How did the rose ever open
How did the rose ever open its heart.
And give to this world all of its beauty?

How did the rose ever open
How did the rose ever open its heart.
And give to this world, all of its beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
It felt the encouragement
of light against its being.

Otherwise we all remain too frightened.
Otherwise we all remain too frightened.

Shams-ud-din Muhammad Hafiz  (c. 1320-1389)  Persia

Translated by:  Daniel Ladinsky
Lyric arrangement (and words) from and based on a poem in Love Poems From God,  copyright 2002 by Daniel Ladinsky.  Used by permission of Daniel Ladinsky