***A WEALTH OF POETS*** Persian Poetry at the Courts of Sultan Mahmud in Ghazneh & Sultan Sanjar in Ganjeh (998-1158) Translations, Introduction and Notes by Paul Smith CONTENTS: Persian Poetry: A New Beginning... Sultan Mahmud: His Life, Times & Poets, Sultan Sanjar: His Life, Times & Poets, Various Forms in Persian Poetry, Sufism in Persian Poetry. THE POETS: Poets at the Court of Sultan Mahmud, Sultan Mahmud, Umarah, Kisa'i, Firdausi, Farrukhi, Asjadi, Minuchihri, Unsuri, Asadi. Poets at the Court of Sultan Sanjar, Mu'izzi, Sabir, Hasan Ghaznavi, Mahsati, Jabali, Vatvat, Anvari. Pages 264....

HAFIZ: SELECTED POEMS Translation, Introduction Paul Smith Persia's greatest exponent of the ghazal Hafiz (1320-139o) became a Perfect Master (Qutub), was twice exiled from his beloved Shiraz for his criticism of rulers and false Sufi masters and hypocritical clergy. His Divan shows he composed in nearly all forms. As with his ghazals, his masnavis, qasidas, qita's, ruba'is and other poems are sometimes mystical and sometimes critical of the hypocrisy of his times. Included in the Introduction is the Life and Times and Poetry of Hafiz and a history of the various forms. Selected Bibliography....

THE MASNAVI: A WORLD ANTHOLOGY Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith The masnavi is the poetic form used in Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Arabic and other languages to write epic ballads, romances and 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 various languages. With each selection of a particular poet is a brief biography plus a list of further reading. The...

**SHIMMERING JEWELS** Anthology of Poetry Under the Reigns of the Mughal Emperors of India (1526-1857) Translations, Introductions, Etc. by Paul Smith CONTENTS: The Mughal Empire, Emperor Babur, Emperor Humayun, Emperor Akbar, Emperor Jahangir, Emperor Shah Jahan, Emperor Aurangzeb, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, The Main Forms in Persian, Urdu & Pushtu Poetry of the Indian Sub-Continent. Poets in the Reign of Babur: Babur, Wafa'i, Farighi, Haqiri. Poets in the Reign of Humayun: Humayun, Kamran, Nadiri, Bayram. Poets in the Reign of Akbar: Akbar,...

*RUBA'IYAT OF RUMI* Translation, Introduction and Notes by Paul Smith Here are 330 wonderful ruba'is of the great Spiritual Master of the 13th century, who has become today the most popular poet in the world, Jelal ad-din Rumi. They are powerful, spiritual and full of joy, bliss and understanding. Unlike those of Omar Khayyam's these are poems composed by a soul before and after gaining God-realization. Included in the Introduction is the life of Rumi, a history of the ruba'i poetic form and translated examples by its greatest exponents. Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept...

RUBA'IYAT OF JAMI Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Jami (1414-1493), considered the last great poet of the Classical Period (10th-15th century) is mostly known for his masterpiece seven masnavis epics... including Joseph and Zulaikh, Layla and Majnun, and Salman and Absal. He also composed three Divans consisting of ghazals rubai's and other profound mystical poems. Here are 103 ruba'is, the largest number ever put into English. Included in the Introduction is on the life of Jami and a history of the ruba'i and examples by its greatest exponents. Selected Bibliography. The correct...

***RUBA'IYAT OF SADI*** Translation, Introduction & Notes by Paul Smith Here for the first time in beautiful, poetic English are eighty-eight of the immortal Sadi's wonderful short poems or ruba'is in the correct rhyme-structure and with all of the meanings. Some are deeply mystical, others romantic, satirical and humourous and others intelligently critical of the selfishness of the time... of all time. As fresh today as they were when they were composed some 800 years ago. Included is an Introduction containing The Life of Sadi, his Poetry and his influence on the East and the West and a...

IBN AL-FARID: WINE & THE MYSTIC'S PROGRESS Translation, Introduction & Notes by Paul Smith Umar Ibn al-Farid, an Egyptian poet (1181-1235), is considered to be the undisputed master of Islamic mystical poetry into Arabic. He is considered not only to be a poet but a Perfect Master (Qutub) a God-realised soul... and it is his journey to unity with God that he reveals in probably the longest qasida (ode) in Arabic (761 couplets), his famous The Mystic's Progress. The other poem for which he is most known is his Wine Poem that is often seen as a prologue to the The Mystic's Progress. Although...

KHAQANI: SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Born in Shirwan in 1122 he died in Tabriz in 1199. He was a great poet and a master of the qasida and one of the first of the ghazal. He was born into the family of a carpenter in Melgem, near Shamakhy. He lost his father and was brought up by an uncle, a doctor and astronomer at court of the Shirwanshah, who acted 'as his nurse and tutor'. His mother was a Christian and Jesus features in many of his poems. After he was invited to court he assumed the pen-name Khaqani ('regal'). A court poet's life bored him and he fled to Iraq...