AATISH Lucknow's Great Urdu Sufi Poet Selected Poems Translation & Introduction Paul Smith AATISH (1777-1847). Khwaja Haidar Ali... pen-name Aatish ('fire') was born in Faizabad. His ancestors had been dervishes and religious men. Because of the death of his father during his childhood he did not have any regular instruction in a school. He had a profound, natural ability for creating poetry that eventually gave him access to the court of Nawab Mohammed Taqi Khan Taraqqi, who took him to Lucknow. At Lucknow he sought and was given instruction in writing poetry by Mu'shafi, then an important poet of the Lucknow school of verse. A contented, self-¬respecting man he led a simple, ascetic life and never bowed to nobility to gain favours. This freedom of spirit and ascetic-like lack of concern for worldly comforts is reflected in his poetry. His words are simple and carefully chosen. Some critics rank him beside Mir and Ghalib. His ghazals are Sufi in flavour on the traditional themes of human and divine love. He went blind towards the end of his life. His Urdu Divan is composed of ghazals and ruba'is and a qasida. This is the largest translation of his poems into English in the correct form. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" Pages 140.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFEZ'S DIVAN"It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafez is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished.." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Superb translations. 99% Hafez 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of English to Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages including Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, Iqbal, Makhfi, Nazir, Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, Lalla Ded, Abu Sa'id, Ibn al-Farid, Abu Nuwas, Jigar, Seemab and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, kids books and a dozen screenplays. Published by New Humanity Books amazon.com/author/smithpa