AATISH... A GREAT SUFI URDU POET Selected Poems. Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. Khwaja Haidar Ali (1777-1847)... pen-name Aatish ('fire') was born in Faizabad. His ancestors were mainly dervishes. He had a profound, natural ability for poetry that eventually gave him access to the court of Nawab Mohammed Taqi Khan Taraqqi, who took him to Lucknow where was instructed by Mushafi. Later he came under the influence of the controversial Nasik (1776-1838), another great Sufi poet of Lucknow. Contented, self-respecting Aatish led a simple life, never bowing to nobility to gain favours. Freedom of spirit and ascetic-like lack of concern for worldly comforts is in his poetry. Some critics rank him beside Mir and Ghalib. His ghazals are Sufi in nature on the traditional themes of human and divine love. His Urdu Divan is composed of ghazals and ruba'is and a qasida. Here is the largest selection in English in the correct rhyme-form and meaning. Introduction: Life, Times & Poetry; Sufism in Poetry, Main Forms in Aatish's Poetry, Selected Bibliography. Large Print (16pt) Large Format (8" x 10") Edition. 148 pages. Paul Smith (b. 1945) 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa 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 (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many 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 his own poems inspired by Hafiz). "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University.