THE QASIDA: A World Anthology Translations, Introduction by Paul Smith The qasida is a form of praise poetry from pre-Islamic Arabia. It sometimes runs to more than 50 lines and sometimes more than 100. It was later inherited by the Persians, the Turks, the Afghans and Urdu Poets where it was developed immensely by Sufi, court and tribal poets. The qasida resembles a ghazal in many ways except that it is longer. Included with each poet is a brief biography plus a list of further reading. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful poems. Introduction: The Qasida: The Beginnings in Arabia... The Persian Qasida... Qasida in Turkey. THE POETS: Imra' ul-Qays, Tarafa, Amru, Harith, Antara, Zuhair, Labid, Ka'b, Rudaki, Dhu'l-Nun, Kisa'i, Al-Mutanabbi, Farrukhi, Minuchirhri, Unsuri, Ibn Sina, Nasir-i-Khusraw, Al-Ghazali, Al-Ma'arri, Asadi, Qatran, Mas'ud Sa'd, Mu'izzi, Sana'i, Jabali, Gilani, Anvari, Falaki, Khaqani, Abu Madyan, Suhrawardi, Zahir, Nizami, Ibn al-Farid, Ibn 'Arabi, Hamgar, Al-Busiri, Al-Shushtari, 'Iraqi, Humam, Amir Khusraw, Auhadi, Obeyd Zakani, Salman, Hafiz, Ruh Attar, Haydar, Azad, Shah Shuja, Shah Ni'matullah, Necati, 'Aishah al-Ba'unyah, Fuzuli, Baqi, Mirza, Nef'i, Khushal, Rahman Baba, Hamid, Zauq, Ghalib, Ahmed Shawqi, Iqbal, Parvin, Paul. Pages... 373. 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. "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, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Mu'in, Mansur Hallaj, Mahsati and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.