MANSUR HALLAJ: THE TAWASIN(Book of the Purity of the Glory of the One)Translation & Introduction Paul SmithThe Perfect Master, poet & martyr, Husayn Mansur al-Hallaj (died 919), was born near Shiraz and was tortured and executed in Baghdad for declaring: “I am the Truth (Anal Haq).” Much has been written about his famous (and in¬famous) statement and his masterpiece The Tawasin in which he makes it. ‘Written in rhymed Arabic prose… it sets forth a doctrine of saintship—a doctrine founded on personal experience and clothed in the form of a subtle yet passionate dialectic.’ R.A. Nicholson. The Introduction here contains: The Life, Times and Works of Mansur Hallaj, The Perfect Master (Qutub), ‘Anal-Haq’ or ‘I am the Truth’ of Mansur Hallaj, Four Master Poets of Baghdad who influenced Hallaj and A Selection of Poetry from the Persian, Turkish, Pushtu & Urdu Poets about or influenced by Mansur Hallaj. Appendix: The Story of Idris (Azazil) and Adam From ‘The Book of Genesis’ of Shahin of Shiraz. This is a free-form poetic translation that captures the beauty, meaning, profundity of this classic of Sufism. Pages 264.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 from English into Persian, 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).Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages… including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, ‘Attar, Sana’i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Shah Latif, Bulleh Shah, Mahsati, Lalla Ded, Nazir Akbarabadi and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children’s books and a dozen screenplays.