Year: 2015

Geronimo by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) You might hear the beautiful shout of “Geronimo” from a lover who has just dove from a cliff and is…

A Still Cup by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) For God To make love, For the divine alchemy to work, The Pitcher needs a still cup. Why…

An Astronomical Question by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) What Would Happen if God leaned down And gave you a full wet Kiss? Hafiz Doesn’t mind answering…

Covers Her Face with Both Hands by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) What We speak Becomes the house we live in. Who will want to sleep in…

Everywhere by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Running Through the streets Screaming, Throwing rocks through windows, Using my own head to ring Great bells, Pulling out my…

How Could a Lover Fall by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) What could have caused your grip to weaken that allowed creation to be? How could a…

I Have Learned So Much by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) I Have Learned So much from God That I can no longer Call Myself A Christian,…

Laughing at the Word Two by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Only The Illumined One Who keeps Seducing the formless into form Had the charm to win…

Love is the Funeral Pyre by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Love is The funeral pyre Where I have laid my living body. All the false notions…

No Conflict by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) No Conflict When the flute is playing For then I see every movement emanates From God’s Holy Dance.

The Great Religions by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) The Great religions are the Ships, Poets the life Boats. Every sane person I know has jumped Overboard….

That Magnificent Storm by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Sitting here Loving like this Alone again In God’s valley After that magnificent storm Of Your presence just…

Reverence by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Because There is nothing Outside of my Master’s body I try To show reverence To all things. Because There is…

The Hatcheck Girl by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Why Are there So few in the court Of a perfect Saint? Because Every time you are near…

That Lamp That Needs No Oil by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) I have made the journey into Nothing. I have lit that lamp that Needs no…

The Source by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) God has never really spoken, though a thought once crossed His mind. It is the echo of divine silence…

Why Aren’t We Screaming Drunks by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) The sun once glimpsed God’s true nature And has never been the same. Thus that radiant…

Today by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) I Do not Want to step so quickly Over a beautiful line on God’s palm As I move through the…

Then Winks by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) Everything is clapping today. Light, Sound, Motion, All movement. A rabbit I pass pulls a cymbal From a hidden…

The Thousand-Stringed Instrument by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) The heart is The thousand-stringed instrument. Our sadness and fear come from being Out of tune with love….

What the Hell by Hafiz (Daniel Ladinsky) The Real love I always keep a secret. All my words Are sung outside Her window, For when…

Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare – Dante Alighieri Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare la donna mia quand’ella altrui saluta, ch’ogne lingua deven tremando…

Deh, Violetta, che in ombra d’Amore – Dante Alighieri Deh, Violetta, che in ombra d’Amore negli occhi miei sì subito apparisti, aggi pietà del cor…

Vergine Madre, figlia del tuo Figlio – Dante Alighieri Vergine Madre, figlia del tuo Figlio, umile e alta più che creatura, termine fisso d’eterno consiglio,…

De gli occhi de la mia donna si move – Dante Alighieri De gli occhi de la mia donna si move un lume sì gentil…

Un dì si venne a me Malinconia – Dante Alighieri Un dì si venne a me Malinconia e disse: “Io voglio un poco stare teco”;…

Amor, che movi tua vertù – Dante Alighieri Amor, che movi’ tua vertù da cielo come ‘l sol lo splendore, che là s’apprende più lo…

Com più vi fere amor – Dante Alighieri Com più vi fere Amor co’ suoi vincastri, più li vi fate in ubidirlo presto, ch’altro consiglio,…

Amore e ‘l cor gentil sono una cosa – Dante Alighieri Amore e ‘l cor gentil sono una cosa, sì come il saggio in suo…

1861 ARM’D year! year of the struggle! No dainty rhymes or sentimental love verses for you, terrible year! Not you as some pale poetling, seated…

A Clear Midnight THIS is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the…

A Glimpse A GLIMPSE, through an interstice caught, Of a crowd of workmen and drivers in a bar-room, around the stove, late of a winter…

