The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell (Classics of Persian Literature) [Paperback]

Hafez (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classics of Persian Literature | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

Includes Bell's translation of Hafez, along with the original Persian (Farsi). Also included are Bell's extensive introduction on the life and poetry of Hafez and a preface by E. Denison Ross. As E.G. Browne has commented: "Bells translations are true poetry of a very high order and, with perhaps the single exception of FitzGerald's paraphrase of the Quatrains of Omar Khayyam, are probably the finest and most truly poetical renderings of any Persian poet ever produced in the English language."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Miss Bells [translations] are true poetry of a very high order and, with perhaps the single exception of FitzGerald's paraphrase of the Quatrains of Omar Khayyam, are probably the finest and most truly poetical renderings of any Persian poet ever produced in the English language..." -- Edward G Browne. "No book has been so reverenced, no poet so celebrated, and no verse so cherished as Hafez's ghazals. Auguries from his divan have decided the fates of individuals and empires, rebels and heretics as well as the pious have died with lines by Hafez on their lips, and religious and philosophic arguments have been won by apt quotation of a hemistich. Hafez sang a rare blend of human and mystic love so balanced, proportioned, and contrived with artful ease that it is impossible to separate the one from the other; and rhetorical artifice is so delicately woven into the fabric of wisdom and mysticism that it imparts a freshness to ideas..." -- Wheeler M Thackston.

Language Notes

Text: English, Persian (translation)
Original Language: Persian

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: IBEX Publishers (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936347392
• ISBN-13: 978-0936347394
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #431,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hafiz of Shiraz was widely regarded as an infidel in his day. Today he is recognized in the East not only for the excellence of his poetry, but also as a Sufi illuminate. His major work, The Diwan, is found beside the Koran in the homes of the devout. In the West, Hafiz--a contemporary of Dante--is admired for his love-poetry; Goethe, among others, acknowledged his influence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Dated Work, August 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell (Classics of Persian Literature) (Paperback)

This old translation of the poet Hafez was once popular because it fit in with the stiff yet flowery British poetry of a century ago. Now it's dated and gives little meaning to the verse. Translator Bell was more familiar with the Arabic than the Persian language, and more familiar with Iraq than Persia (Iran), the home of Hafez. Of limited value.

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars close to the source, May 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell (Classics of Persian Literature) (Paperback)

First one must understand that to translate means to change. With that in mind all the Persian poetry translated is changed poetry. Ms. Bell's book is exceptional because it has both Farsi (Persian) and English. To truly understand Bell's Hafiz book you must not only be able to read Farsi and English or you must be conscious enough to "understand" the "meaning" of the poems. Since most people do not fit in this category selecting Bell or Ladinsky, or another translation will only matter to your personal taste rather than accuracy. So maybe it's best that you read different translations to get different "flavors" of Hafez. Enjoy the books and love one another, remember "all you need is love."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely, dual language translations, December 31, 2010

By 

doc peterson (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hafez Poems of Gertrude Bell (Classics of Persian Literature) (Paperback)

Gertrude Bell is better known for her work as a diplomat (she was intstrumental in the creation of "Trans-Jordan" and in placing the Hashemites as rulers, and in establishing Iraq following the First World War)and archeologist ( a charter founder of the Baghdad Archelological Museum) rather than as a translator. Still, Bell was fluent in both Arabic and Farsi, and having lived in the Near East and Persia for much of her life, she was intimately familar with Arabic and Persian culture. As such, her credentials as translator are impeccable.

Purists will of course bemoan any sort of poetry in translation, and perhaps rightly so; however, given the challenges and priorities of learning a language (made more diffuclt when reading and understanding poetry), allowances must be made. That this collection is dual language is all the better. Being unable to speak to the original Farsi, I will limit my remarks and review to Bell's interpretation. In brief, Bell's translated Hafez is a jewel. Hafez is considered a national treasure by Iranians, and is revered there as much (perhaps more, given the Persian love of poetry) than Shakespeare in English-speaking countries. In this spirit, Bell has captured the ornate and flowery formalism of the Near East while capturing the themes one associates with poetry of the Middle East: its magnificent metaphors, vivid imagery and recurrent themes of love and passion. Added to this, Bell has succeeded in maintaining the ghazal form of the original. To some, the language Bell uses may sound a bit "dated" and overly formalized, and the ghazal structure is at times, a bit clunky. Rather than detracting from the translation, though, this added to the feel of the original.

What clinced this collection (above others by Hafez - most notably The Gift) are the translator's notes at the end of the collection, detailing the editorial decisions, literal meanings and allusions made in the original Farsi. This is pure gold, as it adds not only to the depth of one's understanding of the poetry, but also gives insight into the challenges and choices Bell made in presenting the poetry as she does. Hafez, like Rumi, is beautiful, moving and speaks to the eternalness of the human experience. This collection certainly does the poet justice, and I give it my strongest recommendation. If you own only one copy of Persian poetry, this is the copy I would have.