Hafiz
Companion for Life
Our union is like this: If you feel cold I would
reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet.
If a hunger comes into your body I would run
to my garden and start digging potatoes.
If you asked for a few words of comfort and
guidance I would quickly kneel by your side
and offer you a whole book . . . as a gift.
If you ever ache with loneliness so much
you weep, I would say,
Here is a rope, tie it around me, Hafiz will be
your companion for life.
Persian; trans. Daniel Ladinsky
Hafiz, Persian, A Year with Hafiz: Daily Contemplations, trans. Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin Books, 2011.