Download or read book Sufi Poets of the Eleventh Century written by Abu Sa'id and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SUFI POETS OF THE ELEVENTH CENTURY Selected Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Prophet Mohammed's nephew and son-in-law Hazrat 'Ali (598-661) was the first Imam of the Shi'ites and the fourth of the true caliphs of the Sunnis. Sufi Masters believe in 'Ali as one of the 'Seven Great Ones' in the first generation of teachers and many in orders of Dervishes trace their spiritual ancestry back to him. His ghazal that follows contains the essence of all the Sufi poetry in this book that came after him. You do not know it, but in you is the remedy; you cause the sickness, but this you don't see. You are but a small form... this, you assume: but you're larger than any universe, in reality. You are the book that of any fallacies is clear, in you are all letters spelling out, the mystery. You are the Being, you're the very Being... It: you contain That, which contained cannot be! CONTENTS: Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry 7, God-Realization & God-Intoxication 26, The Main Forms in Sufi & Dervish Poetry 35. THE POETS: Abu Sa'id 47, Ibn Sina 247, Baba Kuhi 261, Ansari 267, Al-Ghazali 433. The correct form has been attained in all of these beautiful, inspiring, powerful poems. Each poet has a biography and a short bibliography. Large Format Paperback 7"x10" Pages 279. 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." 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. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from 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, Khayyam, Iqbal, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, Iqbal, Ghani Kashmiri, Lalla Ded, Rahman Baba and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Download or read book Persian Sufi Poetry written by J. T. P. de Bruijn and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses on the poems rather than on their authors. Surveys the development of Persian mystical poetry, dealing first with the relation between Sufism and literature and then with the four main genres of the tradition: the epigram, the homiletic poem, love poetry and symbolic narrative.

Download or read book BABA TAHIR A Sufi Poet of the 11th Century SELECTED POEMS Sufi Pocketbook Poets Series written by Paul Smith and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-17 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BABA TAHIR A Sufi Poet of the 11th Century SELECTED POEMS Sufi Pocketbook Poets Series Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Baba Tahir, or Oryan ('The Naked') of Hamadan... approx. 990-1065 A.D., was a great God-intoxicated, or God-mad soul (mast) and possibly a Qutub (Perfect Master) who composed about 120 known ruba'i in a simpler metre than the usual 'hazaj' metre. His simple, mystical poems that he would sing while wandering naked throughout the land had a profound influence on Sufis and dervishes and other ruba'i composers, especially Abu Sa'id, Ibn Sina and Omar Khayyam. Included in the Introduction: The Life, Times & Poetry of Baba Tahir, a History of the ruba'i and examples by its greatest exponents, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Poetry. Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and beauty and meaning of these immortal four-line poems. Pocketbook Paperback 5"x 8" 180 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 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 (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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Amir Khusrau, Bulleh Shah, Iqbal, Ghalib, Dara Shikoh, Makhfi, Nazir Akbarbadi, Seemab, Jigar, Huma, Dard, Mir, Hali and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.

Download or read book Persian Sufi Poetry written by J. T. P. de Bruijn and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focuses on the poems rather than on their authors. Surveys the development of Persian mystical poetry, dealing first with the relation between Sufism and literature and then with the four main genres of the tradition: the epigram, the homiletic poem, love poetry and symbolic narrative.

Download or read book The Heritage of Sufism written by Leonard Lewisohn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-04-30 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection - the second of a three-volume study - examines the roots of the artistic, literary and cultural renaissance of Sufism from the 12th to the 15th centuries. It includes essays on Rumi's poetry and imagery; Sufi music and the idea of ecstacy; sainthood and Neoplatonism; comparative metaphysics and literature; and unity of religion theory in Sufi philosophy.

