Make A Shield From Wisdom
Subtitle: Selected Verses from Nasir-i Khusraw's <i>Divan</I>
Publisher: I. B. Tauris
Published: June 23, 2001
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 112
ISBN-13: 9781860647253
Subjects: Islamic studies; Works by individual poets: classical, early & medieval; Poetry; Textbooks; Persian (Farsi); Literary Criticism; British Isles; General; Religion / General; English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Religion
First sentence: Persian poetry began to bloom in the tenth century after the literati of Iran had expressed themselves during the first centuries after the Muslim conquest (that is, after 651) in Arabic, the language of the Qur'an and of learning.
Description: <">Born in 1004, Nasir-i Khusraw was the major poet and philosopher of the early Ismailiyya. The outward political and religious events of the first half of the 11th century were the canvas on which Nasir-i Khusraw's poetry and prose developed. It is a poetry that teaches the importance of wisdom, of reason, of the right word and the right faith. Nasir-i edifice of religio-philosophical thought with its constant emphasis on the true faith and, as importantly, on reason and its role. Unique and important for our understanding of the times in which it was written Nasir-i Khusraw's ideas and expressions appeal strongly to readers of today. . The interest in Nasir-i Khusraw's poetry lies first in its contents and, from the purely formal viewpoint, in its consummate artistry. Through the poet's descriptions of gardens and stars, and his technical skill in the use of language and metre, the book offers an insight in to the poet's learning in all areas of Islamic and scientific topics. Above all, the poet successfully combines poetical skill with a deep religious conviction. The work of the Persian author in both its philosophical and poetical aspects has been known in the West for more than a century, but until now a full evaluation of Nasir-i Khusraw's poetry - his Divan - has not been attempted. This volume is intended as a step toward a better understanding of the poet's thought. In it, the noted Islamic scholar Annemarie Schimmel presents her translations of Nasir-i Khusraw's qasidas along with a detailed study of the poet and his work.<">--Bloomsbury Publishing.