Anthology of Sufi & Folk Strophe Poems of Persia & the Indian Sub-Continent Translation & Introduction Paul Smith A Persian tarji-band consists of a series of stanzas or strophes each containing a variable but equal, or nearly equal, number of couplets all in one rhyme... as in the ghazal and qasida, these stanzas being separated from each other by a series of isolated rhyming couplets that mark the end of each strophe. If the same couplet (or refrain) is repeated at the end of each band, or strophe, the poem is a tarji-band, or 'return-tie'. If on the other hand the couplets concluding each band is different, each rhyming internally in a rhyme different from the preceding and succeeding bands, the poem is called a tarikh-band, or 'composite-tie'. The mukhammas consists of verses of five lines. In the first verse, all of the lines rhyme. In the verses that follow, the first four lines rhyme with each other and the last line rhymes with the rhymes of the first verse. A close inspection of this form shows that it is also as with the ghazal, a spiral, and probably originated from the ghazal. There are other forms in Persian poetry similar to it, with six (musaddes) and seven lines (musebba) in each verse. In some ways a mukhammas is like an extended form of the ghazal, but is a totally rhymed poem and doesn't have the ghazal's freedom, where one can be spontaneous because of the lack of rhyme in the first line of each couplet after the first. The kafi contains a radif or refrain that begins the poem and ends it and is repeated between the rhyming verses in-between (usually two to four) and reminds one of the mukhammas. Bulleh Shah's kafis are regarded as an integral part of the traditional repertoire of Qawwali, the musical genre which represents the devotional music of the Sufis. Kafis are common in Punjabi Sufi poetry. THE POETS: Farrukh, Rumi, 'Iraqi, Obeyd Zakani, Hafiz, Jahan Khatun, Shah Ni'matu'llah, Shah Shuja, Bedil, Rahman Baba, Bulleh Shah, Hatef, Nazir Akbarabadi, Qa'ani, Tahirah, Iqbal, Parvin, Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" 435 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. Paul Smith 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, Ghalib, Iqbal and many others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa Published by New Humanity Books
