Customer Reviews

Spiritual Wisdom of Haféz: Teachings of the Philosopher of Love

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This is one of the most unique books about Persian poetry and certainly about the poet Hafez (or Hafiz). It challenges the reader to rise up to a sophisticated level of understanding about poetry and literature and how this understanding fits into everyday life. If you are a lover of Persian poetry, it also challenges many ideas recorded in English about ecstatic poetry and the limitations of thought coming out of ancient Persia and modern Iran. That the book works so well is a surprise to this reader, who's spent a quarter century with his head aimed in a very different direction about Hafez and the ancient Persians. Having authored a paper about the poet many years ago, it's a pleasure to see with new eyes. The authors have succeeded in creating a beautiful book of unique translations and explanations. Still, the reader's path in this book is not always an easy one, primarily for two reasons. One, the authors have basically ignored the so-called established truths, stereotypes and misperceptions associated with Hafez that have been repeated over and over for more than a century by many academic translators. Secondly, they have also ignored the "New Age" approach of creating weak renditions of the poems or, as some are strangely doing, "channeling" new poems by Hafez, the great poet who passed from the scene about 1390 A.D. Instead, they draw on authentic experience with the poet's work in its original Farsi language and they take word-for-word translations and then extend them in meaningful modern language. Then they explain this work in terms the Perennial Philosophy that runs through virtually every major spiritual tradition and religion. A bit strangely, the best part of this book comes at the very end. The last chapter is about "Wild Deer," Hafiz's epic poem, and it's by far the best presentation in English. Several previous translators have tried this with no luck whatever, but this presentation makes it clear as the poet's profound / summary of his life and teachings. One slightly tough thing is there are so many ideas presented so fast amid the poetry that you have to read carefully or you can get a little lost. Another challenging thing for Hafiz lovers is that the poetry is not always word-for-word (about half the time, it does seem to be), as previously explained. If you read Farsi, you may scratch your head from time to time. Still, if you stay with the authors' purpose of seeing and articulating a universal philosophy that runs through the poet's body of work, every poem ultimately speaks a profound truth. It's like a modern translation of the Bible or other ancient writing. A little different from what you thought you knew and something that takes some study to really get. If you have previous ideas about the poet or Persian poetry, you may have to open your mind before you venture into this book. But if you do so, you'll find a challenging and admirable treasure.

So many books have been written about Persian poetry by non-Persian people in recent years that you may wonder if Persians ever write about their own literary figures. Well, here is a very intelligent and warm book by a Persian woman (and an American co-author) about the deeply-loved poet Hafez. As would be expected, it presents a different picture of thhe poet and a different feel for his poetry than most other books. Hafez is talked about as a true universal poet rather than a Sufi, as most others do. I had not ever heard him called the philosopher of love, but it is a fitting label.

Many people say Hafez cannot be translated well because he writes in an extremely complex manner. In so many translations, this is true. But this poetry is translated with a warm and true feeling for the rhythm and even the rhyme, a unique accomplishment. The book is filled with both the full poems and individual verses. The authors offer extensive discussions of the meanings.

Like another reviewer, I particularly liked the translation of The Wild Deer, a Hafez masterpiece which is not easily understood. This well-known poem conveys the teachings of the poet's whole life.

But perhaps the best part is that the author shares her personal lifetime understanding and study of this cultural being who is so loved by Persians, and now American readers can look at Hafez with affection, a little bit like Persians themselves do. This is a very different view than that of Western literary scholars, and it is so nice that it is now shared in an enlightening and gracious way by a Persian writer. It is a point of great cultural pride.

I recommend this writing to all lovers of poetry and good books.

An original Rumi addict I admit to being, & I got into Hafez on that path. Now there are, by last count, about 30 different translations in books & on Internet pages, & this is one of best 'cause it sings & also can be understood. But it's more, much more, than just the poems. It's one Persian woman's guide to making poetry a powerful part of her worldview and life. Cool, cool, rewarding on lotsa levels.

