SEVEN GOLDEN ODES OF ARABIA The Mu'allaqat Translations, Introduction Paul Smith The Mu'allaqat is the title of a group of seven long Arabic odes or qasidas that have come down from the time before Islam. Each is considered the best work of these pre-Islamic poets. The name means 'The Suspended Qasidas' or 'The Hanging Poems', the traditional explanation being that these poems were hung on or in the Kaaba at Mecca. These famous ancient Arabic qasidas are formed of three parts: they start, with a nostalgic opening in which the poet reflects on what has passed, known as nasib. A common concept is the pursuit of the poet of the caravan of his love; by the time he reaches their campsite they have already moved on. The second section is rahil (travel section) in which the poet contemplates the harshness of nature and life away from the tribe. Finally there is the message of the poem, which can take several forms: praise of the tribe, fakhr; satire about other tribes, hija; or some moral maxims, hikam. Included with each qasida of 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 powerfull poems. CONTENTS: The Introduction... The Mu'allaqat, The Qasida. The Poets... Imra'ul-Qays, Tarafa, Amru, Harith, Antara, Zuhair, Labid. Appendix... Kab's Qasida of the Mantle. Pages... 147. 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 works in English 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Mu'in, Ghalib, Iqbal, Abu Nuwas and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and 12 screenplays. www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com

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THE MU'ALLAQAT: The Seven Golden Odes (Qasidas) of Arabia (Large Print & Large Format Edition) Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. The Mu'allaqat is the title of a group of seven long Arabic odes or qasidas that have come down from the time before Islam. Each is considered the best work of these pre-Islamic poets. The name means 'The Suspended Qasidas' or 'The Hanging Poems', the traditional explanation being that these poems were hung on or in the Kaaba at Mecca. These famous ancient Arabic qasidas are formed of three parts: they start, with a nostalgic opening in which the poet reflects on what has passed, known as nasib. A common concept is the pursuit of the poet of the caravan of his love; by the time he reaches their campsite they have already moved on. The second section is rahil (travel section) in which the poet contemplates the harshness of nature and life away from the tribe. Finally there is the message of the poem, which can take several forms: praise of the tribe, fakhr; satire about other tribes, hija; or some moral maxims, hikam. Included with each qasida of 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 powerful poems. Contents: The Mu'allaqat, The Qasida. The Poets... Imra'ul-Qays, Tarafa, Amru, Harith, Antara, Zuhair, Labid. Appendix... Kab's Qasida of the Mantle. Large Print (16pt) & Large Format (8" x 10") Edition. Pages... 173. 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 works in English 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, 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, Mu'in, Ghalib, Iqbal, Abu Nuwas and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and 12 screenplays.

These seven poems, translated by A. J. Arberry in 1957, are the most famous survivors of a vast mass of poetry produced in the Arabian Desert in the sixth century. Arberry’s introduction explains to the reader what was known about the poems and how they came to be preserved and distributed over time. The epilogue particularly interrogates the authenticity of the poems and tracks how they have been transmitted over time. This work will be of interest to those studying Persian and Middle-Eastern literature and history.

A skillful translation of six classical odes of pre-Islamic Arabia.