About the Book
THE NEW DIVAN OF HAFIZ (Centered Edition) Newly Revised, Centered, Corrected Translation, Introduction, Appendix... by Paul Smith This is a newly revised, corrected one volume centered edition of the only modern, poetic version of Hafiz's masterpiece of 791 ghazals, masnavis, ruba'is and other poems/songs. The deeply spiritual and historical and rich human content is here in understandable, beautiful poetry: the correct rhyme-structure has been achieved, without intruding, in readable English of ALL of his poems. In the Introduction of over 70 pages his wonderful life story is told in greater detail than anywhere else; his spirituality is explored, his influence on the life, poetry and art of the East and the West, the form and function of his poetry, and the use of his book as a worldly guide and spiritual oracle. His Book, like the I Ching, is one of the world's Great Oracles (A chapter on how to consult it). Included are notes, glossary and selected bibliography and two indexes. Appendix: Hafiz of Shiraz: The Life, Poetry & Times of the Immortal Persian Poet (In Three Volumes) Book One: The Early Years (The opening 180 pages). First published in a limited two-volume hardback edition in 1986 the book quickly went out of print. Large Format, Special Edition 7" x 10" 830 pages. Goethe: "In his poetry Hafez inscribed undeniable truth indelibly! He has no peer!" Gertrude Bell: "It is as if his mental Eye, endowed with wonderful acuteness of vision, had penetrated into those provinces of thought which we of a later age were destined to inhabit." Meher Baba: "There is no equal to Hafez in poetry. He was a Perfect Master ... His Divan is the best book in the world because it engenders feelings which ultimately lead to illumination." 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 English to 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 Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, Huma, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Jigar, Seemab, Hali, Zauq and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, kids books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa
