Lousy at Math
Once a group of thieves stole a rare diamond
larger than two goose eggs.
Its value could have easily bought three thousand horses
and three thousand acres of the most
fertile land in
Shiraz.
The thieves got drunk that night to celebrate their great haul,
but during the course of the evening the effects of the liquor,
and their mistrust of each other grew
to such an extent
they decided to divide the stone into pieces.
Of course then the Priceless became lost.
Most everyone is lousy at math and does that to God -
dissects the Indivisible One,
by thinking, by saying,
"This is my Beloved, he looks like this and acts like that,
how could that moron over there
really
be
God?"
Once a group of thieves stole a rare diamond
larger than two goose eggs.
Its value could have easily bought three thousand horses
and three thousand acres of the most
fertile land in
Shiraz.
The thieves got drunk that night to celebrate their great haul,
but during the course of the evening the effects of the liquor,
and their mistrust of each other grew
to such an extent
they decided to divide the stone into pieces.
Of course then the Priceless became lost.
Most everyone is lousy at math and does that to God -
dissects the Indivisible One,
by thinking, by saying,
"This is my Beloved, he looks like this and acts like that,
how could that moron over there
really
be
God?"
—The Gift: Poems by Hafiz the great Sufi Master
translated by Daniel Ladinsky
Blessèd Be.