Download or read book The Literature of the Iranian Diaspora written by Sanaz Fotouhi and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-04-03 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1979 Revolution in Iran caused the migration of millions of Iranians, many of whom wrote, and are still writing, of their experiences. Formed at the junctions of Iranian culture, English language and Western cultures, this body of work has not only formed a unique literary space, offering an insightful reflection of Iranian diasporic experiences and its shifting nature, but it has also been making a unique and understudied contribution to World Literatures in English as significant as Indian, African and Asian writing in English. Sanaz Fotouhi here traces the origins of the emerging body of diasporic Iranian literature in English, and uses these origins to examine the socio-political position and historical context from which they have emerged. Fotouhi brings together, introduces and analyses, for the first time, a significant range of diasporic Iranian writers alongside each other and alongside other diasporic literatures in English. While situating this body of work through existing theories such as postcolonialism, Fotouhi sheds new light on the role of Iranian literature and culture in Western literature by showing that these writings distinctively reflect experiences unique to the Iranian diaspora. Analysing the relationship between Iranians and their new surroundings, by drawing on theories of migration, narration and identity, Fotouhi examines how the literature borne out of the Iranian diaspora reconstructs, maintains and negotiates their Individual and communal identities and reflects today's socio-political realities. This book will be vital for researchers of Middle Eastern literature and its relationship with writings from the West, as well as those interested in the cultural history of the Middle East.

Download or read book GREAT SUFI POETS OF THE PUNJAB written by Mr R M CHOPRA and published by ANURADHA PRAKASHAN . This book was released on 2023-04-07 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: PREFACE Whenever I chanced upon to hear melodies of Punjabi Sufi poets sung by folk singers, qawwaals or other accomplished musicians, I was always fascinated by their mysticism, their professed love for the Divine Beloved, their sincerity of purpose, the simplicity of their language, down-to-earth similes, most appropriate metaphors to drive home a point, and, some times, I wondered how very rich these compositions were in content, which, in fact, spurred me on the undertake study of Punjabi Sufi poetry in greater detail. During the course of this study I was pleasantly surprised when, in my search, I came across a treasure-trove of Divine Knowledge and Spiritual Realisation of a high order. It was also learnt that how these Sufi poets exercised a profound influence in the lives of the people and were responsible to a great extent for evolving a composite culture of the Punjab. They not only led the vanguard of progress in Punjabi language and literature but also, by the nobility of their pious feelings and rhythmic rendition, inspired the people to seek the Divine Love. The history of the Punjab from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries has seen many storms and peaceful interludes. These vicissitudes are reflected in the poetry of the Sufis. The Sufis, in the process, contributed a great deal in maintaining mental equilibrium of diverse communities in troublous times in the medieval ages. Their friendly and tolerant utt4erances retained the favour of both the Hindus as well as the Muslims and influenced the people's thought and sent the message of peace, love, fellowship, understanding and amity to every home and hamlet. They bestowed a remarkable legacy of communal harmony for posterity. I have tried to capture the essence of Sufi sayings and elaborate them into this book with the hope that it may help others in understanding the great Punjabi Sufi poets of yore and their contribution to bringing about a spirit of solidarity amongst different communities. It is not in any way an exhaustive study of the subject. As the Punjabi poetry was written by the Sufis in Persian script and, to maintain authenticity and originality, the verses of the Sufi poets in the book have been printed in Persian, as also in Devnagari and Roman scripts for easy comprehension and wider understanding. As regards the translations, or transliterations as some would prefer to call them, I would like to mention that it is not possible to preserve in any translation or transliteration the inherent depth, beauty and charm of the original, but for the benefit of those who are not so well-acquainted with the Punjabi language it was considered necessary that explanations in the form of translation should be given. So an attempt has been made to give a sense atleast. Another object which has prompted me in writing this book is that after truncation of the Punjab. In the wake of partition of India into Bharat and Pakistan in 1947 A.D., the original sources of information, regrettably, are fast disappearing I felt that I must explore, exploit and, where still possible, preserve this information, before it is too late. To me the study of poetry of the great Punjabi Sufi poets has been a source of tremendous strength, happiness and satisfaction. In the pious, full of Love Divine and rhythmic poetry of the Sufis of the Punjab, I have always found gems of wisdom, high intellect, profound spiritualism, hidden advices, solace and glory of the Divine Beloved, which brings peace and tranquility upon mind and spirit. I can only hope that this book will enable many others to derive the same benefits. A comprehensive glossary deals with the Sufistic terms to be found in the book. I have prepared this glossary as a soft of Sufistic dictionary and attempted to give various meanings of the words which, I believe, will be found useful in allegorical interpretation of Sufistic terms. I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Syed Amir Hassan Abidi, Professor Emeritus, Department of Persian, University of Delhi, for favouring me greatly by writing a valuable 'Foreword' to this book. I am grateful to Iran Society of Calcutta, a premier literary society in eastern India, for undertaking the onerous task of publication of this book which is expected to be especially useful for all those who cherish and seek Love Divine. R.M. CHOPRA Calcutta August 1999

