A Sabbath Poem (Hafiz-2)

         DON'T SURRENDER YOUR LONELINESS SO QUICKLY
          ~ Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz (c. 1320-1389)

         Don’t surrender your loneliness
         So quickly.
         Let it cut more deep.

         Let it ferment and season you
         As few human
         Or even divine ingredients can.

         Something missing in my heart tonight
         Has made my eyes so soft,
         My voice
         So tender,

         My need of God
         Absolutely
         Clear.

(from Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy
Lives, by Wayne Muller, Bantam Books, 1999, on this website)