CLASSIC BATTLE POEMS OF ANCIENT INDIA & ARABIA, PERSIA & AFGHANISTAN Translation & Introduction Paul Smith This Anthology ranges from 2000 B.C. until the 17th century A.D. The Poets include from India... Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita; from Arabia... Tarafa, Amru, Harith, Antara, Zuhair, Labid, Al-A'sha, Abu Tammam, Al-Mutanabbi, Al-Ma'arri, Ahmad Shawqi; from Persia... Firdausi, Unsuri, Mu'izzi, Anvari, Nizami, Obeyd Zakani, Salman, Qa'ani; from Afghanistan... Kushal Khan Khattuk. Included is an examination of the various poetic forms used by the poets... the Sloka, the Qasida, the Masnavi, the Qi'ta. There are short biographies of all of the poets and suggested further reading. Most of the poems are in the correct rhyming form and a great effort has been made to keep the correct meaning. Pages 246. 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 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, Lalla Ded, Iqbal, Ghalib, Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, Amir Khusrau, Rahman Baba, Khushal Khan Khattuk, Abu Nuwas and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com