Enjoy the Lyrical Universe of Persian Poetry with Martin Bidney’s Groundbreaking Anthology, Persian Poetic Renaissance: Lyrics by Fifteen Sufi Poets in “Verse Interviews”

Distinguished poet and translator Martin Bidney, Professor Emeritus at Binghamton University (NY), has been captivating readers with his unique dialogue-style poetry. Inspired by his enthusiasm for revelatory writing and diverse cultural expressions, he has explored various poetical traditions, ranging from Shakespearean sonnets to the mesmerizing lyrical lines of Omar, Hafiz, Rumi. Bidney’s broad exploration and deep understanding of world literature have culminated in the creation of his latest offering, a profound dive into the rich and evocative world of Persian poetry from the period of 1000 to 1600.

Persian Poetic Renaissance: Lyrics by Fifteen Sufi Poets in “Verse Interviews“ is a treasury of thought-provoking and heart-stirring verses. As a readers journey through the pages, they will encounter seven translated poems from each of the fifteen carefully chosen Persian poets. Accompanying these are Bidney’s reply-poems and interpretations, original pieces that respond to each poem, so that the total “verse interview” enriches the reader’s experience and understanding. The authors he chooses to spotlight are united by their common thread of exploration within Sufi mysticism, adding a spiritual enlightening dimension to the anthology. Expect to immerse yourself in diverse themes: love for God and creation, women and men; admiration for nature; and a celebration of vigorous, mellifluent verse.

Bidney hopes this anthology will serve as an ’archaeological discovery’ for its readers, enabling them to delve into the forgotten richness of Persian lyrical poetry. Through his dialogical responses and explanatory ’blogatelles,’ he seeks to make this literary history more accessible and relatable, thereby reshaping our sense of a global literary heritage. For Bidney, the book is not merely a collection of poems; it’s an ever-evolving story of friendships that cross temporal and spatial boundaries, bringing the vibrancy of the Persian Renaissance to a present-day upstate New Yorker.

Ultimately, Persian Poetic Renaissance: Lyrics by Fifteen Sufi Poets in “Verse Interviews” is a celebration of the human experience in all its variety. It is an invitation to enter new identities, to explore diverse perspectives, and to engage in a broader world of thought and emotion. Just as the Sufis sought universality, so too does Bidney’s work attempt to foster a sense of unity through the universal language of poetry.

Join what will be a literary voyage like no other, where centuries of Persian lyrical creativity come alive in a dialogue with the modern world. Experience the bliss of a Renaissance that continues to unfold with each page you turn. Visit Amazon to learn more about this remarkable book and its prolific author, Martin Bidney. Step into the world where past and present converge in a symphony of thought, emotion, and spiritual exploration.

Get your copy now! on Amazon.com

Persian Poetic Renaissance: Lyrics by Fifteen Sufi Poets in “Verse Interviews”

• Author: Martin Bidney
• ASIN : B09NHZR5SK
• Publisher : Independently published (December 12, 2021)
• Language : English
• Paperback : 446 pages
• ISBN-13 : 979-8769675126
• Item Weight : 1.44 pounds
• Dimensions : 6 x 1.12 x 9 inches

About the Author:

Martin Bidney, Professor Emeritus at Binghamton University (NY), writes poetry books that are dialogues. In “Shakespair” he converses in Shakespearean sonnets with the 154 that the bisexual Bard himself wrote in the 1590s about his boyfriend and girlfriend. In “A Unifying Light” Martin converses with Qur’anic passages on the topic of Jews and Christians in the Qur’an and the Islamic virtues they embody. “East-West Poetry” shows Martin replying, in poems, to passages from both the Qur’an and Rumi. “Poems of Wine and Tavern Romance” offers 103 dialogues between Martin and Hafiz, the 14th century Persian pub poet he translates, a Muslim Sufi who was bisexual, like Shakespeare, and whom Germany’s greatest poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, called his “twin” brother! (Martin translates Hafiz from the same version Goethe used.) In fact, Martin has also translated Goethe’s own “West-East Divan” (divan means “collection”) and wrote conversational reply poems to all of Goethe’s 240 lyrics.

Martin’s dialogue book with the greatest Polish poet, Adam Mickiewicz, contains, on facing pages, the sonnets he wrote in response to the “Crimean Sonnets” he translated from Polish. In “Like a Fine Rug of Erivan” he translates 39 Pushkin poems from Russian and recites them on a CD.

His wide-ranging fascination with revelatory writing stems from “Patterns of Epiphany,” where Martin pioneered a method of analysis he has since applied to over 20 authors.

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