FIVE GREAT CLASSIC SUFI MASTER POETS Khaqani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, 'Attar & Auhad ud-din Kermani SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The great Sufi Perfect Master Poets of the Early Classic Age (12th-13th century) were straightforward and inspiring in the poetic forms of the ghazal, ruba'i, qasida and the masnavi in expressing their love for the Divine Beloved and their contempt for this world and its illusions. Here are hundreds of beautiful poems by them in the correct form and meaning and biographies about them. Khaqani (1122-1199 was a great poet and a master of the qasida and one of the first of the ghazal. He lost his father and was brought up by an uncle at court of the Shirwanshah. He embraced Sufism and fled to Iraq inspiring his masnavi 'A Gift from the Two Iraqs'. Mu'in ud-din Chishti (1141-1230) is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of India. His poems are a storehouse of transcendental thoughts beautifully ordered and forcefully expressed. His poems are teeming with Divine Love. 'Attar is one of the most important Sufi Poet-Masters of the 13th century. He composed over forty books in masnavi form and powerful mystical poems in the ghazal and ruba'i form. Auhad ud-din Kermani (1164-1238) was influenced by 'Attar, Ibn 'Arabi and Suhrawadi and was a powerful speaker and Sufi Master. He used the ruba'i in his teaching. Introduction: Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry and on the various poetic forms. Pages 541. 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. "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, Ghalib and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com