{"title":"Classical \u0026 Epic Poetry Collection","description":"\u003ch2\u003eClassical \u0026amp; Epic Poetry\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eExperience the grandeur of classical and epic poetry from ancient civilizations. Discover heroic narratives, mythological tales, and poetic masterworks that have endured for millennia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis collection includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreek epic poetry (Homer)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoman epic poetry (Virgil, Ovid)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMedieval epics\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEastern epic poetry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClassical odes and lyric poetry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMythological poetry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOur catalog is expanding regularly—new titles added often.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-divan-of-hafiz-edition-of-complete-poetry","title":"The Divan of Hafiz: Edition of Complete Poetry","description":"\u003cp\u003eImmerse yourself in the complete poetic legacy of Shamsuddin Mohammad Hafiz Shirazi (1315-1390), the beloved Persian mystic whose verses have captivated hearts and minds for over six centuries. This comprehensive bilingual edition presents all 500 ghazals and 42 Rubaiyees in both the original Persian and Henry Wilberforce Clarke's meticulous word-by-word English translation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA Complete Scholarly Edition\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eDivan of Hafiz\u003c\/em\u003e represents the complete collected works of one of Persian literature's most revered voices. Unlike interpretive translations that prioritize poetic flow over literal accuracy, Clarke's word-by-word approach preserves the structure, nuance, and linguistic richness of the original Persian text. This makes it an invaluable resource for:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePersian language learners\u003c\/strong\u003e seeking to deepen their understanding through parallel text study\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComparative literature students\u003c\/strong\u003e analyzing translation methodology and poetic form\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eScholars of Islamic mysticism\u003c\/strong\u003e requiring precise textual references\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePoetry enthusiasts\u003c\/strong\u003e who appreciate both literal and interpretive approaches to translation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSufi practitioners\u003c\/strong\u003e seeking authentic source material for contemplative study\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eUnderstanding Hafiz's Ghazals\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ghazal—a lyric poem typically consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain—is the primary form through which Hafiz expressed his mystical vision. His poetry weaves together themes of divine love, spiritual intoxication, the hypocrisy of religious formalism, and the ecstatic union of the soul with the Beloved. Through metaphors of wine, taverns, nightingales, and roses, Hafiz created a symbolic language that speaks simultaneously to earthly and divine love, to sensual pleasure and spiritual transcendence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis work defies simple categorization. Is he celebrating wine or divine ecstasy? Romantic love or mystical union? The beauty of Hafiz lies precisely in this ambiguity—his verses operate on multiple levels simultaneously, inviting readers into a world where the sacred and profane, the literal and metaphorical, dance together in perpetual mystery.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Clarke Translation: Literal Precision\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHenry Wilberforce Clarke's translation, first published in the late 19th century, remains one of the most literal English renderings of Hafiz's \u003cem\u003eDivan\u003c\/em\u003e. While this approach sacrifices some of the lyrical flow found in more interpretive translations (such as those by Daniel Ladinsky or Coleman Barks), it offers unparalleled access to the actual structure and word choice of the Persian original.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor serious students, this literal approach is invaluable. You can see how Hafiz constructs his metaphors, trace his use of specific Persian terms with mystical significance, and understand the formal constraints within which he worked. Clarke's translation serves as a bridge between the Persian text and English comprehension, making it an essential companion for anyone studying Persian literature or Sufi poetry in depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBilingual Format: Persian \u0026amp; English Side by Side\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis edition presents the Persian text alongside Clarke's English translation, allowing readers to:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompare the original Persian with the English rendering\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStudy Persian vocabulary and poetic structure in context\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAppreciate the musicality and rhythm of the original language\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVerify translation choices and explore alternative interpretations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeepen their understanding of Persian literary conventions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho This Edition Is For\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePersian Language Students:\u003c\/strong\u003e The parallel text format makes this an ideal study companion, allowing you to build vocabulary and comprehension while engaging with one of Persian literature's masterworks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScholars \u0026amp; Researchers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Clarke's literal translation provides the textual precision necessary for academic work, citation, and comparative analysis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSufi Practitioners:\u003c\/strong\u003e Access to the complete \u003cem\u003eDivan\u003c\/em\u003e allows for deep contemplative study of Hafiz's mystical teachings in their full context.