.
Once a man came to me and spoke for hours about
“His great visions of God” he felt he was having.
.
He asked me for confirmation, saying,
“Are these wondrous dreams true?”
.
I replied, “How many goats do you have?”
.
He looked surprised and said,
“I am speaking of sublime visions
And you ask
About goats!”
.
And I spoke again saying,
“Yes, brother – how many do you have?”
.
“Well, Hafiz, I have sixty-two.”
.
“And how many wives?”
Again he looked surprised, then said,
“Four.”
.
“How many rose bushes in your garden,
How many children,
Are your parents still alive,
Do you feed the birds in winter?”
.
And to all he answered.
.
Then I said,
“You asked me if I thought your visions were true,
I would say that they were if they make you become
More human,
.
More kind to every creature and plant
That you know."
.
~ Hafiz
(“The Gift” – translated by Daniel Ladinsky)