Khidr in Sufi Poetry

Book excerpt: ~KHIDR IN SUFI POETRY: A SELECTION~Translation & Introduction by Paul SmithKhidr (Khizer, Khadir) is often called: “The Green One” for he was said to have drunk from the Fountain of Immortality and gained Eternal life. He has been identified with Elias, St. George, Phineas, the Angel Gabriel, the companion of Mohammed on a journey which is told in the Koran, viii, 59-8 1, and throughout the literature of Mysticism has appeared to many great seekers who eventually became Perfect Masters. Here are poems by many great Sufi Master Poets who have composed poems in Persian, Turkish, Pashtu, Urdu and English in which he is invoked or appears: Ansari, Anvari, Khaqani, Mu'in, Nizami, 'Attar, Baba Afzal, Rumi, Sadi, Yunus Emre, Shabistari, Amir Khusrau, Obeyd Zakani, Emad Kermani, Hafiz, Ruh Attar, Haydar, Jahan Khatun, Ahmedi, Zeyneb, Necati, Khushal, Makhfi, Rahman Baba, Khwaja Mohammad, Niyazi, Wali, Dard, Zauq, Ghalib, Dagh, Iqbal, Paul. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these poems. Introduction on 'Who is Khidr'. Selected Bibliography. Three Appendixes. Illustrated. 267 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 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).“I was very impressed with the beauty of these books.” Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages, including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Lalla, 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.