Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi

11th Century

Afghanistan
(Middle East)

Hakim Sanai

Timeline (1044? - 1150?)

Poems by Hakim Sanai
Books - Links

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Not much is known about Hakim Sanai, often just called Sanai or Sanai of Ghazna. Sanai is one of the earlier Sufi poets. He was born in the province of Ghazna in southern Afghanistan in the middle of the 11th century and probably died around 1150.

Rumi acknowledged Sanai and Attar as his two primary inspirations, saying, "Attar is the soul and Sanai its two eyes, I came after Sanai and Attar."

Sanai was originally a court poet who was engaged in writing praises for the Sultan of Ghazna.

The story is told of how the Sultan decided to lead a military attack against neighboring India and Sanai, as a court poet, was summoned to join the expedition to record the Sultan's exploits. As Sanai was making his way to the court, he passed an enclosed garden frequented by a notorious drunk named Lai Khur.

As Sanai was passing by, he heard Lai Khur loudly proclaim a toast to the blindness of the Sultan for greedily choosing to attack India, when there was so much beauty in Ghazna. Sanai was shocked and stopped. Lai Khur then proposed a toast to the blindness of the famous young poet Sanai who, with his gifts of insight and expression, couldn't see the pointlessness of his existence as a poet praising such a foolish Sultan.

These words were like an earthquake to Hakim Sanai, because he knew they were true. He abandoned his life as a pampered court poet, even declining marriage to the Sultan's own sister, and began to study with a Sufi master named Yusef Hamdani.

Sanai soon went on pilgrimage to Mecca. When he returned, he composed his Hadiqatu'l Haqiqat or The Walled Garden of Truth. There was a double meaning in this title for, in Persian, the word for a walled garden is the same word for paradise, but it was also from within a walled garden that Lai Khur uttered the harsh truths that set Hakim Sanai on the path of wisdom.

Poems by Hakim Sanai

	Belief brings me close to You
	Bloom Like a Rose
	Meditation
	Mystic Chat
	No tongue can tell Your secret
	Streaming
	Take everything away
	The Good Darkness
	The Way of the Holy Ones
	The way to You
	The Wild Rose of Praise

Recommended Books

	The Book of Everything: Journey of the Heart's Desire, by Hakim Sanai Al-Ghaznavi / Translated by Priya Hemenway Amazon.com
	The Drunken Universe: An Anthology of Persian Sufi Poetry, Translated by Peter Lamborn Wilson / Translated by Nasrollah Pourjavady Amazon.com
	The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia, with Lectures by Inayat Khan, Translated by Coleman Barks Amazon.com
	Love's Alchemy: Poems from the Sufi Tradition, Translated by David Fideler / Translated by Sabrineh Fideler Amazon.com
	Perfume of the Desert: Inspirations from the Sufi Wisdom, by Andrew Harvey / Eryk Hanut Amazon.com
	Unio Mystica: Poetry of the Sufi Mystic, Hakim Sanai, by Osho International Foundation Amazon.com
	The Walled Garden of Truth, by Hakim Sanai / Translated by David Pendlebury Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Author Hakim Sanai, from the Oldpoetry Poetry Archive http://oldpoetry.com/author/Hakim%20Sanai A brief biography and several excerpts of his writings.
	Virtual Afghans - Afghan Poetry - Sanai http://www.virtualafghans.com/culture/poetry/sanai/ A brief biography online.
	Afghanland.com Hakim Sanai http://afghanland.com/poetry/sanai.html An extended biography and discussion of the poetry and philosophy of Sanai.
	Sufi Poetry http://wahiduddin.net/sufi_poetry.htm#Sanai A few poem selection by Sanai, as well as several other great Sufi poets.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Hakim Sanai

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Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World