Amir Khusrau

Bedil

Zafar

Dara Shikoh

Ghalib

Hasan Dehlavi

Sarmad

Makhfi

Dard

TEN GREAT SUFI POETS OF DELHI Amir Khusrau, Hasan Dehlavi, Dara Shikoh, Sarmad, Makhfi, Bedil, Mir, Dard, Zafar & Ghalib. SELECTED POEMS & BIOGRAPHIES Translation and Introduction Paul Smith From the 13th to the 19th century Delhi was one of the great centres of Sufi Poetry & Culture in the Persian & Urdu languages. Amir Khusrau (1253-1324), the 'Parrot of India' composed ten long masnavis, five Divans of ghazals and other poems and many prose works. He was a Master musician and invented the sitar and was a profound influence on Hafiz. Hasan Dehlavi (1253-1328) was a close friend of Amir Khusrau and achieved greatness as a poet and Sufi. He composed over 800 ghazals. Influenced by Sadi he was called the 'Sadi of India'. Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) was the oldest son of Shah Jahan of Mughal India. He was a fine poet, his poems having the influence of Sufism. His Divan in Persian was not the only work he left, his five prose works on Sufism are still popular in India. Sarmad (d. 1659) was known for exposing and ridiculing the major religions and hypocrisy of his day, but he also wrote beautiful Sufi poetry in the form of 321 rubai's. He wandered the streets of Delhi as a naked dervish. He was beheaded in 1659 by Emperor Aurangzeb. Makhfi (1638-1702) was the beautiful, talented oldest daughter of Aurangzeb. She was imprisoned for 20 years by him for her Sufi views. Her ghazals and ruba'is are deep, spiritual and often heartbreaking. Bedil (1644-1721). His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. He was heavily influenced by Sufism. Mir (1723 - 1810) was a leading Urdu poet and one of its pioneers. He was of the Delhi school of the Urdu ghazal. Mir practiced Malamati or 'Blameworthy' aspect of Sufism. Dard (1720-1784) is considered one of the three great poets of the Delhi school of classical Urdu poetry. He was a Sufi poet able to successfully transmit his mystical philosophy into his poetry and his ghazals can be read in both a mystical and secular way. Zafar (1775 - 1862) was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty. Zafar was a noted Urdu poet and Sufi who has left behind a huge collection of ghazals in four volumes. Ghalib (1797-1869}. Fame came to him posthumously. Although he wrote ghazals, qit'as and ruba'is in Persian he is more famous for those written in Urdu. In this selection of both languages all reflect his Sufism. All the poems here are translated into the correct rhyme-structures. Selected Bibliographies. Large Format 7" x 10" Pages 752. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu, Hindi 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, Rudaki, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Baba Farid, Iqbal, Vrind, Rahim and others, and his own poetry, fiction, biographies, plays, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

Amir Khusrau, Hasan Dehlavi, Dara Shikoh, Sarmad, Makhfi, Bedil, Mir, Dard, Zafar and Ghalib - Selected Poems and Biographies

Ten Great Sufi Poets of Delhi

THE BOOK OF DARA SHIKOH Life, Poems & Prose Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) was the oldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan of Mughal India and was known to be a loving husband, a good son and loving father. He was a fine poet, his poems having the influence of Sufism to which he was dedicated. He used 'Qadiri' as his takhallus or pen-name. His Divan of ghazals, ruba'is and qasidas in Persian was not the only work he left us, his five prose works on Sufism and mysticism are popular in India even today. His Majma al-Bahrain or The Mingling of the Two Oceans (included as an appendix) is an explanation of the mystical sameness of Sufism and Vedanta. He also translated the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Yoga-Vasishta into Persian. He was defeated after leading an uprising against his cruel, fundamentalist brother Emperor Aurangzeb and was brutally killed in 1659. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, powerful, always mystical poems. This is the largest translation of his poems into English. Introduction: The Life, Times & Works of Dara Shikoh, Three Sufi-Poets Who Knew & Influenced Dara Shikoh, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, Two of the Poetic Forms Used by Dara Shikoh. Five Appendixes including Introduction to his trans. to the Upanishads and exhibition of paintings on his life. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" Illustrated 276 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. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." 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 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, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

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