The SUFI DIVAN (BOOK of POEMS) of YUNUS EMRE

The SUFI DIVAN (BOOK of POEMS) of YUNUS EMRE Revised & Correct Rhyming Translation, Introduction & Notes by Paul Smith. Yunus Emre (d. 1320) is considered one of the most important Turkish poets having a great influence on Turkish literature from his own time until today. His poems concern divine love as well as human love of the Divine as God and the Perfect Master, Beloved, Friend and human destiny and weakness. Little is known of his life other than he became a Sufi dervish Perfect Master (Qutub). A contemporary of Rumi, it is told the two great souls met: Rumi asked Yunus what he thought of his huge work, the Mesnevi. Yunus said, “Excellent! But I would have done it differently.” Surprised, Rumi asked how. Yunus replied, “I’d have written, ‘I came from the eternal, clothed myself in flesh, took the name Yunus.’” This illustrates his simple approach that has made him loved by many. He died in 1320 the year Hafiz was born and was a great influence on him, Hafiz knew Turkish. Here is the largest selection of his poems translated into English in the form of the gazel that he mainly used plus one unique mesnevi. The rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the power and meaning of these beautiful, mystical, controversial poems. Introduction: Life, Times, Form and History & Function of the gazel, Sufism & Poetry, Turkish Poetry & Language, Bibliography. Comments on Paul Smith’s Translation of Hafiz’s ‘Divan’. “It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazalsof Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance.” 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(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, Jigar, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Iqbal and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children’s books, plays and 12 screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Read more