This is a wonderfully mystical book about the Persian master poet Hafez, whose poems remain popular today with Iranians all over the world as a great divination tool. The authors are an Iranian woman, H. Pourafzal, who learned the poetry from childhood, and an American man, R. Montgomery. The book also draws on the work of Ms. Pourafzal's father, who lectures on Persian poetry at Sorbonne University in Paris. The result of this collaboration is a fluidly articulated presentation of an ancient mystical master that has not previously appeared in the West. The many aspects of Hafez's thought are revealed by examining the depths of his poetry in the context of his own times. What emerges are not only many pages of flowing verse but also an engaging vision of a wise universal teacher. The translations/renditions are first rate. Very different from other "scholarly" books on Persian mysticism, and very highly recommended for any reader with a strong mystical bent and the desire to discover a wonderful ancient teacher.

The authors did an admirable job of introducing western readers to Hafez. Not only are their translations of the (too few) examples of Hafez's poetry readable and poetic -- they actually resonate with some of the feelings one gets from hearing them in the original. I hope to see more.

At a time when Persian poetry is being revived, this book offers a deeper and more thoughtful look than most at how the original thoughts and feelings of one poet, the great Hafez of Shiraz, relate to the contemporary world. The whole presentation is just beautifully done, a work of both the heart and the mind by the two co-authors, Haleh Pourafzal & Roger Montgomery. The translations ring true, more Persian-sounding than most other translations but freely enough rendered so that they're not obscure to modern readers. As a whole, the book is just a wonderful spiritual trip in itself. Set aside a lot of time to read and re-read this one.

I can say nothing about how this book is translated, as an earlier reviewer did, since I am an English speaking monolingual person. I can only say that the book had much personal meaning for me. I found it meaningful, for example, when the authors spoke of life's purpose being service to the divine attributes of humanity: The authors say "The rend is the compassionate, emphathetic embracer of the world's pain. Unseparated from the creator, unafraid to embrace existance as it is, the rend takes on and deals with the darkness as well as the light." They also comment that "The transformation of human beings into a mirror of their creator is the precise intent and goal of evolutionary unity." I found that many times there were phrases in the text that really resonated with me spiritually.

When we are ready to hear a message, perhaps it presents itself. Perhaps I was just in the right place to meditatively receive some of the ideas in this book- and the book became the right vehicle for me to use to integrate these insights into my life. Many times I found the authors' words wise, gentle and compassionate.

While I have found that Daniel Ladinsky's translations of Hafez more accessable and pleasing to my ear, it helps that the authors include commentary about their translations that helped me understand what they felt the poems were saying.

The authors quote Hafez as saying that "The tale of love is only one story but it's wonderous- for every new version I hear is unique in itself." This book is indeed a tale of love: wonderful to my ear, comforting and inspiring to my heart.

A book full of wisdom and loving teachings. Although I've read lots of Persian poetry translations I had not heard of Hafez before I saw Haleh (the author) on television interview. She and the book are the same, very wise and loving. This is different from most poetry books in that it breaks down the poems and explains the writer very well. Now it's my friend and I carry it with me.

This book is distinctively different from most books about persian poetry. Its distinction lies in the authors extensive, yet careful and graceful explanations of the essence of Hafiz message to humanity.
His message: love, truth, and justice is the path to enduring happiness. It is the path to the Creator.

The authors extensive knowledge, love and dedication to Hafiz gives the Poet the wings to fly across time and space to come next to you from ancient Persia and whisper his wisdom in your ears. What an achievement is this!

I hope Haleh Pourafzal and Roger Montgonery keep sharing their sweet wine with us. You have to have read the book to understand this sentence.

A wonderful, mystical book that is grounded in ancient Persian tradition. The overall presentation of this Persian poet is well researched and the poetry is moving. I took a long time to read this book, and found it to be in the top ranks of current mystical writing. It is thoughtful, moving and original. I would love to see additional translations.