Publisher's Synopsis
MEVLIDI SHERIF (The Great Turkish Rhyming Poem/Song on the Prophet's Birth & Life) by Suleyman Chelebi. Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. Suleyman Chelebi (d.1421) is famous for this long poem in mesnevi form called the Mevlidi Sherif or 'Rhyming Poem on the Prophet's Birth & Life'. E.J.W. Gibb states: "The poem has at all times enjoyed an extraordinary popularity. Many subsequent writers have composed more or less similar devotional poems on the same subject, but not one has ever succeeded in even temporarily ousting this oldest of all from the public favour; and while it still lives on, recited annually in thousands of assemblies over the length and breadth of Turkey, its rivals have gone and all passed out of sight and are now practically forgotten... it is not merely the birth of Muhammed that the poem celebrates, nor even that event treated as a natural occurrence; the Mevlidi is really a versified account of the various legends that had grown up round the simple story of the Prophet's life; and thus it spoke directly to that feeling which induces early communities to dwell most lovingly on the supernatural element in the lives of their divinities and saints." It is the most commonly recited poem in the world. This is the most complete translation and the only one in English in the mesnevi form. Large print (16pt) & Large Format ("8 x 10") edition. 165 pqges. 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.." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator in 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. "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 from 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, Mahsati and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa
