THE BOOK OF GHALIB Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mirza Asadullah Beg (1797-1869}, known as Ghalib (conqueror), a pen-name or takhallus he adopted in the tradition of all classical Urdu poets, was born in the city of Agra of parents with Turkish aristocratic ancestry. When he was only five his father Abdullah Beg Khan died in a battle while working under Rao Raja Bakhtwar Singh of Alwar and his uncle Nasrullah Beg Khan took charge of him. But he lost his uncle also at the age of eight. He then moved to Delhi. He lived on state patronage, credit or the generosity of friends. His fame came to him posthumously. He had remarked during his life that although his age had ignored his greatness he would be recognized by later generations. History has vindicated his claim. Although he wrote ghazals, qit'as and ruba'is in Persian he is more famous for those written in Urdu. Before Ghalib, the Urdu ghazal was primarily an expression of anguished love but Ghalib expressed his philosophy and cynicism on God and other subjects. In keeping with the conventions of the ghazal, in most of Ghalib's couplets the beloved could be a beautiful woman, boy, monarch or even... God, as in his Sufi poems. Here is a selection of his ghazals and other poems from the Persian & Urdu in the correct form and meaning. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 194 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. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. 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, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Mahsati, Bulleh Shah, Khushal Khan Khattak and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com