Download or read book Iran Empire of the Mind written by Michael Axworthy and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2008-11-06 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Iran often appears in the media as a hostile and difficult country. But beneath the headlines there is a fascinating story of a nation of great intellectual variety and depth, and enormous cultural importance. A nation whose impact has been tremendous, not only on its neighbours in the Middle East but on the world as a whole – and through ideas and creativity rather than by the sword. From the time of the prophet Zoroaster, to the powerful ancient Persian Empires, to the revolution of 1979, the hostage crisis and current president Mahmud Ahmadinejad – a controversial figure within as well as outside the country – Michael Axworthy traces a vivid, integrated account of Iran’s past. He explains clearly and carefully both the complex succession of dynasties that ruled ancient Iran and the surprising ethnic diversity of the modern country, held together by a common culture. With Iran again the focus of the world’s attention, and questions about the country’s disposition and intentions pressing, Iran: Empire of the Mind is an essential guide to understanding a complicated land.

Download or read book Abu Al asan Al Shushtar written by ʻAlī ibn ʻAbd Allāh Shushtarī and published by Paulist Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mystic and poet Abū al-Hasan al-Shushtarī (1212-1269) remains a towering figure in North African Sufism. His verses are still well loved and often recited, and his songs are arguably the most vibrant element of Islamic Spain's cultural legacy. He is crucial to an understanding of the history of mysticism in Islamic Spain and North Africa. Yet, he is overlooked by Western scholars and few of his poems have been translated. This book seeks to correct this deficit by (1) setting Shushtarī and his work in the political and intellectual contexts of his time; (2) introducing his thought to an English-speaking audience through a presentation of his poetry. Each of the chapters that presents the poetry starts with a thematic introduction that explores the symbolic, poetic, and doctrinal import of the material that follows. Sensuous and spiritual, erotic and ethereal, this selection of works will delight everyone, whether or not they are devotees of Islamic literature. +

Download or read book Literary History Towards a Global Perspective written by Anders Pettersson and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-12-22 with total page 1196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary History: Towards a Global Perspective is a research project funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Initiated in 1996 and launched in 1999, it aims at finding suitable methods and approaches for studying and analysing literature globally, emphasizing the comparative and intercultural aspect. Even though we nowadays have fast and easy access to any kind of information on literature and literary history, we encounter, more than ever, the difficulty of finding a credible overall perspective on world literary history. Until today, literary cultures and traditions have usually been studied separately, each field using its own principles and methods. Even the conceptual basis itself varies from section to section and the genre concepts employed are not mutually compatible. As a consequence, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for the interested layperson as well as for the professional student, to gain a clear and fair perspective both on the literary traditions of other peoples and on one's own traditions. The project can be considered as a contribution to gradually removing this problem and helping to gain a better understanding of literature and literary history by means of a concerted empirical research and deeper conceptual reflection. The contributions to the four volumes are written in English by specialists from a large number of disciplines, primarily from the fields of comparative literature, Oriental studies and African studies in Sweden. All of the literary texts discussed in the articles are in the original language. Each one of the four volumes is devoted to a special research topic.

