Learning from Hafez

Thank you dear TS9, Let me add that

Shahin has not insulted the religion ( Shia or Sunni )  he mocked the Political and cultural environment both inside and outside of Iran as well as the ruling hypocrites of IRI.  

Shahin has stated it clearly that since he has not insulted the religion he will not going to ever apologize for his song.  I wish we had more brave people like him rather than the ignorant ones of which there are no shortage of on this site. 

Still. In my opinion even if he insults the religion he should be free to do so , but, the fact is that he has NOT.  

HFB

Thanks for the clarification. I don't know much about poetry, but liked the message of that beyt (or phrase). 

Benevolence with friend; and moderation with the enemy

I like that ... though the enemy in this case is killing our loved ones. I look forward to more inspiring quotes from our wise poets. Anything that will put us on the right path and better frame of mind. 

SK

Thanks for the poem. Anyone knows I'm not into poetry really. But all sources of knowledge and ispiration can help bring people together. 

TS9, in my opinion

Hafez mocks Hypocrites regardless ....

I have a feeling that if he was around he would be whispering some songs of shain Najafi and George Harrison .  For Shain see my blog on him as well as his recent controversial song and for George harsion check this out !

Brainwashed in our childhood

Brainwashed by the school

Brainwashed by our teachers

And brainwashed by all their rules

Brainwashed by our leaders

By our Kings and Queens

Brainwashed in the open

And brainwashed behind the scenes

God God God

A voice cries in the wilderness

God God God

It was on the longest night

God God God

An eternity of darkness

God God God

Someone turned out the spiritual light

Brainwashed by the Nikkei

Brainwashed by Dow Jones

Brainwashed by the FTSE

Nasdaq and secure loans

Brainwashed us from Brussels

Brainwashed us in Bonn

Brainwashed us in Washington

Westminster in London

God God God

You are the wisdom that we seek

God God God

The lover that we miss

God God God

Your nature is eternity

God God God

Your are Existence, Knowledge, Bliss

The soul does not love, it is love itself

It does not exist, it is existence itself

It does not know, it is knowledge itself

How to Know God, pag 130

They brainwashed my great uncle

Brainwashed my cousin Bob

They even got my grandma

When she was working for the mob

Brainwash you while you're sleeping

While in your traffic jam

Brainwash you while you're weeping

While still a baby in your pram

Brainwashed by the military

Brainwashed under duress

Brainwashed by the media

You're brainwashed by the press

Brainwashed by computer

Brainwashed by mobile phones

Brainwashed by the satellite

Brainwashed to the bone

God God God

Won't you lead us through this mess

God God God

From the places of concrete

God God God

Nothing's worse than ignorance

God God God

I just won't accept defeat

God God God

Must be something I forgot

God God God

Down on Bullshit Avenue

God God God

If we can only stop the rot

God God God

Wish that you'd brainwash us too

Hafez's children / A challenge

Truthseeker: That might be a Ladinsky quote you put here  - my gut says it is. Ladinsky's work is nice, but is NOT Hafez. Not a single of his poems has been traced to Hafez and he admits to having "dreamed" them all. It is heartbrakingly fraudulent - he's a good enough poet, why call them "translations?" And I constantly have to tell American friends this. Google the story in the Canadian Parliament - a politican wanted to celebrate Persian New Year / No-Rouz with a quote from Hafez - and blurted something from Ladinsky's book. It caused an embarrassment as not a single Iranian scholar in the land could find which line it was. Recognizing Hafez to some of us is like recognizing your own child. Ladinsky's book doesn't even have one of Hafez's children in it - they are poems, original poems by the author, simply inspired by Hafez. If I wrote a play in Japanese inspired by Shakespeare - selling it as a "translation of Shakespeare" would be very, very mean.

Hafez is spectacularly hard to translate beautifully. But I can partake with you one Beyt to help you understand better his world:

The peace of both worlds lies in two fundamental truths:

‌Benevolence with friend; and moderation with the enemy

Whoever that "enemy" might be. I'll leave it to those Hafez connoisseurs who come here, to in an instant recognize which "child" this above Beyt is and perhaps share with us!

OK HFB

I suppose I just wanted a beyt about love. Here' one I found:

"Love sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out."

Hafiz

I think I may like the man after all.... I think it may explain the reaction of many who come to IC and their comments about the regime and what drives the regime. It maybe seen as Hate but it is a response to personal pain and the suffering of others.

"troubled times"

Truthseeker: Hafez lived in heavily tumultous and troubled times. All our poets did. I'll leave the rest to you to figure out.

From what you have learnt from him

What is your personal take on what he'd say about what IRI stands for, its behaviour, its treatment of Iranians? I am not asking what you personally think of IRI but what Hafez would think of IRI. Are there any beyts we can learn from?

I ask because I see you and SK talking about suffocation and hate, and reference to this site. And the word Love is mentioned. 

