Synopsis "Abu Sa'id: Life & Poems"
ABU SA'ID Life & Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Abu Sa'id ibn Abi 'l-Khair (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. Here are many of his poems translated into the correct form. Included in the Introduction are the Life of Abu Sa'id and a study of the ruba'i and a chapter on Sufi poets & poetry. Selected Bibliography. The rhyme-structure is kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these immortal four-line poems. Introduction to Sufi Poets Series. 90 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 of many mystical works 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). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 150 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, Nesimi, Baba Farid, Lalla Ded, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Bulleh Shah, Mahsati and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published by New Humanity Books
