'Love Is Its Own Reason for Being'

'LOVE IS ITS OWN REASON FOR BEING' SELECTED GHAZALS (1974-2023) PAUL SMITH. In 1974 Australian poet Paul Smith began a 12 year journey translating his acclaimed Divan of Hafiz (many 'greats' say the world's finest poet). To do this he had to master the ancient form of the ghazal in which Hafiz was considered the 'Master'. So, for the first time in the English language he composed his own ghazals and would continue to do so for the following forty years, inspired by his Spiritual Master Meher Baba and Hafiz and many great poets of this form that he would put into beautiful correct rhyming English... including Sadi, Rumi, 'Attar, Amir Khusrau, and many others... all great poets of this wonderful, mystical, most ancient and most difficult form of poetry. He would even create a number of books of Anthologies of the ghazal from Adam (the first ghazal composer) to the latest. Here are ALL of his own ghazals from 1974 to the present and those inspired by the ghazals of Huma (Meher Baba) his Spititual Master for 55 years and a selection of those inspired by Hafiz's great poems. Introduction on his life & on the History & Form of the Ghazal in many languages, the oldest known form of poetry. Large Format (7" x 10") 828 pages. 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 NEW HUMANITY BOOKS