Sadi

A YEAR WITH SADI Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Sadi of Shiraz, along with Hafiz, Nizami & Rumi is considered one of the great mystical and romantic poets of Persia. His masterpieces, The Rose Garden and The Bustan (Orchard) have been a major influence in the East and West for the past 700 years. His Divan of ghazals are still much loved. His ruba'is have also been an influence on the poets that followed him. Here is a selection of 366 poems from his ghazals, ruba'is and masnavis. Introduction includes his Life and Times and Poetry. There is also a Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these wise, inspirational and spiritual poems. 393 pages. Thoreau: "I can find no difference between Sadi and myself... He is not Persian, he is not ancient, he is not strange to me... If Sadi were to come back to claim a personal identity with the historical Sadi, he would find there were too many of us..." Emerson: "Sadi, though he has not the lyric flights of Hafiz, has wit, practical sense, and just moral sentiments. He is the poet of friend¬ship, love, self-devotion, and serenity." 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 mystical 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). 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, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Lalla Ded, Mahsati and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

GHAZALS of SADI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Sadi (Saadi or Sa'di) of Shiraz (1210-1291), a contemporary of Rumi who influenced him, was a Sufi Perfect Master (Qutub) Poet who expressed himself in the ruba'i form as well as hundreds of ghazals in his beautiful Divan that often also contained images from dervish dancing. Sadi was a great traveller who spent forty years on the road throughout the Middle-East, North Africa and India and many of the incidents he experienced he wrote down in his two most famous works when he finally returned to his beloved birth-place... The Rose Garden (Gulistan) and The Orchard (Bustan). Sadi's mystical love poetry, his ghazals, although almost unknown in the West, are loved by his fellow-countrymen almost as much as those of Hafiz whom he greatly influenced. Here for the first time in English they can be read in all their beauty and power and spirit. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these unique mystical poems. All of the wonderful 603 ghazals from Sadi's Badayi and Tayyibat have been translated in clear, modern, meaningful English. Introduction: Life & Times & Poetry of Sadi of Shiraz and his influence on the East and the West and on the form and meaning of the ghazal. a Sufi Glossary and a large Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback "7 x 10" 517 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." 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). 'Perfect Translation." Amir, Amazon.com Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from 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, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Baba Farid, Shah Latif, Mu'in, Lalla Ded, 'Iraqi, Ghalib, Nazir, Bulleh Shah, Ibn 'Arabi, Ibn Farid, Rab'ia, Majnun, Mansur Hallaj, Rahman Baba, Iqbal, Ghalib and many others as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

SIX IMPORTANT LONG SUFI TEACHING POEMS The Walled Garden of the Truth, Treasury of Mysteries, The Masnavi, Pand-Nama (Book of Wisdom) Rose Garden of Mystery & Book of Ecstasy Sana'i, Nizami, Rumi, Sadi, Shabistari & 'Arifi Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The Walled Garden of the Truth of Sana'i is a poem of mystical teachings intermingled with proverbs, fables, anecdotes and even obscene stories. The uncommon manner in which Sana'i introduced and explained the esoteric teachings of Sufism through the medium of poetry was the key to its popularity and lasting value. It is still widely considered by scholars to be the first great mystical poem in Persian. Treasury of the Mysteries is one most beautiful mystic poem in the Persian language. Every line of his Treasury of the Mysteries is a living witness to his absolute certainty that piety, devotion, humility and self-forgetfulness are the corner stones of total annihilation, which in turn is necessary for unification with God and the foundation of the edifice of eternal life. The Masnavi of Rumi is a 6 volume teaching Sufi Poem in the form of the masnavi & it is considerd the greatest masterpiece in this form. Here are translated the opening stories in the correct form. Sadi composed a Sufi teaching poem in masnavi form... Pand-Nama (The Book of Wisdom) and these short sayings are as wise and as relevant today as they were back then. Rose Garden of Mystery was composed as a 1000 couplet long masnavi poem in the form of questions and answers on spiritual matters by Mahmud Shabistari of Tabriz in 1317. It has been regarded as one of the finest books on Sufism. Written by 'Arifi (1389 - 1449) the Hal-nama or Book of Ecstasy often referred to as 'The Ball & Polo-stick' is an allegory in which the ball and the polo-stick are personified as types of Sufi mystical love and all the images are from the game of polo or as it was known at the time in Persia as chaugan. The correct form of the masnavi has been kept in all poems but one and each has an informative Introduction on the poet's life and times and poetry. Chapter on Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art and Use of Poetry, Glossary. Bibliographies. Large format paperback 7" x 10" Pages 801. 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, Yunus Emre, Iqbal, Ghalib, Seemab, Jigar, Mahsati, Zauq, Faizi, Lalla Ded and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

SADI'S PAND-NAMA or BOOK OF WISDOM Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Sadi of Shiraz (1210-1291), a contemporary of Rumi who influenced him, was another Perfect Master Poet who expressed himself in the ruba'i form as well as hundreds of ghazals in his beautiful Divan that often also contained images from dervish dancing. Sadi was a great traveller who spent forty years on the road throughout the Middle-East, North Africa and India and many of the incidents he experienced he wrote down in his two most famous works when he finally returned to his beloved birth-place... The Rose Garden (Gulistan) and The Orchard (Bustan). Sadi's mystical love poetry, his ghazals, although almost unknown in the West, are loved by his fellow-countrymen almost as much as those of Hafiz whom he greatly influenced. Sadi composed in rhyming couplets or masnavi form a faqmous Pand-Nama or 'Book of Wisdom' in the style of 'Attar who was the first to do so. "Concise and elegant the work is most popular throughout the length and breadth of the Persian-speaking East. This may indeed well be the case, inasmuch as, in addition to beauty of diction, it is written in a metre which flows in easy cadence, and fixes the words of the poem on the mind. Hence the lines are committed to memory to an extent not surpassed by any work in the Persian language." Arthur N. Wollaston. Here is the first translation in over a hundred years and in the correct rhyme-form for the first time. Introduction: Life & Times & Poetry of Sadi; Selected Bibliography; Appendix: Pand-Nama of 'Attar with selections. Large Format Paperback "7 x 10" 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." 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). 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, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Baba Farid, Shah Latif, Mu'in, Lalla Ded, 'Iraqi, Ghalib, Nazir, Bulleh Shah, Ibn 'Arabi, Ibn Farid, Rab'ia, Majnun, Mansur Hallaj, many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published by New Humanity Books

RUBA'IYAT OF SADI Translation, Introduction & Notes by Paul Smith Here for the first time in beautiful, poetic English are eighty-eight of the immortal Sadi's wonderful short poems or ruba'is in the correct rhyme-structure and with all of the meanings. Some are deeply mystical, others romantic, satirical and humourous and others intelligently critical of the selfishness of the time... of all time. As fresh today as they were when they were composed some 800 years ago. Included is an Introduction containing The Life of Sadi, his Poetry and his influence on the East and the West and a history of the form of the ruba'i and examples by its greatest exponents. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful, and mostly mystical poems. 153 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." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart."I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University."Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets from 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, Rahman Baba, Baba Farid, Lalla Ded and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published bt New Humanity Books

Åttahundra år har gått sedan den persiske poeten Sadi ­föddes, men än idag ser man honom som en mänsklighetens ­välgörare, främst genom Lustgården,­ som skrevs 1257 - åtta år innan Dante föddes. From levnadsvisdom kan ofta vara besk, men Sadi bäddar­ in den i det goda, hoppfulla humörets honung. Det är ingen ­tillfällighet att hans ord finns ovanför ingången till FN:s ­högkvarter i New York. Eric Hermelin (1860-1944) översatte Lustgården från persiska 1918. Det var hans förstlingsverk, men här möter man det svenska språket i dess poetiskt mest verkningsfulla form. Det är en mustig dekokt som saknar motstycke i vår litteratur. Efter stormiga vandringsår i Indien, Jamaica och Australien­ kom Eric Hermelin hem 1909. På grund av sin alkoholism blev ­han ­in­spärrad på Lunds hospital,­ Sankt Lars, där han blev kvar i ­trettio­sex år. För att sona sitt vilda leverne översatte han ­Swedenborg, Böhme och persisk­ poesi. Inget land i Europa har som Sverige sådan rikedom­ på persisk skaldekonst tillgänglig på det egna språket, tiotusen sidor, bland dem verk av, förutom Sadi, även till exempel Rumi, Attar och Omar Khaiyam. Hermelin ansåg att hans översättningar kunde tina upp vår frusna tankeförmåga, jaga bort håglösheten och "sätta hjertats vågor i svallning". Han var övertygad om att läsningen av de ­persiska skalderna skulle göra människan mer mänsklig och att livet på jorden skulle få en smak av himmelsk sällhet. Återutgivningen av Lust­gården­ sker den 22 juni 2010, på 150-­årsdagen av Eric Hermelins födelse. "Säger man att det funnits mer poetisk skapande kraft och ingifv­el­­se hos denne man än i hela den ­samtida svenska vitterheten, har man sagt mycket litet." Vilhelm Ekelund om Eric Hermelin