"Good"

Truthseeker: I am not Hafez's dokhtar khaleh ... so wouldn't assume anything what he'd say, beyond my own personal take on what I've learned from him.  From how I've understood the man, you keep your faith in the good alive. I'll leave you with that - go and do something good - if your hands are tied, you will still find something to do. 

That's just my take. 

Please remember that "Good Words, Good Thoughts and Good Deeds" - that I'm so proud came to Christianity via the Persians - didn't mean being "good" only when things are rosey.

Again, just my take. I would recommend reading the Divan to see what your take on what he would do.

HFB

What would Hafez say about IRI, the regime in Iran if he were asked?  

thanks

Soosan Khanoum: Thank you. I do believe we are also living in a world that is "suffocated by hate" as you say...  and so it is reflected every where. I often tell the Hafez students in our gatherings: Do you think Hafez was living in times of peace and harmony?  Mongul invasions left, right, and center; Repression abound... you name it.... But, Hafez teaches us to steer our own ship and stay afloat - no matter how much grime covers the surroundings. That's the key - and it is in his honor that I try my best to not succumb to the "suffocating hatred." As Hafez says Soosan Khanoum, it's "love" that you take with you and remember in this life - that is all that lasts in this "gonbad-eh davvar." 

In a site that is about to be suffocated by hate

This blog of yours is like a fresh breath of air.  

Thank you Afsaneh Jan. 

: ) 

Hafez and Rumi say the same things - in different ways

Their difference is in thier emphasis. While Hafez openly embraces the earthly love in harmony with the love of the divine, Rumi sees the earthly love as a precursor to the spritual love:

Hafez 

من آدم بهشتي ام، اما در اين سفر

حالی اسير عشق جوانان مهــوشم

*******

من که امروزم بهشت نقد ، حاصل می شود

وعـده ی فـردای ِ زاهـد را چـرا بـاور کـنم؟

*******

زِ ميوه ها ي بهشتي چه ذوق دريــابــد

هر آن كه سيبِ زنخدانِ شاهدی نگزيد

Rumi, while not denying the value of the earthly love, emphasises on its role as a guide to lead the lover to the love of the divine

Rumi

عاشقي گر زین سر و گر زان سر است

عاقبـت ما را بـدان سر ، رهبـر است

Regards 

"Eshgheh zamini":

Darius Kadivar: Thanks for the very interesting post.

Anglophile: Thanks - "Eternal" longevity does imply a non-material realm. Having said that  there are major distinctions between Hafez and Rumi - with Hafez being renowned to celebrate a co-existence of the Earthly and the Spiritual. "Eshgheh zamni" a big player in his world. So, you could say this "awakening" of the soul - also continues  to eternally manifest itself in the physical beauties and truths of life here and now.  "Heaven on Earth"  was very big to Hafez.

FYI/Princess Soraya greeted by The Beatles in the Bahamas

HELP! Princess Soraya greeted by The Beatles in the Bahamas

Of love and longevity

تو خود حجاب خودی حافظ از میان برخیز

Thank you 

"touched"

Zed: Glad the song touched you - Hope Hafez did too, of course.

Thank you for beautiful blog

highly creative decade

Oon Yaroo:  Thanks for you comment. Do remember, there were hundreds of "Gurus" around in the 1960s - MEHER BABA is the Guru that championed HAFEZ and was not the "Yogi" the Beatles visited in India. 

I have no idea if the Beatles ever even knew Meher Baba - I know Pete Townsend of The Who did - but that's not even the point.

The point is: that Eastern mysticism had a profound effect on the spiritual awakening that occurred in the West circa 1965-1975. Some of these "mystics" were real - some fake - again, that's not the point. The point is: There came to be in that creative decade, trans-cultural connections, via universal spiritual truths, that forged much profound creativity in music, cinema and the arts.

Dear HFB! That's not true! McCartney said....

"....McCartney said The Beatles' association with the Maharishi was "a public mistake",[98] and Lennon "an error of judgment"...."

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharishi_Mahesh_Yogi

PS - "Because" video

PS - I posted this particular "Because" video - there are many - as whoever made it, did a wonderful job!

Fanoos: Good to know you're a Beatles fan. 

1965-1975: Mostly, if you tap into much of the Western Arts brom the 1965-75 decade - the East was a massive inspirational influence. Probably the biggest from among spiritual gurus of the era: "Meher Baba", would cite HAFEZ as his master. 

I saw the Beatles in Amjadeeyeh in 1968!

They performed all their standard hits but this one I liked very much!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf3yL7Gixvg

"nice song"

Albaloo: Glad you liked it. That song really is a masterpiece - what happens to the artist when touched by authentic (not fake) Love.

Thank You, I liked the song very much.

Thank You, I liked the song very much. As usual, nice blog on Hafez.