BECOMING
HUMAN
Once a man
came to me and spoke for hours about
“His great visions of God” he felt he was having.
“His great visions of God” he felt he was having.
He asked me
for confirmation, saying,
“Are these wondrous dreams true?”
“Are these wondrous dreams true?”
I replied,
“How many goats do you have?”
He looked
surprised and said,
“I am speaking of sublime visions
And you ask
About goats!”
“I am speaking of sublime visions
And you ask
About goats!”
And I spoke
again saying,
“Yes, brother – how many do you have?”
“Yes, brother – how many do you have?”
“Well, Hafiz,
I have sixty-two.”
“And how many
wives?”
Again he looked surprised, then said,
“Four.”
Again he looked surprised, then said,
“Four.”
“How many rose
bushes in your garden,
How many children,
Are your parents still alive,
Do you feed the birds in winter?”
How many children,
Are your parents still alive,
Do you feed the birds in winter?”
And to all he
answered.
Then I
said,
“You asked me if I thought your visions were true,
I would say that they were if they make you become
More human,
“You asked me if I thought your visions were true,
I would say that they were if they make you become
More human,
More kind to
every creature and plant
That you know."
That you know."
(“The Gift” –
versions of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky)
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