The Book of Bulleh Shah

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THE BOOK OF BULLEH SHAH

Translation & Introduction Paul Smith

Bulleh Shah was a Sufi poet who composed in Punjabi and settled in Kasur, now in Pakistan. His Spiritual Master was Shah Inayat. The poetic form Bulleh Shah is called the Kafi, a style of Punjabi poetry used not only by the Sufis of Sindh and Punjab, but also by Sikh gurus. His poetry and philosophy strongly criticizes the Islamic religious orthodoxy of his day. His time was marked with communal strife between Muslims and Sikhs. But in that age Bulleh Shah was a beacon of hope and peace for the citizens of the Punjab. Several of his songs or kafis are still regarded as an integral part of the traditional repertoire of qawwali, the musical genre that represents the devotional music of the Sufis. Introduction on his Life, Times & Poems & on Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry, Selected Bibliography, The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these poems.

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. I am astonished. Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi Tehran.
“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator 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 .

Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages, including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, ‘Attar, Sana’i, Jahan, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Jahan Khatun, Iqbal, Ghalib, and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children’s books and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com