MAXIMS of HAFIZ Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Persia's greatest exponent of the poetic form of the ghazal Hafiz (1320-139o) became a Perfect Master (Qutub), was twice exiled from his beloved Shiraz for his criticism of rulers and false Sufi masters and hypocritical clergy. His Divan shows he composed in nearly all forms. As with his ghazals, masnavis, qasidas, qita's, ruba'is and other poems are sometimes mystical and sometimes critical of the hypocrisy of his times. Here are some maxims taken from all forms of his poetry: beautiful words of love and wisdom from one of the greatest lovers & perhaps the greatest poet of all time and one of the wisest. Introduction, Selected Bibliography. Glossary. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these 363 immortal sayings. 380 Pages. Goethe: "In his poetry Hafiz inscribed undeniable truth indelibly He has no peer " Gertrude Bell: "It is as if his mental Eye, endowed with wonderful acuteness of vision, had penetrated into those provinces of thought which we of a later age were destined to inhabit." Meher Baba: "There is no equal to Hafiz in poetry. He was a Perfect Master ... His Divan is the best book in the world because it engenders feelings which ultimately lead to illumination." 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 works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith 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, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Mahsati, Nesimi, Baba Farid, Yunus Emre, Mu'in, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Khushal Khan Khattak and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and screenplays.
