Publisher's Synopsis
GREAT PASHTU SUFI & WARRIOR MASTER POETS OF AFGHANISTAN An Anthology Translation & Introduction Paul Smith The Pashtu language is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and west of the Indus River in Pakistan. The origin of Pashtu language and the Pashtun tribes is unknown. The word 'Pashtu' derives by regular phonological processes from 'Parsaw' or 'Persian'. Nonetheless, the Pashtuns are sometimes compared with the Pakhta tribes mentioned in the Rigveda (1700-1100 BC). During the 17th century Pashtu poetry was becoming very popular among the Pashtuns. Some of those who wrote Poetry in Pashtu are Pir Roshan, Mirza Khan Ansari, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba and Ahmad Shah Durrani founder of the modern state of Afghanistan or the Afghan Empire. CONTENTS: The Pashtu Language, Pashtu Sufi Poetry, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry. THE POETS: Mirza, Khushal (the largest section), Ashraf Khan, Abdul-Kadir, Rahman Baba, Khwaja Mohammad, Hamid, Ahmad Shah and Shaida. The correct forms and meanings of the ghazal, ruba'i & others have been kept for these beautiful, powerful & often spiritual poems. Lives & 'further reading' on each poet. Large Print (16pt) & Large Format (8.5"x 11") Edition. Pages 589. 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, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Mu'in, Bedil, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded and many others as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books, screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa
