath the surface and that is very, very genuine at play here. It is in fact the perfect antidote to the sort of fluff that passes for spiritual writing these days. These are messages addressed to the "real" selves that all of us harbour, to the godhead that dwells inside us. Divine light shines through the pages of this book. Forget the self help books for once and allow your mind and spirit to drink in the celestial essence that Hafiz, et al impart. For a real journey of the spirit, take this book along with you to someplace peaceful and quiet and let yourself travel.

BEK

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Gem, August 23, 2000

By 

Mischa M. Rutenberg (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Heard God Laughing: Renderings of Hafiz (Paperback)

This work is a glistening gem of a book. Simple, clean, multifaceted, and very very deep at the same time. I have many Persian friends who are familiar with the original poetry and are astonished by the beauty of these renderings. These are not literal translations.....they are inner reflections. They succeed perfectly at reflecting the inner light of Hafiz in a unique way that refreshes one's heart. The imagery and language is perfect for this time. Deep in my heart I am convinced that Hafiz, Rumi, Kabir, Attar, and any other poet and lover of God would applaud.