Love Poems from God: Inspirations from Twelve Sacred Voices of the East and West (Compass) Paperback – September 24, 2002

It has been said that just as every river is winding its way to the sea so every soul is returning to a glorious reunion with our source, God. ~Daniel LadinskyDaniel Ladinsky presents poems from the past in a new clarity. He not only translated these poems, he lovingly selected poems of great beauty and meaning.While many of the poems do sing with his voice, a new understanding emerges and the message of an ecstatic union with God is very present. What is even more interesting than the poet's desire to worship God, is God's worship of humans, which can at times seem foreign unless you think of this as an admiration of His creation. Then, like two human lovers, God and mankind enter a space of love, adoration, blissful unconditional love and shared communion.In this regard, the poems are ecstatically beautiful, although not always about God. There are plenty of love poems that seem to have been written for human lovers:One regret that I am determined not to haveWhen I am lying upon my deathbedis that we did not kissenough.~Hafiz (c. 1320-1329)Hafiz influenced Emerson, Goethe and Brahms and Daniel Ladinsky explains how he wrote wild love songs to the world from God.Priests also long for the love of a woman and yet maintain the vows they took and some poets compare their love to the vows the sun and the moon took as they will never touch. One of the most beautiful poems contains references to giving God a "pet" name and that he responded more to prayers when he was loved this way. I loved Rabia of Basra's poem about the moon once being a moth:The moon was once a moth who ran to God,they entwined.Now just her luminous soul remainsas we gaze at itat night.Many of the poems are secretive, sensuous and tell stories from mythology. While many authors present poems without introductions, Daniel Ladinsky gives an introduction to each poet and the twelve chapters then become meaningful studies of a poet's life and longings. We learn about Tukaram and how he survived a famine or how Rumi was influenced by Rabia of Basra who was actually sold into slavery because of her beauty.Meister Eckhart gives us insight into why we all want to be loved. St. Catherine of Siena talks about only wanting to "hear the hymns of the earth, and the laughter of the sky." So, there are many poems about nature.Love Poems From God is a unique window from which to view spiritual love and you may find yourself writing your own poems, inspired by the beauty in this collection.Featured Poets: Rabia, St. Francis of Assisi, Rumi, Meister Eckhart, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hafiz, St. Catherine of Siena, Kabir, Mira, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and Tukaram.~The Rebecca Review, author of Moonflower Dreams

Highly inspiring poetry I’ve committed 15 minutes each morning to reading over some positive poetry just sent my day off right this is exactly what I was looking for. There’s nothing like a saint in your morning to set the tone.❤️😊

I was cruising through the bookshop at Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Carlton, Oregon recently when this collection of poetry caught my eye. I have Ladinsky renderings of Hafiz in "I Heard God Laughing", which I've read many times and adore, and this book looked like it needed to be in my collection. Ladinsky selected poems from twelve mystics and saints and translated them in his inimitable fashion, which sometimes is very loose and often very funny. The twelve are: Rumi, St. Francis of Assisi, Hafiz, Kabir, St. Teresa of Avila, Tukaram, St. Catherin of Siena, Mira, St. Thomas Aquinas, Rabia, Meister Eckhart, and St. John of the Cross. I particularly like the non-Christian mystics, four of whom I had never heard of. An insight into the author's "loose" translations is in the section on the mystic, Kabir. Ladinsky writes "....what we see of historic saints is often tremendously edited, as the way a parent might edit what their child hears and sees. Christianity as a whole at times strikes me as a remarkably edited view of God, as do the beliefs of any religion that promotes any kind of division between the soul and creation." Each section has brief background on the saint and then a selection of their poetry. Here's one from Tukaram, who lived in India in the 17th century.Did God really call that famous leader a goofball?If he did, no need to worry about God anymore -He is doing just fine,And we are all a lot better off than I earlier suspected.Or this one from Mira, renowned Indian poet of the 16th century:The earth looked at Him and began to dance.Mira knows why, for her soul too is in love.If you cannot picture God in a way that always strengthens you,You need to read more of my poems.This is a very readable and uplifting collection, one to be savored and read again and again. I like this collection so well, I bought another one for a friend for Christmas

There are some books you read once and then donate. This is not one of those. This is the type of book that I keep my library stocked with for when I need inspiration or some fuel for quiet contemplation or prayer. I fully intend to carry this book with me for as long as I have books. It's such a treasure!!

Daniel Ladinsky has a most interesting strategy as a translator, and it's going to be interesting to see whether his translations pass the test of time. He's taken the "tops of the pops," in terms of mystics, but also added a few who were new to me, and rendered their work into a totally contemporary idiom. The language surprises, and encourages those little satoris that I look for in good poetry, and that mystics are almost legally bound to provide. Mr. Ladinsky manages to provide mystical poetry rooted on earth - sometimes rooted in bodily functions, and reminds me a bit of Allen Ginsberg in that sense. There's nothing stilted in this collection, and I suppose readers who would have a problem with the idiom are of a more classically reverent bent - and would probably hate Christopher Logue's renderings of the "Iliad," as well, which I happen to love. However, I do agree with the person who wrote that it's Ladinsky's voice that predominates. Thankfully, though, the thoughts and insights are of the originals.I recommend this collection to readers who love the play of language, and are looking for a few "ah-ha" moments when they open a book.PS: The translations of Tukaram, whom I had never heard of, were quite illuminating.