In this episode of Persian Poetry Caravan, we continue with Hafez Ghazal 13 — a vivid morning poem of dawn, dew, wine, beauty, freedom, and the sudden shock of a closed tavern door.

Hafez begins beneath a canopy of cloud, with dew resting on the face of the tulip and a breeze from the meadow that feels as if it has travelled from paradise. The whole world seems ready for joy — and then the tavern door is shut. In that turning point, delight becomes urgency, and Hafez calls upon the Opener of all doors to open the winehouse once again.

This episode includes a modern English poetic rendering of the ghazal, followed by a reflective explanation of its literary, emotional, and spiritual layers.

Explore The Rose and the Tavern: 40 Ghazals of Hafez in Modern English on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H41GXZCD

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https://www.youtube.com/@PersianPoetryCaravan

Persian Poetry Caravan brings the great voices of classical Persian poetry into modern English — with ongoing series on Hafez and Saadi.

Saadi’s counsel on just rule begins with a vivid image: the people are the roots, and the ruler is the tree. In this passage from the opening of Chapter One of the Bustan, Nushiravan speaks to his son Hormuz about justice, mercy, and the responsibility of power.

Listen to an English poetic rendering of Saadi’s counsel, followed by a brief reflection on the poem’s central image and its call to protect those most easily overlooked.

From Saadi’s Bustan, Chapter One, opening counsel to Hormuz. Presented in English by Persian Poetry Caravan — Persian Poems in English.

Follow Persian Poetry Caravan for more English readings and reflections on Saadi, Hafez, Rumi, Khayyam, and the great voices of Persian poetry

Who was Saadi of Shiraz—and why do his words still travel across centuries? In this opening episode of the Saadi series, we meet the poet behind the Bustan (The Orchard) and the Golestan (The Rose Garden), look at his life and literary legacy, and acknowledge what remains uncertain in the historical record.

Presented in clear English, this short introduction opens a new strand of Persian Poetry Caravan: Persian Poems in English. In Episode Two, we enter the Bustan with Nushiravan’s counsel to his son, Hormuz, and Saadi’s image of just rule.

Follow Persian Poetry Caravan for poetic English renderings and brief reflections on Saadi, Hafez, Rumi, Khayyam, and the great voices of Persian poetry.

Research references: Encyclopaedia Iranica, “Saʿdi,” “Būstān,” and “Golestān-e Saʿdi.”