HAFEZ The Long Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Persia's greatest exponent of the ghazal Hafiz (1320-1392) who was small, fat and ugly became a Perfect Spiritual Master (Qutub), was twice exiled from his beloved Shiraz for his criticism of rulers and false Sufi masters and hypocritical clergy. He is now considered as one of the greatest poets of all time. His Divan shows he composed in other forms other than his ghazals and ruba'is: his famous three masnavi poems... The Wild Deer, Book of the Winebringer & Book of the Minstrel are mysterious and sublime as are his qasidas, mukhammas, tarji-band & tarikh-band. Included in the Introduction: Life of Hafiz, Spirituality and Poetry & its Forms. Glossary, Selected Bibliography. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these immortal long poems. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 246 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 HAFEZ'S DIVAN."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafez is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished.." 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. Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi and other 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, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba, Nazir and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, kids books and over a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa