Paul Smith

Jigar Moradabadi Paul Smith

JIGAR MORADABADI: SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Ali Sikander Moradabadi (takhallus, Jigar... meaning 'heart or liver') was born in Moradabad in Uttar Pradash, India. If one talks of later Urdu ghazal... the cream of poets is Jigar, the 'Prince of the Urdu ghazal!' Jigar was admired and read by many and his works launched him into a realm of his own, he was more popular than princes and regents. He had a large following among the ordinary people. His fame transcended religious and language barriers. Although his poetry was in Urdu, his works were loved in the Hindu and Muslim communities. Although his poems are in the traditional ghazal form, he was considered modern and he is believed to have reinvigorated the Urdu ghazal. He was a great admirer of beauty and painted a living picture of it in his ghazals, but not stopping at that, his description of beauty carries one to a different timeless place where Eternal Beauty reigns supreme. This is true Sufism. This is the largest translation of his poems in English and the only one keeping the correct rhyme structure of the originals. Introduction on his Life, Times & Poetry and on Urdu Poetry & The Ghazal in Urdu Poetry, Selected Bibliography. 156 pages. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION 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 English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R. K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. Paul Smith 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, 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, Makhfi, Ghalib, Iqbal, Rahman Baba, Bedil, Baba Farid and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa