The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door

One of our most acclaimed poets brings the work of the great Persian mystic and poet, Hafez, to a new audience. There is no poet in our tradition who carries the amount of admiration and devotion that the Persians have for Hafez. Children learn to sing Hafez poems in the third grade, and almost every family has a copy of the collected Hafez on the dining room table. Robert Bly and the great Islamic scholar Leonard Lewisohn have worked for 15 years on this book of Hafez, the first that carries into English his nimbleness, his outrageous humor, his defenses of the private life in the face of the fundamentalists, and the joy of his love poems. He writes in the ghazal form, one of the greatest inventions in the history of poetry. This is Rumi’s wild younger brother, now brought into an English that makes his genius visible. Sufi Poetry for a New Generation: Discover the ecstatic, wine-soaked verses of the poet known as Rumi’s wild younger brother, a voice of love and rebellion. The Ghazal Form in English: Experience the nimble, surprising ghazal form, masterfully brought into English by poet Robert Bly and Islamic scholar Leonard Lewisohn. Humor, Joy, and Rebellion: Go beyond mysticism to find Hafez’s outrageous humor, joyful love poems, and defiant defense of the private life against fundamentalism. Spiritual Poetry That Sings: This 15-year project results in a translation that makes the genius of the great Persian mystic visible, capturing the music of the original Farsi.