THE PERSIAN & TURKISH JOKERS OBEYD ZAKANI & MULLA NASR UD-DIN Selected Jokes & Rude & Hilarious Stories Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Obeyd Zakani (1300-1371) is an important a figure in Persian and Sufi literature and poetry. His satire, humorous stories, ribald and obscene poems, social commentary, mystical ghazals, prose, ruba'is, qit'as and his famous epic qasida 'Cat & Mouse' are popular today and are more relevant than ever. He is considered to be one of the world's greatest satirist and social-commentator whose life and mystical poems had a great influence on his student and friend Hafiz and many others. Mullah Nasr ud-din is a wise man famous throughout the Muslim and some parts of the non-Muslim world since the 16th century. Historical documents show that he lived in the 13th century in Anatolia (today Turkey). He was a scholar or at least an educated man. His jokes were narrated for centuries between people for different purposes, some for humour and some to tell as stories full of meaning and wisdom. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 269 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. Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many works into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b. 1945) 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, Rahman Baba, Bulleh Shah, Ghalib, Iqbal, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Dara Shikoh and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books & a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

This entertaining and insightful retelling of the Nasruddin corpus by a noted anthologist and lifelong Nasruddin devotee brings the beloved Persian folk hero into the 21st century. With more than 343 stories, this collection easily becomes the definitive English anthology of Mullah Nasruddin's wit and wisdom.

Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin :Naughty, unexpurgated tales of the beloved wise fool from the Middle & Far EastRevised Edition ~ collected & retold by Ron J. Suresha~ Lambda Literary Awards, Finalist~ Rainbow Book Awards, Honorable MentionThis thoroughly revised edition of the award-winning folklore collection detailing the exploits of the beloved 800-year-old Turkish "wise fool," Mullah Nasruddin (Nasreddin Hoca), presents 255 authentic, hilarious, outrageous folk tales, dozens appearing in English for the first time.Author Suresha has done extensive research to locate, translate, and retell these centuries-old "naughty Nasruddin" stories from around the globe. Some are relatively simple, straightforward "traditional" anecdotes and jokes that depict the Mullah as he daily interacts with his family, neighbors, donkey, community, and strangers during his myriad journeys in the ancient hills and rural villages of the Levant. Many bawdy, ribald tales, previously suppressed for moralistic reasons, explore taboo themes inappropriate for children.Mature readers will be amused and amazed by this unadulterated account of the truly Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin.