Nizami

COMPLETE LAYLA AND MAJNUN OF NIZAMI (Large Print & Large Format Edition) Translation & Introduction Paul Smith It is impossible to underestimate the effect of Nizami's 'Layla and Majnun' on the world over the past 800 years. Many poets throughout this period have copied or been influenced by his story of the young lovers (including Shakespeare). Many great Sufi Master-Poets have quoted from him or like him have used the story of the desperate lovers to illustrate how human love can be transformed into divine love. It is said that no one has painted a more perfect picture of women in Persian Literature than Nizami. This translation contains the 'Reason for Writing this Book' of the Introduction and ending 'A Prayer for the King and Conclusion of the Book' and so is the most complete in English and has kept to the correct rhyme-structure of this long masnavi epic poem, while retaining the beauty of the poetry, the mystical meaning and simplicity. Included is a long Introduction on his life and chapters on all of the works with examples from them of this great Master/Poet. Selected Bibliography. It is in Large Type 16pt. & Large Format Paperback ... 8" x 10" 279 pages. Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Rahman Baba, Baba Latif, Iqbal, Ghalib, Huma, Nazir and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa New Humanity Books

SIX IMPORTANT LONG SUFI TEACHING POEMS The Walled Garden of the Truth, Treasury of Mysteries, The Masnavi, Pand-Nama (Book of Wisdom) Rose Garden of Mystery & Book of Ecstasy Sana'i, Nizami, Rumi, Sadi, Shabistari & 'Arifi Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The Walled Garden of the Truth of Sana'i is a poem of mystical teachings intermingled with proverbs, fables, anecdotes and even obscene stories. The uncommon manner in which Sana'i introduced and explained the esoteric teachings of Sufism through the medium of poetry was the key to its popularity and lasting value. It is still widely considered by scholars to be the first great mystical poem in Persian. Treasury of the Mysteries is one most beautiful mystic poem in the Persian language. Every line of his Treasury of the Mysteries is a living witness to his absolute certainty that piety, devotion, humility and self-forgetfulness are the corner stones of total annihilation, which in turn is necessary for unification with God and the foundation of the edifice of eternal life. The Masnavi of Rumi is a 6 volume teaching Sufi Poem in the form of the masnavi & it is considerd the greatest masterpiece in this form. Here are translated the opening stories in the correct form. Sadi composed a Sufi teaching poem in masnavi form... Pand-Nama (The Book of Wisdom) and these short sayings are as wise and as relevant today as they were back then. Rose Garden of Mystery was composed as a 1000 couplet long masnavi poem in the form of questions and answers on spiritual matters by Mahmud Shabistari of Tabriz in 1317. It has been regarded as one of the finest books on Sufism. Written by 'Arifi (1389 - 1449) the Hal-nama or Book of Ecstasy often referred to as 'The Ball & Polo-stick' is an allegory in which the ball and the polo-stick are personified as types of Sufi mystical love and all the images are from the game of polo or as it was known at the time in Persia as chaugan. The correct form of the masnavi has been kept in all poems but one and each has an informative Introduction on the poet's life and times and poetry. Chapter on Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, Glossary. Bibliographies. Large format paperback 7" x 10" Pages 801. Paul Smith 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Iqbal, Ghalib, Seemab, Jigar, Mahsati, Zauq, Faizi, Lalla Ded and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

