The Ghazal in Arabic Poetry: An Anthology

THE GHAZAL IN ARABIC POETRY An Anthology Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Some scholars see the ghazal as coming from Arabic poetry, especially the prelude to longer poems, i.e. the qasida: they say that this prelude was isolated and changed, to eventually become the ghazal. The Arabic root of the word ghazal is gazl which means: spinning, spun, thread, twist… the form of the ghazal is a spiral. Hazrat Ali’s ghazal in this volume seems to confirm that it was originally of Arabic creation. Whatever the origin, by the fifteenth century the ghazal had become a mature form of poetry. Introduction includes… Classical Arabic Poetry, The Ghazal in Arabic Poetry. Included with each selection of a particular poet is a biography plus a list of further reading. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the power and meaning of these beautiful, often mystical poems. THE POETS… Hazrat Ali, Rabi’a of Basra, Abu Nuwas, Dhu’l-Nun, Mansur al-Hallaj, Al-Ma’arri, Ibn al-Farid, Ibn ‘Arabi, Aishah al-Ba‘uniyah. 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 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 of his own poems inspired by Hafiz). “I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. 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, Mu’in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Hallaj, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba, Ibn ‘Arabi, Al-Ma’arri, Rabi’a, Aishah al-Ba‘uniyah and others, his own poetry and fiction, plays, biographies, children’s books and 12 screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com Read more