The emperor Tamerlane was outraged when he read a poem in which Hafiz declared that he would gladly trade the city of Bukhara for the mole on the cheek of a lovely girl.
Tamerlane angrily confronted the poet. "My architects and artists have made Bukhara the 'Dome of Islam' in the East. How dare you even speak of such a trade!"
Hafiz replied with a smile, "That is exactly the kind of extravagant spending that has led to my impoverished state, Your Majesty."
Tamerlane was so amused that his anger vanished and he bestowed on the poet a rich reward.
Inspired by: Sacred Laughter of the Sufis by Imam Jamal Rahman
Notes: This story is on p. x (in the introduction) of the book. You can find out more about the emperor Tamerlane (Timur) and the city of Bukhara at Wikipedia, and you can also read there about the poet Hafez; this famous anecdote appears in that article.
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