A CRYSTAL RIM
a poem by Hafiz
The Earth lifts its glass to the sun
And light - light is poured.
A bird comes and sits on a crystal rim
And from my forest cave I hear singing.
So I run to the edge of existence
And join my soul in love.
I lift my heart to god and grace is poured.
An emerald bird rises from inside me
And now sits upon the beloved's glass.
I have left that dark cave forever.
My body has blended with his.
I lay my wing as a bridge to you
So that you can join us singing.
(translated by Daniel Ladinsky)
Hafiz was a 14th century Persian poet who wrote poems of incomparable beauty and compassion. "The Gift," a volume of his work, is one of my most precious possessions. Translator and poet mesh for a mystical experience.