Eastern Poetry

A rich and varied collection of contemporary short stories, extracts from novels, and poetry that will go a long way toward informing the English-speaking world of the latest developments in Iranian literature. This sampling - or to use the Farsi term golchine, a bouquet - provides a window onto an important but sorely neglected segment of world culture. We hope it will also serve to awaken further interest in the work and in translations of Iranian novelists and poets.

"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi wrote that eight hundred years ago. People still whisper it to themselves in hospital waiting rooms, on park benches after arguments, at 2am when sleep won't come. His words keep finding the people who need them, the way a song finds you when you need it. If a line of his has ever stopped you mid-breath, then Rumi has already begun his work in you. This collection is where you go to hear the rest. Twenty hours. His complete major works.

Hidden for a century from the English-speaking world, these poems now become available to international readers for the first time. Originally published in 1925, The Garden Left Behind is the first English translation of the poetry of George Vâlsan (1885–1935)—one of Romania's leading geographers, a member of the Romanian Academy, and a writer whose lyrical voice has long deserved to be discovered beyond the borders of his native country. This carefully prepared edition, translated by Octavian Cocoș, introduces international readers to a remarkable work that has remained largely ...

The Narrow Road to the Interior and Hojoki are two of the best-loved works of their kind; famous for their beautiful, delicate verse and subtle insight into the human condition. It has been said of The Narrow Road that 'it was as if the very soul of Japan had itself written it'. It takes the form of a travel diary, and traces the poet's journey from Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to the northern interior.

Michael Sansone has written a contemplative collection of poetry that journeys through suffering, faith, temptation, and redemption. Drawing on Christian imagery, liturgical rhythms, and personal reflection, the poems explore the tension between worldly illusion and divine truth. From moments of spiritual struggle to glimpses of grace, Sansone invites readers into a deeply introspective path toward surrender, healing, and ultimate acceptance of God’s will.

One of the greatest Christian thinkers you've probably never heard of also happens to be one of the most beautiful. Long before theology was written as dense academic prose, Ephrem the Syrian taught the Christian faith through unforgettable hymns, vivid symbols, and breathtaking poetry. Known throughout history as the "Harp of the Holy Spirit," he transformed Scripture into songs of wonder, making profound truths accessible to ordinary believers while shaping Christian worship for centuries. If you've ever wanted to understand the roots of early Christianity, discover the beauty of Syriac ...

What if poetry were a magic act—and reality the illusion it refuses to preserve? In The Illusionist: Compulsory Acts, Romanian poet Doina Tudorovici enters a world where fathers speak from memory and death, angels wander the streets, ancient heroes grow old, fairy tales lose their heroes, and history becomes entangled with the private wounds of the body. Nothing here remains safely symbolic. A drowned dog, a paper kite, a village mill, Achilles, Ulysses, Ovid, Ophelia, Raskolnikov, a gray wolf, a hedgehog, and a ghost may all step into the poem—and once inside, they obey no familiar ...

What if one of Christianity’s most powerful guides to mercy, repentance, and spiritual healing has been waiting for you for more than a thousand years? Saint Gregory of Narek was a tenth-century Armenian monk, poet, theologian, and mystic whose words transformed personal anguish into prayer. His masterpiece, the Book of Lamentations, speaks with astonishing honesty about guilt, suffering, fear, hope, and the soul’s longing to return to God. Now, Saint Gregory of Narek for Beginners makes his remarkable life and spiritual wisdom accessible to modern readers—without requiring any prior ...

Czeslaw Milosz Explained: Exile, Moral Witness, Poetry of History, Totalitarianism, Faith and Doubt, Memory, Identity, and the Search for Meaning in a Fractured World is a powerful and deeply engaging exploration of one of the twentieth century’s most important literary and philosophical voices. This book brings Milosz's complex ideas to life, guiding readers through his experiences of war, exile, and intellectual resistance while revealing how his poetry and essays continue to speak to modern readers searching for truth and meaning. Spanning themes such as totalitarianism, moral ...

