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Hafez of Shiraz - Thirty Poems - I went into the garden at dawn
Identifier
000813
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Hafiz of Shiraz – Thirty Poems [translated by Peter Avery and John Heath-Stubbs
I went into the garden at dawn to gather roses
When suddenly I heard the voice of the nightingale
Poor thing, he was stricken in anguish for the love of the rose
And sprinkled the meadows round with his sobs, as he looked for help
Lost then in thought, slowly I paced in the garden
Considering the affair of the rose and the nightingale
The rose is become the image of Beauty, and the nightingale of Love
The one will grant no favours, yet the other still remains constant
When the voice of the nightingale prevailed upon my heart
It seemed I had no power of endurance left
For many roses have blossomed here in this garden
But no one has plucked the rose without the stab of a thorn
Hafiz, expect no relief from the turning heavens –
That wheel has a thousand flaws, and grants no favours