Faizi - Sufi Poet-Laureate of Mughal Emperor Akbar

FAIZI Sufi Poet-Laureate of Mughal Emperor Akbar 'Greatest Indian Poet of Persian after Amir Khusrau' SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith The work of Faizi (1547-1595), who held the honorary title Malek ol-shoara (king of poets), marks the beginning of the golden age of Indian literature in Persian. This Sufi poet-laureate of Akbar assisted him in his efforts at reform, which were aimed at reconciling Indians of different faiths. In his best known masnavi poem 'Nal and Daman' he reworks a story from the third book of the Mahabharata in accordance with the demands of the masnavi genre. Faizi also wrote works on philosophy, philology, mathematics, medicine, and the history of religion. He helped translate into Persian the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and other works of classical Indian literature. Faizi wrote the commentary of the Koran. Faizi's poems have been collected in a Divan; among them are qasidas, ghazals, and ruba'is that were composed in the traditions of classical Persian poetry and are translated here in the correct form for the first time. His ghazals show the influence of Hafiz and Jami and Fighani and are early examples of the 'Indian Style'. Introduction: Mughal Sufi Emperor Akbar, his Sufi Poet-Laureate Faizi & his Brother, Akbar's Biographer, Abdu Fazl; Life & Times & Poetry of Faizi; Sufism in Poetry; The Main Forms in Faizi's Poetry; Other Poets at Akbar's Court with Faizi. Appendix: Story of Nal & Daman in Sufi & Bhakti Accounts. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 253 pages.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFEZ'S GHAZALS."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafez is a great feat and of paramount importance." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafez 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of English to Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafez." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). 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 Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, 'Iraqi, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba, Nazir and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, childrens books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published by New Humanity Books