ANTHOLOGY OF WOMEN MYSTICAL POETS OF THE MIDDLE-EAST & INDIA Translation & Introduction Paul Smith This is the largest anthology of women mystical poets of the Middle East & India in the correct form of the poetry and the meaning ever published. It covers the years from the 8th to the 20th century. Here are poems full of longing, loving, faith and despair, pain and bliss, realization and depression... always honest, always real and at times... inspiring and helpful on the spiritual path. Here are Sufis, dervishes, princesses, a naked fakir, prisoners, scholars, lovers, devotees... but, always, lovers of the One Who unites us all. These poems were composed in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and the various Indian languages. THE POETS: Andal, Rabi'a of Basra, Rabi'a Balkhi, Mahsati, Janabai, Jahan Khatun, Lalla Ded, Mihri, Zeynab, Mira Bai, Bahina Bai, Makhfi, Fitnet, Leyla Khanim, Tahirah, Hayati, Parvin. Biographies and 'Further Reading' begin each selection. Introduction on The Main Forms in the Poetry of These Women Poets. Pages 497. 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 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 is a poet, author and translator of over 130 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, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Lalla Ded, Iqbal, Ghalib and many others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com