Items related to The Persian Poets
Synopsis
The Iliad and Odyssey, the d Lneid, the Kalevala, the Nibelungenlied, the Shah-N ameh, become the chief glories, not alone of the country where they originate, but of the world. Kings and emperors conquer and destroy, and then try to hand their fame to posterity by magnificent constructions. But their names are only names, their cities and palaces crumble, and thousands of years later some curious excavator finds at the bottom of the heap a clay tablet on which is a simple little verse which reveals the thought of an unknown poet or gives a glimpse of a vanished civilization. Of course, vast quantities of poems have perished, but that any of the epics or lyrics of antiquity should survive seems wonderful when one realizes the vicissitudes through which they have passed. Fire and rust and rain and the ignorance of men conspire to annihilate. The story is told that an unknown poet once offered to A bd-A llah ben Taher, Emir of Khorasan, a versified story. The bigoted prince tore the manuscript into tatters, declaring that there was no other poetry than the Koran, and that all else was falsehood and blasphemy. History is full of such instances. Thus the sand waste drowns out the fertile meadow. But we often see one solitary flower or grass-blade piercing through the arid soil. Poetry is really the most precious possession of men, and history is not so much valued for its truth as for its grace.
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About the Publisher
Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.
Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the aged tex
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Synopsis
The Middle Ages saw an extraordinary flowering of Persian poetry. Though translations began appearing in Europe in the nineteenth century, these remarkable poets - Omar Khayyam, Rumi, Saadi, Sanai, Attar, Hafiz, and Jami - are still being discovered in the West. The great medieval Persian poets owe much to the mystical Sufi tradition within Islam, which understands life as a journey in search of enlightenment, and, like their European contemporaries, they combine religious and secular themes. While celebrating the beauty of the world in poems about love, wine, and poetry itself, or telling humorous anecdotes of everyday life, they use these subjects to symbolize deeper concerns with wisdom, mortality, salvation, and the quest for God. This book has been a classic reference source for long time and its reprint shall be welcomed by the readers.
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