A Boston Ballad, 1854 TO get betimes in Boston town, I rose this morning early; Here’s a good place at the corner–I must stand and…

A Child Said, What Is The Grass A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer…

A Hand-Mirror HOLD it up sternly! See this it sends back! (Who is it? Is it you?) Outside fair costume–within ashes and filth, No more…

A Leaf For Hand In Hand A LEAF for hand in hand! You natural persons old and young! You on the Mississippi, and on all…

A March In The Ranks, Hard-Prest A MARCH in the ranks hard-prest, and the road unknown; A route through a heavy wood, with muffled steps…

A Noiseless Patient Spider A noiseless, patient spider, I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated; Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast…

A Paumanok Picture TWO boats with nets lying off the sea-beach, quite still, Ten fishermen waiting–they discover a thick school of mossbonkers– they drop the…

A Proadway Pageant OVER the western sea, hither from Niphon come, Courteous, the swart-cheek’d two-sworded envoys, Leaning back in their open barouches, bare-headed, impassive, Ride…

A Promise To California A PROMISE to California, Also to the great Pastoral Plains, and for Oregon: Sojourning east a while longer, soon I travel…

A Riddle Song THAT which eludes this verse and any verse, Unheard by sharpest ear, unform’d in clearest eye or cunningest mind, Nor lore nor…

A Sight In Camp A SIGHT in camp in the day-break grey and dim, As from my tent I emerge so early, sleepless, As slow…

A Song COME, I will make the continent indissoluble; I will make the most splendid race the sun ever yet shone upon; I will make…

A Song Of Joys O to make the most jubilant song! Full of music-full of manhood, womanhood, infancy! Full of common employments-full of grain and…

Aboard At A Ship’s Helm ABOARD, at a ship’s helm, A young steersman, steering with care. A bell through fog on a sea-coast dolefully ringing,…

A Woman Waits For Me A WOMAN waits for me–she contains all, nothing is lacking, Yet all were lacking, if sex were lacking, or if…

Adieu To A Soldier ADIEU, O soldier! You of the rude campaigning, (which we shared,) The rapid march, the life of the camp, The hot…

After The Sea-Ship AFTER the Sea-Ship–after the whistling winds; After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes, Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening,…

Ages And Ages, Returning At Intervals AGES and ages, returning at intervals, Undestroy’d, wandering immortal, Lusty, phallic, with the potent original loins, perfectly sweet, I,…

All Is Truth O ME, man of slack faith so long! Standing aloof–denying portions so long; Only aware to-day of compact, all-diffused truth; Discovering to-day…

Ah Poverties, Wincings Sulky Retreats AH poverties, wincings, and sulky retreats! Ah you foes that in conflict have overcome me! (For what is my life,…

American Feuillage AMERICA always! Always our own feuillage! Always Florida’s green peninsula! Always the priceless delta of Louisiana! Always the cotton-fields of Alabama and Texas!…

Among The Multitude AMONG the men and women, the multitude, I perceive one picking me out by secret and divine signs, Acknowledging none else–not parent,…

An Army Corps On The March WITH its cloud of skirmishers in advance, With now the sound of a single shot, snapping like a whip,…

Apostroph O MATER! O fils! O brood continental! O flowers of the prairies! O space boundless! O hum of mighty products! O you teeming cities!…

As A Strong Bird On Pinious Free AS a strong bird on pinions free, Joyous, the amplest spaces heavenward cleaving, Such be the thought I’d…

Are You The New Person, Drawn Toward Me ARE you the new person drawn toward me? To begin with, take warning–I am surely far different…

As Adam, Early In The Morning AS Adam, early in the morning, Walking forth from the bower, refresh’d with sleep; Behold me where I pass–hear…

As At Thy Portals Also Death AS at thy portals also death, Entering thy sovereign, dim, illimitable grounds, To memories of my mother, to the…