The Persian Masnavi

The Persian Masnavi An Anthology Translations & Introduction Paul Smith The masnavi is the poetic form used in Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Arabic and other languages to write epic ballads, romances and Sufi mystical stories and is essentially a Persian invention. Each couplet has a different rhyme with both lines rhyming. This is to allow the poet greater freedom to go into a longer description of the subject he has chosen to present. Introduction includes... Article on the masnavi in vthe Persian language. With each selection of a particular poet is a brief biography plus a list of further reading. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these long, powerful, often mystical poems. THE POETS... Abu Shakur, Rabi'a Balkhi, Daqiqi, Firdausi, Gurgani, Nasir-i-Khusraw, Asadi, Sana'i, Khaqani, Zahir, Nizami, 'Attar, Rumi, Sadi, 'Iraqi, Shabistari, Amir Khusrau, Auhadi, Khaju, Obeyd Zakani, Shahin, Hafiz, Ruh Attar, Shah Ni'matu'llah, Kasim Anwar, 'Arifi, Shah Da'i, Jami, Ghazali, Qudsi, Bedil, Tahirah, Iqbal, Parvin. 429 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." 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. Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of 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, Lalla Ded, Iqbal, Ghalib, and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books, screenplays.