“A rather serious—maybe too serious—university

student from another country came to Hafiz to

personally ask for his permission to translate some

of Hafiz's poems into a little book.

And he said to Hafiz, ‘What is the essential

quality in your poems that I

need to incorporate in

my translations to make them

abiding and authentic?’

And Hafiz smiled, and placed his arms

on the man's

shoulders, then said, ‘Do you

really want to know?’

And the young man said, ‘Of course.’

‘Well, well then,’ Hafiz began and

continued,

‘My poems lift the corners of the mouth—

the soul's

mouth, the heart's mouth.

And can effect any opening

that can make love.’”