The Hand of Poetry offers entrance into the world of beauty and truth. Seven lectures on Persian poets and poetry given by Hazrat Inayat Khan are followed by fresh translations from the poet Coleman Barks. The greatest poets of Persia-Sanai, Attar, Rumi, Saadi and Hafiz -are here brought to life for a new generation of readers. Book jacket.
BULLEH SHAH: PUNJABI SUFI POET Selected Poems (Large Print & Large Format Edition) Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Bulleh Shah (1680-1758) was a Sufi poet who composed in Punjabi and settled in Kasur, now in Pakistan. His Spiritual Master was Shah Inayat. The poetic form Bulleh Shah is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi poetry used not only by the Sufis of Sindh and Punjab, but also by Sikh gurus. His poetry and philosophy strongly criticizes the Islamic religious orthodoxy of his day. His time was marked with communal strife between Muslims and Sikhs. But in that age Bulleh Shah was a beacon of hope and peace for the citizens of the Punjab. Several of his songs or kafis are still regarded as an integral part of the traditional repertoire of qawwali, the musical genre that represents the devotional music of the Sufis. Here is also a large selection of his dohas, single couplet rhyming poems. Introduction on his Life, Times & Poems & Influence and on Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry, Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these powerful, spiritual poems. Large Print (18pt), Large Format (8" x 10") Edition. 198 pages. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages, including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Jahan Khatun, Iqbal, Ghalib, Seemab, Jigar, Urfi and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.
Written from the ninth to the twentieth century, these poems represent the peak of Islamic Mystical writing, from Rabia Basri to Mian Mohammad Baksh. Reflecting both private devotional love and the attempt to attain union with God and become absorbed into the Divine, many poems in this edition are imbued with the symbols and metaphors that develop many of the central ideas of Sufism: the Lover, the Beloved, the Wine, and the Tavern; while others are more personal and echo the poet's battle to leave earthly love behind. These translations capture the passion of the original poetry and are accompanied by an introduction on Sufism and the common themes apparent in the works. This edition also includes suggested further reading.
~KHIDR IN SUFI POETRY: A SELECTION~Translation & Introduction by Paul SmithKhidr (Khizer, Khadir) is often called: “The Green One” for he was said to have drunk from the Fountain of Immortality and gained Eternal life. He has been identified with Elias, St. George, Phineas, the Angel Gabriel, the companion of Mohammed on a journey which is told in the Koran, viii, 59-8 1, and throughout the literature of Mysticism has appeared to many great seekers who eventually became Perfect Masters. Here are poems by many great Sufi Master Poets who have composed poems in Persian, Turkish, Pashtu, Urdu and English in which he is invoked or appears: Ansari, Anvari, Khaqani, Mu'in, Nizami, 'Attar, Baba Afzal, Rumi, Sadi, Yunus Emre, Shabistari, Amir Khusrau, Obeyd Zakani, Emad Kermani, Hafiz, Ruh Attar, Haydar, Jahan Khatun, Ahmedi, Zeyneb, Necati, Khushal, Makhfi, Rahman Baba, Khwaja Mohammad, Niyazi, Wali, Dard, Zauq, Ghalib, Dagh, Iqbal, Paul. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these poems. Introduction on 'Who is Khidr'. Selected Bibliography. Three Appendixes. Illustrated. 267 pages.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. “Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.“Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author).“I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages, including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Lalla, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.
AMIR KHUSRAU: SELECTED POEMSTranslation & Introduction by Paul SmithAmir Khusrau (1253-1324), the 'Parrot of India' was born at Patigali near the Ganges in India. At the age of thirty-six he was poet-laureate, serving many sultans. He was not only fluent in Persian, in which he composed the majority of his 92 books, but also in Arabic, Hindi and Sanskrit. He composed ten long masnavis, five Divans of ghazals and other poems and many prose works. He was a Master musician and invented the sitar. The Perfect Master Nizam ud-din took him as his disciple and eventually he became God-realized. He rebelled against narrow spirituality and helped redefine the true Sufi way. He was a profound influence on Hafiz and is seen as the link between Sadi and Hafiz in updating the form and content of the ghazal and eroticising it. This is the largest selection of his poems in English. Introduction is on his Life & Times & Poetry and the Forms in which he wrote and on Sufism & Poetry. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, enlightened poems. 215 pagesCOMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of works into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. “Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). “I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah and many others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books, screenplays.www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com
A modern translation of verses by Bullhe Shah, the iconic eighteenth-century Sufi poet, treasured by readers worldwide to this day. Bullhe Shah’s work is among the glories of Panjabi literature, and the iconic eighteenth-century poet is widely regarded as a master of mystical Sufi poetry. His verses, famous for their vivid style and outspoken denunciation of artificial religious divisions, have long been beloved and continue to win audiences around the world. This striking new translation is the most authoritative and engaging introduction to an enduring South Asian classic.
MANSUR HALLAJ: SELECTED POEMSTranslation & Introduction by Paul SmithThe Perfect Master, poet & martyr, Husayn Mansur al-Hallaj (died 919), was born in Shiraz and tortured and executed in Baghdad for declaring: “I am the Truth (Anal Haq).” Much has been written about his famous (and in¬famous) statement, but few of his powerful, often mysteries and always deeply conscious and spiritual poems in Arabic have been translated before from his Divan into English, and in the poetic form in which they were composed. The Introduction contains: The Life, Times and Works of Mansur Hallaj, The Perfect Master (Qutub), 'Anal-Haq' or 'I am the Truth' of Mansur Hallaj, Four Master Poets of Baghdad who influenced Hallaj, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry. There is a wide selection of his qit'as, ghazals, ruba'is, qasidas. A Selection of Poetry from the Persian, Turkish & Pashtu poetry about or influenced by him. Pages 178.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator from English into Persian, knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.“Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author).Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages… including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Mahsati, Lalla Ded and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.
TWO MASTER SUFI POETS & FRIENDS OF DELHI AMIR KHUSRAU & HASAN DEHLAVI Selected Poems & BiographiesTranslation & Introduction Paul SmithIn Delhi in the 13th century the great Sufi Master Nizam al-Din Auliya of the Chistiyya order had two famous disciples who were also poets: Amir Khusrau, the 'Parrot of India' and Hasan Dehlavi, the 'Sadi of India' who remained close friends all their lives. Amir Khusrau composed over 90 books and was a musician who invented the sitar as well as being an historian, and many other occupations... a truly 'universal man'. He too eventually became a Spiritual Master. He was influential on Hafiz of Shiraz who copied his ghazals and was probably the founder of the Urdu language. He composed ghazals, ruba'is, many masnavis and in most other forms of Persian poetry. Hasan Dehlavi born in the same year as Khusrau was a supreme master of the ghazal and also composed a famous book of stories and sayings of their Spiritual Master, Nizam al-Din Auliya. The large selection of poetry translated of both poets is in the correct rhyme structure & meaning. Introduction: The Spiritual Master of the Two Poets, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, Some of the Persian Poetic Forms Used by the Poets, Biographies & Selected Bibliographies. Large Format Paperback, 7" x 10" 355 pages.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. " Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart."I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). "I have never seen such a good translation and I would like to write a book in Farsi and introduce his Introduction to Iranians." Mr B. Khorramshai, Academy of Philosophy, Tehran.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Mansur Hallaj, Yunus Emre, Mu'in, Ibn Farid, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Abu Said, Ghalib, Nazir, Iqbal, Inayat Khan and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com