Islamic Poetry & Literature

The Persian epic that inspired Eric Clapton's unforgettable love song "Layla" and that Lord Byron called "the Romeo and Juliet of the East," in a masterly new translation

A Penguin Classic

“Divine Intoxication” is a common theme in Middle Eastern poetry. The “wine” on which the seeker becomes “drunk” is nothing less than the nectar of love. Such “inebriation,” however, often produces unconventional behavior, even hints of madness, marking the lover as one apparently lost to the ordinary world.

The Persian poet Hafiz (1315 1390) is a literary wonder with unmatched spiritual insights. Now, renowned artist and writer Rassouli dives heart first into the Divan of Hafiz to offer you fresh translations and glorious color illustrations so you can take your own journey into the Wisdom of Madness.

Considered by Rumi to be "the master" of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar (who died, in 1220, when Rumi was 12 years old) is best known for his epic poem The Conference of the Birds, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul's search for meaning.

Poems from the Straight Path reflects, chronicles and tries to make sense of Joel Hayward's conversion to Islam after two decades as a fish-out-of-water Unitarian within trinitarian Christianity.

The definitive translation by Dick Davis of the great national epic of Iran—now newly revised and expanded to be the most complete English-language edition