MOUSE & CAT (Mush u Gorbeh) by Obeyd Zakani. Translation & Introduction Paul Smith. Obeyd Zakani's Cat & Mouse is a satirical, epic fable in the poetic form of the qasida that was influential at the time it was composed (14th C.) and has remained so for the past 600 years. It is more than just a story for children (that some say brought about the cartoon of Tom & Jerry)... it is a story of the stupidity of the false power of those in power and a warning to all that such blind ambition always leads to destruction at the hands of one even more powerful. Here is a beautiful, poetic translation keeping to the correct form of the famous qasida illustrated with unique Persian miniatures. Included is a long Introduction on The Life, Times and Writings of Obeyd Zakani. Appendixes include... Examples of all other translations into English; Obeyd performs Mouse & Cat for a young prince (from the Novel/Biog. Hafiz of Shiraz); a 1940's Illustrated Persian edition of Cat & Mouse, The Corrected Persian Text of Cat & Mouse and The First Complete Translation into literal English in 1906. Selected Bibliography. Profusely Illustrated. Large Print (16pt) & Large Format (8" x 10") Edition 227 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." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of 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). 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 and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.
