The Wine of Love

Hafiz describes the intoxication of True Love in the following words:

Oh Master, take me into the circle of your lovers, for this madness of love for you is far better than the cleverness of the outside world. The lives of thousands of intellectual persons are not worth a moment of this madness. If the senses were to know how much bliss is in store for the heart that achieves this state of madness, then people now following the lure of the senses would become mad after this Divine Love.

Again, he says:

If you are poor but have directed the currents of your mind into the intoxication of True Love, you will find it to be so powerful an elixir that it makes even poor people as rich as King Karoon (an extremely wealthy king of ancient times). This is the best prescription for making a king, even of a beggar.

The wine shop where this intoxication of love can be obtained may be approached only by those who have but one motive in their minds; whose hearts, minds and even tongues are completely dyed in the hue of their Beloved. It is not possible for selfish persons or worldly people to enter the lane leading to the reservoir of the wine of love for the Lord.

In the above, Hafiz does not refer to the material wine, but to the spiritual intoxicant of love for the Lord. It has no material ingredients and has been in existence from the very beginning of time. Prem (Love) cannot be described by human tongue. 

Hafiz says:

Oh my Master, bestow on me this intoxication of love as soon as possible, without entangling me in the web of outward discussions.

Shamas-i-Tabrez describes this wine of love in the following words:

This wine is the wine of spirituality. Oh ye distributor, bring this wine of God and give it to those who have been writhing in the anguish of separation from the Lord.

_______________

Footnote: