Pand-Nama

Book excerpt: Pand-nama (Book of Wisdom) Selections Farid al-din 'Attar Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Farid al-din 'Attar is one of the most famous spiritual poets of Persia. His works were the inspiration of Rumi and many other mystical poets. 'Attar, along with Sana'i were two of the greatest influences on Rumi in his Sufi views. Rumi has mentioned both of them with the highest esteem several times in his poetry. Rumi praises 'Attar as follows: "Attar roamed the seven cities of love... we are still just in one alley." 'Attar reached an age of well over 80 and died a violent death in the massacre which the Mongols inflicted on Nishapour in April 1221. The world depicted in 'Attar's works reflects the whole evolution of the Sufi movement. The starting point is the idea that the body-bound soul's awaited release and return to its source in the other world can be experienced during the present life in mystic union attainable through inward purification. In explaining his thoughts, 'Attar uses material not only from specifically Sufi sources but also from older ascetic legacies. Apart from his two famous epic masnavi poems 'The Conference of the Birds' and 'The Book of God' he composed a Divan full of powerful, enlightened ghazals and ruba'is. The Pand-nama is a small book of wise, moral advice in short poems in rhyming couplets that is practical and spiritual... over 135 here translated.. Introduction on his Life & Times & his Books & Selections from many of them. The correct rhyme has been kept in all translations. Selected Bibliography. Appendix One: Selections from the Pand-nama (Book of Wisdom) of Sadi (over 90 poems). Appendix Two: Rare Persian Manuscript of 'Attar's Pand-nama. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 245 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." 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. 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, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Iqbal, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com