Nizami: Maxims

NIZAMI: MAXIMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Nizami (d. 1208) is a true Sufi Master Poet who is most famous for his six books in masnavi form: The Treasury of the Mysteries, Layla and Majnun, Khrosrau and Shirin, The Seven Portraits and his two books on Alexander. He also composed a Divan of approximately 20,ooo couplets mostly in ghazals and ruba’is… tragically only 200 couplets survive. His influence on Attar, Rumi, Sadi, Hafiz, Jami, Shakespeare and others that followed was profound. Included in the Introduction… on the Life, Times & Poetry of Nizami includes chapters on his six masnavis and his Divan, and on the various forms of poetry he used and a Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these wonderful two-line maxims that are not only profound, but also simple. Illustrated 214 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 and I will lay down my head at his feet out of respect.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. “Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator 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). “I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 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, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children’s books and 12 screenplays.