Beauty, Love, and Wisdom in Persian Poetry Four Essays

The aim of this volume is to give the general reader an introduction to the richest works of the great masters of Persian literature so that they can become better acquainted with this symbolic, mystical and sometimes— to the uninitiated— obscure literary world. Four discourses exploring the heart and soul of this rich and ancient literary tradition, have been collected here in a masterful translation by Leonard Lewisohn. The first, entitled ‘ Poetics and Aesthetics in the Persian Sufi Literary Tradition’ , demonstrates the underlying structure of Persian literature and introduces the key concepts that will open the doors to understanding the main themes of Persian literature; the second, ‘ Of Scent and Sweetness: ‘ Attar and his Legacy in Rumi, Shabistari and Hafiz’ , leads the reader through the ‘ seven cities of love’ so that they may taste the immortal nectar of this great mystic poet of Persia; in the third, ‘ The Principles of the Religion of Love in Classical Persian Poetry’ , the reader will enter the paradisal garden of Hafiz with its four rivers of paradise; and finally, the fourth centres on Rumi and his magic flute which tells tale after tale to enlighten the listener.

Hossain Mohyeddin Ghomshei (b.1940) better known as Elahi Ghomshei, is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, author, and lecturer on literature, art, and mysticism. After graduating from Tehran University he taught Philosophy, Theology and Islamic mysticism, as well as Persian literature for many years, at one time serving as Director of the National Library of Iran. He has written, translated and contributed to many books, advised on cultural and art events in various institutions internationally and has delivered numerous lectures to a wide audience on Iranian television and beyond.