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What They're Saying
"I have
enjoyed the translations [of the Gulistan and Bustan] greatly and truly appreciate
the amount of work you have put into them along with, of
course, your linguistic and poetic skills and talent. In
addition to general readers, I think these renditions
are particularly useful for undergraduate (and even
graduate) courses. The style of your writing can instill
and foster interest in students for further study of
Persian literature."
–M.
R. Ghanoonparvar, Professor
of Persian and Comparative Literature, Associate
Director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies,
Coordinator of the Persian Program at The University
of Texas at Austin
///
from the back cover:
“Translations
of Rumi, a Persian poet and mystic, have been the
most-read poetry in America. Saadi of Shiraz, a
contemporary of Rumi, one of the greatest figures in
classical Persian literature, is far more widely read in
Iran than Rumi, but he is little known in America.
Richard Jeffrey Newman has previously translated and
published Saadi's Gulistan. Now it is fortunate
that he has undertaken a fine and engaging translation
of Saadi's Bustan for English readers. This is
the best known work of Saadi and will be a welcome
contribution for lovers of poetry.”
–John
Moyne, author of
Rumi and the Sufi Traditions
and
A Bird in the Garden of Angels
///
“Having
the Bustan in an English translation will finally allow
Saadi to take his place beside Rumi and Hafiz and
complete the Divine Trinity of Persian poetry. To take
on the task of translating this work is like taking on
the Bible, or the Quran – the Bustan is first, huge,
second, filled with subtle and hidden wisdom, and third,
affords no real precedent. Richard Jeffrey Newman is an
explorer here, traveling in the far reaches of Muslim
mysticism. His text reads clear, story-filled,
delightful, striking just the right balance between
contemporary and classic. What shines through is
Newman’s depth of understanding: there is a wisdom in
these pages that makes them sacred, yet there is also a
system of ethics that makes them a How To for the Soul,
and to tease out these meanings requires a master
translator. In the front matter of the book, Newman
makes a brilliant analysis of his peers who have been
busily translating Rumi and Hafiz as if the meaning of
words didn’t matter, only the magic of the dance.
Clearly, this method of freestyling would never do with
Saadi, and we’re fortunate to have this extraordinary
work in our hands as the author meant it. Should
Newman’s rigorous methodology be applied to Rumi and
Hafiz – and I hope it will be – I believe we will be
able to approach ecstasy on its own terms, not their
translators’. Having a contemporary translation of the
Bustan
is an important step in Muslim-US relations, a milestone
in literary history.”
–Bob Holman, Proprietor, Bowery Poetry Club Visiting
Professor of Writing, Columbia University
To read Bob Holman's blurb for the Bustan click
here. |
