Hafiz speaks here of his frustration and loneliness. He seems to lament longing, waiting and desiring, balancing reality upon what he expected. He is missing what he once felt that was such an overwhelming joy that his life could never after be mundane. Yet here he is howling to the moon to rescue him from his mortality...this humanity that is so messy and complex and difficult. It hardly seems fair to be displaced so knowing what he knows of source yet this is his time for hard things. No one navigating a human body gets a pass on troubles. He is advised that he must be as an instrument and breathe life into complexities then share what he has learned.
...Tonight
My heart is an unset ruby
Offered bowed and weeping to the sky...
https://pixabay.com/music/world-kolkata-in-the-distance-16558/
Music: I knew that wanted the sublime sound of the oboe for this poem and I set off into YouTube land and found Tom Boyd. He is billed as "Hollywood's Tom Boyd". I suspect this is because he is such a renown LA studio musician. He is a professor of music in Hawaii, as well. I'm a September baby so I've always loved the mournful melody of this song, Autumn Leaves. It really captures the feeling of turning away and letting go of what is so bountiful and lush to embrace the inevitable coming of fall. Look how he sports that reed! I'm delighted this beautiful rendition fits into this blogpost.
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz (including an addendum regarding the authenticity of these poems) can be found here. Also, my thoughts on this series a year into these poems, HERE.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.
My book can be purchased HERE. E-book HERE. The Season Two blogcasts with audio excerpts from my book begin HERE: in Behind The Lines. This reading of the book excerpts in a mixed media format is Season Two of this blog. These recorded excerpts are outside the chronological order in which the book was written. Podcasts with audio only beginning with episode 22 can be found HERE.
Oh my god....this poem. That oboe. My heart is in pieces. The music is a balm.