In modern-day Persia, the 14th-century poet Hafiz remains the most treasured voice of his homeland—a place where his work outsells Rumi, and even the Koran. Yet only recently have Westerners come to know this wild Sufi mystic's astonishing verses on love and spiritual longing. Now, with Hafiz...

What if the life we long for isn’t elsewhere but rather right here, waiting to be discovered? Joshua Luke Smith believes the greatest lie facing our generation is that the life we long for lies beyond the life that we have. We so easily learn to disdain the inconveniences, interruptions and...

“What I had thought of before as God, I met today in a human being.” Those were the words of the Persian mystic poet Rumi upon meeting the wild dervish Shams Tabriz. And out of their friendship bloomed many of Jelaluddin Rumi’s most inspired verses. On Just Being Here, the acclaimed poet...

A paperback original A vibrant collection of the lasting, essential work of the Nobel Prize–winning poet Wislawa Szymborska Wislawa Szymborska’s work is known for its precision, cleverness, deceptive simplicity, and the way the poet plays out domestic and human concerns against the tapestry...

Now available for the first time in ebook form. The vision of Laotzu, who saw the truth of the essential paradox in all things, who know that he governs best who governs least and that he knows most who never speaks, can still be of great help and interest to us today. His way of life was the way of poise, serenity, and complete assurance. His gentle warnings of the futility of egoistic struggle explain much of the quiet strength and perspective the East has and the West needs. Many have attempted to bring the reflections of Laotzu to the Western world. But Witter Bynner’s version is ...

An anthology of verse by women poets writing in Persian, most of whom have never been translated into English before, from acclaimed scholar and translator Dick Davis. The Mirror of My Heart is a unique and captivating collection of eighty-three Persian women poets, many of whom wrote...

The poems in Something The River Says are inspired by and drawn from the philosophy of Vedanta and the words of John Muir, Emerson, Thoreau, Rumi, Hafiz, Tagore, Paramananda as well as other great poets and writers whose works reflect the mystical wonder and Divine nature of all creation. They are also the fruit of inspiration born of nature’s intelligence, beauty and transformative awakening power.

The Poet X meets A Very Large Expanse of Sea in a bold novel-in-verse starring a Persian American teen navigating his first crush, his family’s post-9/11 dynamics, andthe role of language in defining who we are. “A dazzling story with a whole lot of heart. Read it.” —Michael L. Printz...

A wacky new Easter version of the classic "There Was an Old Lady" song! This time, the hungry old lady swallows a chick, some straw, an egg, some candy, a basket, and a bow! And just as she's hopping and skipping along, who should she meet but the Easter Bunny! Watch what happens when she trips, with amazing results! With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song will appeal to young listeners--a fun story for Easter!

📖 Echoes of Fuzuli: A Timeless Journey of Passion, Longing, and Divine Unity ✍️ By Omar Han Step into a world where poetry transcends time, love defies mortality, and the soul longs for the divine. Echoes of Fuzuli: A Timeless Journey of Passion, Longing, and Divine Unity is a masterful exploration of the legendary poet Fuzuli’s enduring legacy—his mystical verses, profound reflections on love, and timeless wisdom that continues to inspire generations. Through rich storytelling and lyrical prose, Omar Han delves into the essence of Fuzuli’s poetry, weaving together themes of ...

What did the ancient Persians know that we have forgotten? For thousands of years, Persian culture has preserved its deepest insights about life not in lengthy philosophies or complex theories, but in short, powerful proverbs — sayings so precise and so true that they have been passed from generation to generation for centuries without losing a single drop of their wisdom. This book brings 200 of those proverbs to the modern reader. Ancient Persian Wisdom for Modern Life: 200 Persian Proverbs Explained is more than a collection of sayings. It is a practical guide to living well, drawn ...