Synopsis "Divan of Ghalib"
DIVAN OF GHALIB Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mirza Asadullah Beg (1797-1869}, known as Ghalib (conqueror) was born in the city of Agra of parents with Turkish aristocratic ancestry. When he was only five his father Abdullah Beg Khan died in a battle while working under Rao Raja Bakhtwar Singh of Alwar and his uncle Nasrullah Beg Khan took charge of him. But he lost his uncle also at the age of eight. He then moved to Delhi. He lived on state patronage, credit or the generosity of friends. His fame came to him posthumously. He had remarked during his life that although his age had ignored his greatness he would be recognized by later generations. History has vindicated his claim. Although he wrote many more ghazals, qit'as and ruba'is in Persian he is more famous for those written in Urdu. Before Ghalib, the Urdu ghazal was primarily an expression of anguished love but Ghalib expressed his philosophy and cynicism. In keeping with the conventions of the ghazal, in most of Ghalib's couplets the 'beloved' could be a beautiful woman, boy, monarch or even... God or the Spiritual Master as in his many Sufi poems. Here is the largest selection of his Persian & Urdu ghazals and other poems in the correct form and meaning in English ever published. Introduction on his Poetry, Life & Times and on the Forms of Poetry he used. Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 342 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 into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b.1945) 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, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Mahsati, Bulleh Shah, Khushal Khan Khattak and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published by New Humanity Books
