There where the work of the Muslim cloister
Is celebrated, one finds as well the bell
Of the monk’s cell and the name of the Cross.
Sufi poet
from Waiting in the Grief House by Hafiz
Although the way station you want to reach
Is dangerous and the goal distant, do not
Sink into sadness: all roads have an end.
translated by Robert Bly
from Singing Out of Key by Hafiz
Almost nowhere now do they appreciate the art of poetry and spiritual talk.
Hafiz says, Don’t worry, to somewhere else that is rich in freedom we will go.
translated by Thomas Rain Crowe
Leonard Durso 