Sparks of Fire Unknown Poetry of Tahirih

"The exceptional character of Tá hirih in the secular and sacred history of humanity is increasingly being discovered and disclosed. Tá hirih’ s transcendental and transformative universal love, expressed in her poetry, announces the onset of a new era in human civilization. Sparks of Fire, the fourth volume containing original poems of Tá hirih and their English translation by Hemmat and Hatcher, is one of the most wonderful scholarly events of the twenty-first century. It is most unfortunate that the publication of Hemmat and Hatcher’ s previous volumes translating Tá hirih’ s poetry— 'The Poetry of Tá hirih, Adam’ s Wish,' and 'The Quickening'— has been largely met with silence or disbelief from scholars in the field. The fact is that these volumes are so amazing and wonderful that even experts in the field find it difficult to believe that their publication can be a real event, but the time has come to enthusiastically embrace, recite, and loudly celebrate the exceptional treasure of this historical and spiritual gift." — Nader Saiedi, Retired Professor of Sociology and Iranian Studies at Carleton College and UCLA, and author of Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Bá b

John S. Hatcher holds a BA and MA in English Literature from Vanderbilt University and a PhD in English literature from the University of Georgia. He is a professor emeritus of English literature at the University of South Florida, Tampa. A widely published poet and distinguished lecturer, he has written numerous books on literature, philosophy, and Baha'i theology and scripture. He and his family live on a farm near Plant City, Florida. Amrollah Hemmat wrote his doctoral dissertation on the interpretation and translation of mystical and religious texts. He is the author/coauthor of seven volumes of poetry translation and Arabic grammar, as well as a variety of articles, and is a frequent speaker and lecturer on hermeneutics, translation studies, and intercultural communication at universities internationally.