The Shimmering Light: Anthology of Isma'ili Poems (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781850439073)

Although a large body of the great poetry of the Islamic world has been translated into English, except for a few fragments, the poetry of the Isma'ilis is still only accessible in the original.

This anthology should enable lovers of devotional and mystical poetry to sample the great range and depth of Isma'ili poetry. The selection spans 1000 years of Isma'ili history, from the time of the Fatimid caliphate to the present day. It includes both sophisticated and popular verses from the Isma'ili poets of Arabia, Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, India and Pakistan composed in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Burushaski and Urdu. In addition to the theme of divine love and the virtues of the prophet and the Immans, the poems present some of the central ideas of the Isma'ilis and their esoteric interpretation of Islam.


Author: Annemarie Schimmel
ISBN-10: 1850439079
ISBN-13: 9781850439073
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Language: English
Published: 12/31/1996
Pages: 176
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.78lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.44d