POEMS of the Perfect Master HAZRAT ‘ALI: Ghazals, Qasidas, Ruba’is, Qit’as

POEMS of the Perfect Master HAZRAT ‘ALI Ghazals, Qasidas, Ruba’is, Qit’as. Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. Hazrat ‘Ali (598-661) was Prophet Mohammed’s nephew, son-in-law and ‘right hand’ and 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. ‘Ali’s sayings are published as Nahj al-Balagh or ‘The Peak of Experience’… a treasury of wisdom and divine grace. It is said that he wrote the original Koran in his own blood as Prophet Mohammed gave it. It is not as well-known that he also composed a Diwan of enlightened poetry and mostare translated here in the correct form for the first time. This ghazal has inspired many Sufi Master poets over the ages as being the essence of real spirituality and guidance...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!Introduction on his Life, Times & Works, Selected Bibliography, Words in Praise of ‘Ali by Prophet Mohammed. 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 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, Hindi, 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, Baba Farid, Shah Latif, Mahsati, Makhfi, Mu’in. Majnun, Mansur Hallaj, Abu Sa’id, Sarmad and others, and his own poetry, fiction, children’s books, plays, biographies and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Read more