The Hidden Treasury of Pain A Reflection on Khaqani’s Ghazal
There are some poets whose words feel carved from the bone of longing itself; their verses bleed, ache, and shimmer all at once. Khaqani Shirvani …
The Eyes of Envy from Golestan by Saadi Shirazi
Saadi says: I once told a friend, “I’ve grown silent most of the time, because whenever we speak, both good and bad may slip out …
In the Tavern of Nothingness A Reflection on ʿErāqī’s Ghazal of Annihilation and Awakening
This is a beautiful ghazal by ʿErāqī (Iraqi) and it is one of the most profound expressions of the Sufi journey from selfhood to annihilation, …
The Foolish Son of the Minister from Golestan by Saadi Shirazi
Once, there was a minister who had a foolish son. Hoping to improve him, the minister sent the boy to a wise scholar and said, …
The Mirror of the Beloved A Reflection on Hafez’s Ghazal
Hafez speaks like someone who has lived inside a single, impossible longing and learned to name every shade of it. In this ghazal he turns …
The Hidden Market of the Soul A Reflection on Rumi’s Ghazal
Beautiful ghazal of Rumi (Jalal ad-Din Balkhi) is among his most mystical and layered. It moves between cosmic vision and intimate yearning, between the night …
The Cupbearer of Bewilderment; A Reflection on Saadi Shirazi’s Ghazal
This ghazal by Saadi Shirazi is a luminous example of how the Persian masters weave together sensual beauty and spiritual symbolism until the two become …
The Cruel Grace of Love A Meditation on Khaqani’s Ghazal
This ghazal by Khaqani Shirvani is among his most poignant reflections on unrequited love, the cruelty of beauty, and the paradox of longing. Like Hatef’s …