HAFIZ: THE MUSICAL DRAMA by Paul Smith HAFIZ is an aspiring poet and the ugliest man of his age: an apprentice baker, who delivers bread to the people of Shiraz, Persia. One day he catches sight of NABAT, the beautiful daughter of one of the cities wealthy traders. Smitten, HAFIZ pours his longing into his songs dedicated to the entrancing object of his desire. His words are so wondrous that the greatest minstrel of the day HAJJI, takes up his instrument and serenades HAFIZ'S loved one. Captivated by his lyrics, NABAT falls in love with HAFIZ, whose experiences with the Spiritual Guide, ATTAR, and songs and poems have established him as a spiritual and cultural force throughout his beloved country, ravaged by bloody coups and violent revolutions. Fame does not come easily as the ruthless rulers and clergy conspire to silence the ever-increasing power of HAFIZ'S voice and that of his friend the poet-jester OBEYD ZAKANI and the beautiful princess-poet and dancer JAHAN KHatun. Will the lovers survive? Can words of love defeat the sword of hypocrisy? HAFIZ: THE MUSICAL DRAMA is a truly timeless story. The classical musicals Phantom of The Opera, Cyrano De Bergerac have fascinated many. HAFIZ: THE MUSICAL DRAMA is the real life story of the 14th Century poet and great mystic. Today his work is sung by the greatest artists throughout the East and the West. Now, after years of research, his extraordinary life is told with all its music and drama. Goethe's spiritual mentor, Emerson said he was "the Shakespeare of the East and the greatest poet of all time". 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 Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre and others and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies and a dozen screenplays. New Humanity Books amazon.com/author/smithpa