Poetry, often of great beauty and subtlety, has always been central to the spiritual life of Islam, particularly among Sufis and other esoteric branches of the faith. Through the ages it has been composed in both learned and popular forms, in classical languages as well as local dialects, to express love and devotion to God, the Prophet Muhammad and his family.
Although a large body of the great poetry of the Islamic world has been translated into English, the poetry of the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Ja士far al-峁⒛乨iq (d. 765), as his successor., except for a small portion, is still only accessible in the original.
This anthology will enable lovers of devotional and mystical poetry to sample for the first time the great range and depth of Ismaili poetry. The selection spans a thousand years of Ismaili history, from the times of the Fatimid caliphateThe Muslim political institution or state centred around the caliph, which came to an end, historically, in 1924 with the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire. to the present day. It includes both sophisticated and popular verses from the Ismaili poets of North Africa, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Pakistan composed in Arabic, Persian and Urdu.
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
Al鈥換adi al鈥揘u鈥榤an
The Most High
Ibn Hani al鈥揂ndalusi
A shimmering light
O children of FatimaDaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife, Khad墨ja bint Khuwaylid. Also wife of 士Al墨 b. Ab墨 峁乴ib and mother of al-岣san and al-岣sayn.!
The progeny of Hashim
The foundation of faith
The glory of our time
The first creation
The proof of God
You are the one
Heaven on earth
If you were not to be
Those who have lost their way
The pilgrimage of a mount
Encounter in the desert
Thunder in the mountains
Assembly of banners
Amir Tamim al鈥揊atimi
Elegy for al-Mu鈥榠zz
On the festival of Nawruz
Time and destiny
Al鈥揗u鈥檃yyad fi鈥檒鈥揇in al鈥揝hirazi
The pure progeny
The evil of desire
The soul鈥檚 satisfaction
The light of intellect
The sanctuary
Nasir鈥搃 Khusraw
The Prophet鈥檚 faith
In search of knowledge
The Prophet鈥檚 legacy
The sword of 鈥楢li
The excellence of 鈥楢li
O people of the umma!
The world鈥檚 friendship
The eye of the intellect
Journey to the light
Speech and silence
The master and the disciple
The candle of intellect
The momentum of time
Pearls of heaven
The sovereign of time
A conceited eagle
A pavilion of paradise
The esoteric and the exoteric
Secrets of the pilgrimage
Hasan-i Sabbah
Repentance
Supplication
Particles of dust
Make me complete
Ra鈥檌s Hasan
The master of the time
The heart that knows
The call of the spirit
Good fortune
The rising of the sun
Nizari Quhistani
Alexander鈥檚 quest
The virtue of 尘补鈥榬颈蹿补
Abode of the beloved
I found the treasure
The one above them all
The sovereign of time
鈥楢bd Allah Ansari
Form and essence
The felicity of grace
Khayrkhwah-i Harati
The miracle of knowledge
The three worlds
Khaki Khurasani
The inner reality
Anchor of the ship
Shaykh Khudr
Ships of salvation
The awe-inspiring light
The trustworthy spirit
The coming of your light
Cupbearer of the night
Love in seclusion
In the courtyard of love
The fruits of reality
The call of the friend
The city of shining light
Fida鈥檌 Khurasani
The wealth of this world
Remembrance of the heart
Recognition of the Imam
If you have Mawla鈥檚 love
鈥楢llama Nasir Hunzai
The slave of Mawla 鈥楢li
Quatrains of love
The treasure of Luqman
Glad tidings for the soul
Secrets of the heart
Isma鈥榠l Adra
A noble birthday
My breathless heart
Notes
Bibliography
Index of First Lines
General Index
Faquir M. Hunzai received his doctorate from Mc Gill University and is currently a Research Associate at 鸟大大影院, London.
Kutub Kassam is a poet and Publications Officer at 鸟大大影院, London.