NESIMI: SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Nesimi (1369-1417) is one of the greatest mystical poets of the late 14th and early 15th centuries and one of the most prominent early masters in Turkish/Azerbaijani literary history. For Nesimi at the centre of Creation there was God, who bestowed His Light on man. Through sacrifice and self-perfection, man can become one with Him. As a direct result of his beliefs he was skinned alive. His tomb in Aleppo remains an important place of pilgrimage to this day. His work consists of two collections of poems, one in Persian and the most important in Turkish that consists of 250-300 ghazels and about 175 roba'is. After his death his work continued to exercise an influence on Turkish language poets and authors. The 600th anniversary of his birth was celebrated worldwide by UNESCO. The Introduction is on his Life & Times & Poetry and the Forms in which he wrote. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful, mystical poems. 210 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. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author of poems inspired by Hafiz). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.