THE FOUR GREAT URDU POETS Mir, Nazir, Ghalib & Iqbal Selected Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mir (1723 - 1810) was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century and one of the pioneers of Urdu. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi school of the Urdu ghazal. Like many Urdu poets Mir's literary reputation is from his ghazals. After moving to Lucknow his daughter died, then his son and wife. Mir practiced the Malamati or 'Blameworthy' aspect of Sufism. He was a prolific poet, his complete works consisting of 6 Divans comprising all kinds of poetic forms: ghazals, masnavis, qit'as, ruba'is, etc. Nazir (1735-1830) is an Indian poet known as the 'Father of Nazm', who wrote mainly Urdu ghazals and nazms. The canvas of Nazir's nazms is so vast that it encompasses all aspects of human behavior. Many of his poems are spiritual and he is seen as a true Sufi. Ghalib (1797-1869}, was born in the city of Agra of parents with Turkish aristocratic ancestry. His great fame came to him posthumously. Although he wrote ghazals, qit'as and ruba'is in Persian he is more famous for those written in Urdu. Iqbal (1873-1938) was born in Sialkot, Punjab. He graduated with a master's degree in philosophy. Nietzsche and Bergson influenced him and he became critical of Western civilization that he regarded as decadent. He turned to Islam and Sufism for inspiration. In his final years he returned to Urdu as his medium with ghazals inspired by his on-and-off Sufism. Here is a large collection of his ruba'is, ghazals, nazms, qit'as, masnavis & qasida. All poems in this collection are in the correct rhyme-structure and meaning. Introduction on all the lives of the Poets, Selected Bibliographies. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 599 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... I am astonished. " Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator from English into Persian, 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Omar Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Mahsati, Lalla Ded, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Makhfi and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

English version of selected poems by the Urdu poets Ghalib and Muhammad Iqbal, 1877-1938.

THE FOUR LAST GREAT SUFI MASTER POETS Shah Latif, Nazir Akbarabadi, Ghalib,& Iqbal ***SELECTED POEMS*** Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The great Sufi Master Poets of the Final Age (18th - 20th century) were also straightforward and inspiring in the poetic forms of the ghazal, ruba'i, qasida and masnavi and others in expressing their love for the Divine Beloved and in their contempt for this world and its illusions and explaining the spiritual path. Here are many beautiful, powerful poems by them in the correct form and meaning and biographies about them. Shah Abdul Latif (1689-1752) was a Sufi Perfect Master and is considered by many to be the greatest poet of the Sindhi language. He composed dohas extending the form to five or six couplets. Nazir Akbarabadi (1735-1830) is an Indian poet known as the 'Father of Nazm', who wrote mainly Urdu ghazals and nazms. His poems are still loved. Many are spiritual and he is seen as a true Sufi. Ghalib (1797-1869), was born in the city of Agra. He is more famous today and wrote ghazals, qit'as and ruba'is in Persian that are mainly Sufi poems but he is more known now for those composed in Urdu. Iqbal (1873-1938) was born in Sialkot, Punjab. He turned to Islam and Sufism for inspiration when early in his life he rejected nationalism. In his final years he returned to Urdu from Persian with ghazals inspired by his Sufism. Introduction: Sufis & Dervishes, Their Art & Use of Poetry, & the various poetic forms they used. Pages 616. 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 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, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Lalla Ded, Iqbal and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and over a dozen screenplays.

THE URDU POET DAGH DEHLEVI & HIS THREE MORE FAMOUS PUPILS: IQBAL, SEEMAB & JIGAR Lives & Selected Poems(Ghazals) Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Dagh Dehlevi was born in Delhi in 1831. He is considered the last great poet of the Mughal period of Urdu poetry. His takhallus or pen-name of Dagh means 'scar'. Ghalib was a relation of his and he could also seek advice from him on his poetry. His fame as a fine poet in Delhi soon came and he was loved for his simple style and his naturalism and the musical nature of his work. Like his pupils Iqbal, Seemab and Jigar, many of his poems have a strong Sufi influence. Dagh married and had children but he was occasionally separated from his family for a variety of often political reasons and he wrote poems about this situation. Some of his ghazals have been set to music by ghazal singers. Dagh Dehlvi suffered a paralytic stroke and died on the 17th March 1905 at the age of 73. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot on 9 November 1877 within the Punjab Province of British India (now in Pakistan). Iqbal decided to approach Dagh, the most famous Urdu poet of his era, for mentoring. Though they are thousands of miles apart from each other, the relationship of master and disciple was established through correspondence. Iqbal sent Dagh some of his ghazals for correction. Dagh accepted him as his student and sent back Iqbal's poems with comments and advice. Iqbal is considered one of India's greatest poets and a founder of Pakistan. Born in 1882, Seemab was a renowned Urdu poet belonging to the Dagh School. He hailed from Agra where his family had lived for nearly three hundred years. Seemab began ghazal writing in 1892 and in 1898 became a disciple of Dagh to whom he was personally introduced by Munshi Nazar Dehlevi at the Kanpur Railway Station. His ghazals are suffused with true Sufism. Jigar... meaning 'heart or liver') who was born in 1893 came originally from Moradabad in Uttar Pradash, India. When young but showed a ghazal to Dagh. He was a great admirer of beauty and successfully painted a living picture of his earthly beloved in his ghazals, but not stopping at that, his description of beauty carries one to a different timeless place where Eternal Beauty reigns supreme. Introduction... On Urdu Poetry & on Sufism in Poetry. Biographies on all four great Urdu poets & Selected Bibliographies. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept in the beautiful, insightful, often mystical, powerful, loving ghazals. Large format Paperback, 7" x 10" Pages 217. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Baba Farid, Mu'in, Lalla Ded, Seemab and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books, plays and 12 screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

Comparative study of the works of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, 1797-1868, and Sir Muhammad Iqbal, 1877-1938, Urdu and Persian poets from India.

On the Urdu poet Ghalib, 1796?-1868, and his work.

DIWAN of HALI The Great Urdu Sufi Poet Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Khwaja Altaf Hussain Hali (1837-1914) has a special place in Urdu literature. He was poet, critic, teacher, reformer and prose-writer. He had no formal education yet he acquired through his own efforts Urdu, Persian and Arabic and a good knowledge of English. As a poet he did not confine himself to the ghazal, but successfully composed in the form of the nazm, ruba'i and marsie or elegy. His poetic abilities were used to high aims of social and moral education. His wrote a pioneering work of literary criticism that dwells on the limitations of the traditional ghazal. He also wrote biographies of Ghalib and Sadi of Shiraz and others. In his poetry and prose he preferred a simple, natural style, that made him accessible to all at the time and now. This is the largest collection of his ruba'is and ghazals in the correct form in English. Introduction on Hali's Life & Poetry & Times and the Form, Function & History of the Ruba'i. Sufism in Poetry.' The Ghazal, Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" Pages 224 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 from English into Persian, knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Mansur Hallaj, Yunus Emre, Mu'in, Ibn Farid, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Abu Said, Ghalib, Nazir, Iqbal, Inayat Khan, Abu Nuwas, Jigar, Seemab, Dard, Urfi, and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com