Download or read book Literary History written by Anders Pettersson and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2006 with total page 1208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary History: Towards a Global Perspective is a research project funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Initiated in 1996 and launched in 1999, it aims at finding suitable methods and approaches for studying and analysing literature globally, emphasizing the comparative and intercultural aspect. Even though we nowadays have fast and easy access to any kind of information on literature and literary history, we encounter, more than ever, the difficulty of finding a credible overall perspective on world literary history. Until today, literary cultures and traditions have usually been studied separately, each field using its own principles and methods. Even the conceptual basis itself varies from section to section and the genre concepts employed are not mutually compatible. As a consequence, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for the interested layperson as well as for the professional student, to gain a clear and fair perspective both on the literary traditions of other peoples and on one's own traditions. The project can be considered as a contribution to gradually removing this problem and helping to gain a better understanding of literature and literary history by means of a concerted empirical research and deeper conceptual reflection. The contributions to the four volumes are written in English by specialists from a large number of disciplines, primarily from the fields of comparative literature, Oriental studies and African studies in Sweden. All of the literary texts discussed in the articles are in the original language. Each one of the four volumes is devoted to a special research topic.

Download or read book Iran written by Homa Katouzian and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a view of Iran through politics, history and literature, showing how the three angles combine. Iran, being a revolutionary society, experienced two great revolutions within the short span of just seventy years, from the 1900s to the 1970s. Both were massive revolts of the society against the state; the main objective of the first being to establish lawful government to make modernisation possible, and the second, to overthrow the absolute and arbitrary state, though this time mainly under the banner of religion and Marxism-Leninism and anti-Westernism. Neither of them succeeded in their lofty ideals for reasons that are explained and analysed within. The author also offers a detailed description of Iran’s short-term society, examining the political and intellectual lives of two of the most remarkable intellectuals-cum-politicians of the twentieth century. This book provides an overview of modern Persian literature, both poetry and prose, and discusses the works of three of the most remarkable Persian poets and writers of the period. It considers classical Persian literature through the great variety of its form and substance, and neo-classical literary developments in the nineteenth century, covering the whole history of Persian literature. This is crowned in the last chapter by the love poetry of one of the greatest Persian poets. Iran will be of interest to students and scholars of Iranian studies and Middle East Politics.

Download or read book Reading Khaled Hosseini written by Rebecca Stuhr and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses Hosseini's fiction and its relation to current events and popular culture.

Download or read book Sufis in Medieval Baghdad written by Atta Muhammad and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-19 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the political and social activities of Sufis in Baghdad in the period 1000-1258. It argues that Sufis played an important role in creating a public sphere that existed between ordinary subjects and the government. Drawing on Arabic sources and secondary literature, it explores the role of Sufis and their institutions including their ribats or lodge houses, from the use of Sufis as political ambassadors to their role in redistributing charity to the poor. The book reveals the role of Sufism in structuring a wide range of social and political arrangements in this period. It also reveals the role of ordinary, non-elite actors who, by taking part in Sufi-affiliated religious or professional associations, were able take part in public life in late-Abbasid Baghdad.

Download or read book Afghanistan Revisited written by Cary Gladstone and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2001 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Sufis written by Idries Shah and published by Octagon Press Ltd. This book was released on 1999 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work offers coverage of the spiritual and psychological tradition of Sufism. It shows that Sufism is not the preserve of ecstatic religionists, but has a contribution to make to human culture and philosophy.

Download or read book Sufis written by Idries Shah and published by eBook Partnership. This book was released on 2020-06-20 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sufis is the best introduction ever written to the philosophical and mystical school traditionally associated with the Islamic world.Powerful, concise, and intensely thought-provoking, it sums up over a thousand years of Eastern thought - the product of some of the greatest minds humanity has ever produced - into a single work, presenting timeless ideas in a fresh and contemporary style.When the book was originally published in 1964, it launched its author, Idries Shah, on to the international stage, attracting the attention of thinkers and writers such as J. D. Salinger, Doris Lessing, Ted Hughes and Robert Graves.It introduced to the Western world concepts which have subsequently become commonly accepted, varying from the psychological importance of attention and humour, to the use of traditional tales as teaching instruments (what Shah termed 'teaching-stories'), and the historical debt owed by the West to the Middle East in matters scientific, literary and philosophical.As a primer for the many dozens of Sufi books that Shah later produced, it is unsurpassed, offering a clear window onto a community whose system of thought and action has long concerned itself with the advancement of the whole of humankind, and whose ideas about individuals and society, their purpose and direction, need to be understood now more than ever before.