Mystical Islamic Poetry 6

The poetic tradition of Islam expresses an aspect very different from theological/legal understandings, being centred on love, yearning and ecstatic union with the divine. This course will focus on four poets from the classical period (14th-16th century).
Resources for this course
Type | Resource | Description | People | Full details |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Kabir: his life and times |
A brief introduction to what is known of the great Hindi poet, Kabir (d. ca. 1448), and the three surviving written versions of his poetry. |
Stephen Hirtenstein | view |
![]() |
Kabir: selected poems |
A selection of poems by Kabir drawn from various modern English translations |
Stephen Hirtenstein | view |
![]() |
Introduction to Mystical Islamic Poetry 6 |
A short overview of the four poets that will be studied on this course and the cultural context of the Islamic world in the 14th-16th century. |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Week 1: three poems by Hafiz |
A selection of three ghazals by Hafiz which will be studied in the class. |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Week 3: Two poems by Jami |
Two ghazals from Jami's 'Diwan' to supplement the material studied in clas |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Introduction to Jami |
A brief overview of the life and work of Nūr al-dīn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Jami (1414-1492), covering his work as a poet, as a Sufi shaykh of the... |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Introduction to Mystical Islamic Poetry 6 |
An overview of the period 1390-1518 spanned by the four poets studied on this course: Hafez (d.1492); Kabir (d. 1518); Jami (d.1492); A'ishah al-B... |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Poems Week 1a |
Three poems by Hafez. |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
List of poets |
A lists of all the poets studied in the series Mystical Islamic Poetry 1-6. Material from courses 2-6 can be found on open access sites. |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
An Introduction to Aʾisha al-Baʿūniyya (d.1517) |
A brief introduction to the life and work of one of the most important women writers in the Islamic tradition, author of two collections of poetry... |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Week 5: Poems by Aʾisha al-Bāʿūniyya |
Five poems from Aʾisha's collection of poems entitled 'Emanations of Grace', translated by Th. Emil Homerin |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Th Emil Homerin on Aʾisha al-Bāʿūniyya |
An open access article on the theme of 'dhikr' (remembrance of God) in Aʾisha's poetry, including Arabic text and translation of several poems.... |
Jane Clark | view |
![]() |
Week 4: introduction to Jami's Lawāʾih |
This is a brief introduction to Jami's Lawāʾih, one of his most famous works written in a combination of prose and poetry. |
Stephen Hirtenstein | view |
![]() |
Week 4: Selected poems from Jami's Lawāʾih |
This is a short selection from the Lawāʾih, including both the prose and poetic sections of certain 'Gleams' to give aflavour of Jami's method.... |
Stephen Hirtenstein | view |