More Mystical Poetry of Hafez

On Saturday, September 9, 2006, 8 PM, the Candlelight Reading Series presents a second reading of mystical poetry of Hafez with a few samples in Persian along with translations in English by four readers at Revelations Bookstore & Cafe, 112 North Main Street, Fairfield, Iowa, upstairs. The first reading took place in May and was extremely well attended.

Poetry is a favorite national pastime in Iran. Poems of the Sufi mystics of ancient Persia such as Hafez, Saadi, Khayyam and Rumi are discussed and recited all the time by young and old everywhere. In the past three/four decades, Sufi poetry has found quite a willing ear in the West as well. Especially Hafez’ exuberant poetry paired with its quiet, inner wisdom speaks to everyone and is always an exhilirating adventure to read or hear.

The readers are Maryam Daftari, Ali Arsanjani, Roses Derise (formerly Sharalyn Harris), and Freddy Niagara Fonseca.

Maryam is a professor of political science, specializing in Chinese Studies. She's a poet and an avid reader of poetry. In the context of Sufi poetry, she has a special liking for Hafez.

Ali is a professor of computer science and chief software architect within the IBM corporation. He has been studying Persian poetry since the 1980s and written on Rumi's "Masnavi."

Roses specializes in reciting spiritual poetry. Rumi and Hafez are two of her favorites.

Freddy Niagara Fonseca, the founder of the series, produces a great variety of poetry events every month, drawing ever larger audiences.

Come enjoy four different, yet complementary performance styles of the poetry of our old friend Hafez, one of the most favorite poets in the world. Admission is free.

PROGRAM

1—MD—Hafez, His Life and Times

2—AA—Quest for the Magic Chalice

3—RD—Awake Awhile

4—FNF—I Have Come Into This World

5—MD—Don’t Find Fault with Sages—The Sage in Hafez Poetry: The “Rend”

6—RD—You Left a Thousand Women Crazy

7—AA—Concepts of bi-luminosity

8—FNF—I Wish I Could Speak Like Music

9—MD—Don’t Find Fault, Walk on

10—FNF—Join Me in the Pure Atmosphere

11—AA—Nafase Bade Saba

12—RD—Saheb-e-Zaman (The Lord of Time)

13—MD—That Shapes the Eye

14—AA—The Nightingale and the Rose

15—FNF—Cupping My Hands Like a Mountain Valley

16—RD—Dance, Dervish Dance

17—MD—Noone has seen your face

18—AA—The deer’s Protector

19—FNF—Out of the Mouth of a Thousand Birds

20—RD—That’s the Whole Idea

21—MD—Hafez’s tomb inscription

22—AA—Haven’t Heard from You in Ages

23—FNF—I’ve Said it Before and I’ll Say It Again

24—RD—I Know the Way You Can Get

25—MD—God’s Bucket

26—AA—Rahi Bezan Ke Ahi

27—FNF—Not With Wings

28—RD—Beautiful Empty Pages

29—MD—The Stairway of Existence

The 2006 Readings

Design and copyright 2009 Freddy Niagara Fonseca

Fairfield Creates Foundation