THE BOOK OF PARVIN ETESAMI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Parvin Etesami (1907-1941) was one of Iran's greatest female poets. She left Tabriz for Tehran with her family in 1912 and then lived in Tehran. She learned Arabic and Persian literature from her father, a well-known literary figure. She composed her first poems in the classical style at eight and knew most Iranian poets by the time she was eleven, having a remarkable memory. She passed high school and taught for two years and was then a librarian in Tehran University. She refused to work in the royal court. Her first collection...

CAT & MOUSE, FISH & SPIDER Three Fables in Persian Sufi Poetry Obeyd Zakani, Shah Da'i & Parvin Etesami Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mouse & Cat by Obeyd Zakani is a satirical, epic fable that was influential at the time it was composed (14th c.) and has remained so for the past 600 years. It is more than just a story for children (that some say brought about the cartoon of Tom & Jerry)... it is a story of the stupidity of the false power of those in power and a warning to all that such blind ambition always leads to destruction at the hands of one even more powerful. Sufi poet Shah...