CLASSIC WAR POEMS OF THE EAST An Anthology Translation & Introduction Paul Smith This Anthology ranges from 2000 B.C. until the 17th century A.D. The Poets include from India... Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita; from Arabia... Tarafa, Amru, Harith, Antara, Zuhair, Labid, Al-A'sha, Khansa, Abu Tammam, Al-Mutanabbi, Al-Ma'arri, Ahmad Shawqi; from Persia... Firdausi, Unsuri, Mu'izzi, Anvari, Nizami, Obeyd Zakani, Salman, Qa'ani; from Afghanistan... Kushal Khan Khattuk. Included is an examination of the various poetic forms used by the poets... the Sloka, the Qasida, the...

ABU SA'ID & SARMAD A Sufi Daybook Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Abu Sa'id (968-1049) was a Perfect Master and a poet who lived in Nishapur and composed only ruba'is, over 400 of them. He was a founder of Sufi poetry and a major influence on the ruba'i and most poets that followed, especially Sana'i, Nizami, 'Attar, Rumi and Hafiz. Sarmad (d. 1659) was a famous and infamous Persian dervish poet of Jewish and Armenian origin. As a merchant he gathered his wares and travelled to India to sell them. In India he renounced Judaism and adopted Islam: he later renounced it in favour of...

ARABIC & AFGHAN SUFI POETRY A Daybook Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Here is an enlightened Daybook of 366 inspirational poems by the greatest Arabic & Afghan Sufi poets of all time in the forms of the ruba'i, ghazal and others. THE POETS: ARABIC POETS: Hazrat Ali, Ali Ibn Husain, Rabi'a of Basra, Abu Nuwas, Dhu'l-Nun, Bayazid Bistami, Al Nuri, Junaid, Sumnun, Mansur al-Hallaj, Ibn 'Ata, Shibli, Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazzali, Gilani, Abu Madyam, Suhrawadi, Ibn al-Farid, Ibn 'Arabi, Al-Busiri, Al-Shushtari, Ahmed Shawqi. AFGHAN POETS: Mirza, Khushal, Ashraf Khan, Bedil, Abdul-Kadir, Rahman...

ABU NUWAS: Selected Poems Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Abu Nuwas (757-814) was the most famous and infamous poet who composed in Arabic of the Abbasid era. His style was extravagant and his compositions reflected the licentious manners of the upper classes of his day. His father was Arab and his mother was Persian. As a youth he was sold into slavery; a wealthy benefactor later set him free. By the time he reached manhood he had settled in Baghdad and was composing poetry. It was at this time, because of his long hair, he acquired the name Abu Nuwas (Father of Ringlets). Gradually...

BHAKTI POETRY OF INDIA An Anthology Translations & Introductions Paul Smith Bhakti is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God. While bhakti as designating a religious path is already a central concept in the Bhagavad Gita, it rises to importance in the medieval history of Hinduism, where the Bhakti Movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century. The Bhakti movement reached North India in the Delhi...

ANOTHER FIVE GREAT CLASSIC SUFI MASTER POETS Ibn al-Farid, Ibn 'Arabi, Baba Farid, Baba Afzal, Rumi. SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The great Sufi Perfect Master Poets of the Classic Age (12th-13th century) were straightforward and inspiring in the poetic forms of the ghazal, ruba'i, qasida and the masnavi in expressing their love for the Divine Beloved and their contempt for this world and its illusions. Here are hundreds of beautiful poems by them in the correct form and meaning and biographies about them. Ibn al-Farid (1181-1235). His poetry is imbibed with Sufism and...

ANOTHER FOUR GREAT CLASSIC SUFI MASTER POETS Amir Khusrau, Ibn Yamin, Hafiz & Nesimi SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The great Sufi Perfect Master Poets of the Classic Age (13th-15th century) were straightforward and inspiring in the poetic forms of the ghazal, ruba'i, qasida and masnavi in expressing their love for the Divine Beloved and their contempt for this world and its illusions and explaining the spiritual path. Here are hundreds of beautiful poems by them in the correct form and meaning and biographies about them. Amir Khusrau (1253-1324), the 'Parrot of India'...

'ATTAR & KHAQANI: SUFI POETRY A Daybook Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Here is an enlightened Daybook of 366 inspirational and beautiful poems by two of the greatest Sufi poets and Spiritual Masters of all times in the correct poetical form and meaning. Farid ad-din 'Attar is seen with Sana'i and Rumi (who he met and influenced) as one of the three most important Sufi Poet-Masters of the 13th century. He composed over forty books mainly in the epic masnavi form of rhyming couplets. He also composed many powerful mystical poems in the ghazal form and in the ruba'i form. Khaqani was Born...

Abhangs & Bhajans of the Greatest Indian Poet-Saints Translations & Introductions Paul Smith From the 13th to the 17th century India gave birth to a number of great Poet-Saints whose lives and poetry is loved today as much as it was when they lived their lives of selfless devotion and praise of the Divine Beloved. They composed their poems in abhangs & bhajans that are here in the correct form and meaning, with biographies and bibliographies. Janabai (1263-1350) was born from the lowest caste. Her poetry reveals her love for God. Namdev (1270-1350) moved to Pandharpur where the temple of Lord...

A TREASURY OF LESSER-KNOWN GREAT SUFI POETS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith CONTENTS: The Main Forms in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushtu Sufi & Dervish Poetry... 7 THE POETS: Hazrat Ali 23, Ali Ibn Husain 26, Dhu'l-Nun 28, Bayazid Bistami 43, Al Nuri 47, Junaid 57, Sumnun 62, Ibn 'Ata 68, Shibli 74, Gilani 84, Baba Kuhi 89, Hamadani 93, Athir 102, Abu Maydan 1o5, Suhrawardi 112, Ruzbihan 120, Hamavi 128, Baghdadi 140, Al-Shushtari 149, Imami 154, Sultan Valad 159, Humam 170, Hasan Dihlavi 182, Simnani 201, Auhadi 214, Khaju 223, Emad 232, Ruh Attar 248, Haydar...