FOUR IMPORTANT SUFI TEACHING POEMS The Walled Garden of the Truth, Treasury of Mysteries, Rose Garden of Mystery & Book of Ecstasy by Sana'i, Nizami, Shabistari & 'Arifi Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The Walled Garden of the Truth of Sana'i is a poem of mystical teachings intermingled with proverbs, fables, anecdotes and even obscene stories. The uncommon manner in which Sana'i introduced and explained the esoteric teachings of Sufism through the medium of poetry was the key to its popularity and lasting value. It is still widely considered by scholars to be the first great mystical poem in Persian. Rumi said, " 'Attar is the soul and Sana'i the eyes and I came after them'." The Treasury of the Mysteries, the most beautiful mystic poem in the Persian language, has both perfection of language and grandeur of thought. Every line of his Treasury of the Mysteries is a living witness to his absolute certainty that piety, devotion, humility and self-forgetfulness are the corner stones of total annihilation, which in turn is necessary for unification with God and the foundation of the edifice of eternal life." G. H. Darab. Senior lecturer in Persian. University of London. The Rose Garden of Mystery was composed as a 1000 couplet long masnavi poem in the form of questions and answers on spiritual matters by Mahmud Shabistari of Tabriz in 1317 at the request of his Spiritual Master. Since then it has been regarded as one of the finest books on Sufism. E. G. Browne in his classic work, 'History of Persian Literature' calls this book "On the whole, one of the best manuals of Sufi theosophy that exists." Written by 'Arifi (1389 - 1449) one of the last great Sufi poets of the Classical Period of Persian Poetry the Hal-nama or Book of Ecstasy often referred to as 'The Ball & Polo-stick' is an allegory in which the ball and the polo-stick are personified as types of Sufi mystical love and all the images are from the game of polo or as it was known at the time in Persia as chaugan. 'Arifi composed it, as he states in the epilogue of the 513 couplets masnavi... in two weeks. The correct form of the masnavi has been kept in all three long poems and each has an informative Introduction on the poet's life and times and poetry. Chapter on Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, Glossary. Large format paperback 7" x 10" Pages 653. Paul Smith 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

THE COMPLETE MAJNUN POEMS OF QAYS IBN AL-MULAWWAH AND NIZAMI'S LAYLA & MAJNUN Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Majnun was a real person Qays (Majnun='madman') was a youth, a Bedouin poet in the seventh century of the Bani Amir tribe in the Najd desert in Arabia. He fell in love with Layla from the same tribe whom he was denied. (It is said that Shakespeare was inspired by their tale for Romeo & Juliet from their tragic love story). His poetry was composed before and some after his descent into love-madness (mast). Here, in the form of the qit'as in which they were composed, is the largest collection of his immortal poems translated into English. Nizami's famous telling of their tale came from these poems and other sources. It is impossible to underestimate the effect of Nizami's 'Layla and Majnun' on the world over the past 800 years. Many poets throughout this period have copied or been influenced by his story of the young lovers. Many Master-Poets besides Ibn Arabi, 'Attar, Rumi, Sadi, Hafiz and Jami have quoted from him or like him have used the story of the desperate lovers to illustrate how human love can be transformed into divine love through separation and longing. It is said that no one has painted a more perfect picture of women in Persian Literature than Nizami. The correct rhyme-structure of this long masnavi epic poem is here while retaining the beauty of the poetry, the mystical meaning and simplicity of the form. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" Pages 267 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 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). Paul Smith i(b. 1945) s 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Bulleh Shah, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

It was a refreshing, old-fashioned pleasure to read Julie Scott Meisami's verse translation of, and introduction and notes to, this twelfth-century Persian allegorical romance. Orhan Pahmuk, in the Times Literary Supplement

Nizami's Haft Paykar

Treasury of the Mysteries NIZAMI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith "The Makhzanol Asrar (Treasury of the Mysteries), the most beautiful mystic poem in the Persian language, has both perfection of language and grandeur of thought. Every line of his Treasury of the Mysteries is a living witness to his absolute certainty that piety, devotion, humility and self-forgetfulness are the corner stones of total annihilation, which in turn is necessary for unification with God and the foundation of the edifice of eternal life." G. H. Darab. Senior lecturer in Persian. University of London. Paul Smith has kept to the correct rhyme-structure while retaining the meaning and beauty of the original in simple, understandable, poetic English. He has written a long Introduction on the Life of Nizami and chapters on each of his books of poetry. Selected Bibliography. Large Edition 7" x 10" 306 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 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 of poems inspired by Hafiz). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Hindi, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Baba Farid, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Lalla Ded and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays New Humanity Books amazon.com/author/smithpa