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoetry Lovers:\u003c\/strong\u003e Experience Hafiz in a different register than popular interpretive translations—see the architecture of his verse, the precision of his word choice, the formal elegance of the ghazal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComparative Readers:\u003c\/strong\u003e If you already own interpretive translations by Ladinsky or others, this edition offers a complementary perspective, showing you what the original text actually says versus how it might be creatively rendered.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHafiz's Enduring Legacy\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHafiz's tomb in Shiraz remains a pilgrimage site, and his poetry continues to be memorized, recited, and consulted for guidance across the Persian-speaking world and beyond. His influence extends across cultures and centuries—Goethe praised him as a peer, Emerson translated his verses, and contemporary spiritual seekers continue to find in his words a map to the territory of divine love.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe practice of \u003cem\u003efal-e Hafez\u003c\/em\u003e—opening the \u003cem\u003eDivan\u003c\/em\u003e at random to receive guidance—testifies to the living relationship Persian culture maintains with this poet. His verses are not merely historical artifacts but active presences in the spiritual lives of millions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA Complement to Your Contemplative Library\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis complete edition of the \u003cem\u003eDivan of Hafiz\u003c\/em\u003e serves as both a scholarly reference and a spiritual companion. Whether you're studying Persian, researching Sufi mysticism, comparing translation approaches, or simply seeking to encounter Hafiz's voice in its most authentic English rendering, this bilingual edition offers depth, precision, and completeness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLet Hafiz's complete poetic legacy unfold before you—500 ghazals of mystical wisdom, ecstatic love, and the eternal dance between the human and the divine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Henry Wilberforce Clarke","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46454036463747,"sku":"BS-3QC-209012","price":33.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0695\/1583\/7571\/files\/9781636209012-HD.jpg?v=1769903249"},{"product_id":"mountains-and-rivers-without-end-poem","title":"Mountains and Rivers Without End: Poem","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat does it mean to journey through landscapes both outer and inner—to trace the paths of mountains and rivers across continents, cultures, and a lifetime of practice? Gary Snyder's \u003cem\u003eMountains and Rivers Without End\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the great epic poems of American literature, a work composed over forty years (1956-1996) that weaves together geology, prehistory, mythology, Zen Buddhism, and deep ecology into a stunning meditation on our connection to the earth. \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e called it \"a magnificent achievement... like a modern \u003cem\u003eLeaves of Grass\u003c\/em\u003e, combines fascination with the varied particulars of the way people live with awe at the majesty of nature.\" In simple, striking verse, Snyder creates an epic discourse that encompasses Asian artistic traditions, Native American storytelling, and Buddhist philosophy, celebrating the disparate elements of the earth—sky, rock, water—while exploring the human journey through landscapes both physical and spiritual with stunning wisdom and quiet brilliance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSnyder is not writing a conventional narrative but a poetic pilgrimage that mirrors the Zen concept of \"mountains and rivers without end\"—the endless journey of practice and awakening. The poems ask: What is our relationship to deep time, to the geological and mythological layers beneath our feet? How do we walk through the world with awareness and reverence? What does it mean to be a traveler on this earth, moving through cultures and landscapes while remaining rooted in practice? Snyder shows us that the journey is both literal and metaphorical—a lifetime of walking, sitting, paying attention, and honoring the sacred in stone, water, and sky.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor readers seeking contemplative wisdom and ecological consciousness, \u003cem\u003eMountains and Rivers Without End\u003c\/em\u003e offers a profound meditation on place, practice, and the human connection to nature across time and space. This is a book for anyone drawn to epic poetry and long-form contemplative verse, who seeks to understand Zen Buddhism through landscape and journey, who loves the intersection of geology, mythology, and spiritual practice. It's a reminder that the greatest poems are not finished but lived, and that mountains and rivers flow without end through the landscape of awakening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat You'll Discover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEpic poem composed over 40 years (1956-1996)—Snyder's masterwork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeaves geology, prehistory, mythology, Zen Buddhism, and deep ecology\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAsian artistic traditions, Native American storytelling, and Buddhist philosophy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeditation on human connection to nature across landscapes and cultures\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"Like a modern \u003cem\u003eLeaves of Grass\u003c\/em\u003e\" —\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGary Snyder (b. 1930) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, essayist, and environmental activist, widely regarded as one of America's greatest living poets. Winner of the Bollingen Poetry Prize, the Robert Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Orion Society's John Hay Award, Snyder has devoted his life to Zen practice, ecological activism, and poetry. \u003cem\u003eMountains and Rivers Without End\u003c\/em\u003e, published in 1996 after forty years of composition, represents the culmination of his poetic and spiritual journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Readers seeking epic poetry and long-form contemplative verse, students of Gary Snyder and American poetry, those drawn to Zen Buddhism and landscape spirituality, anyone interested in geology, prehistory, and deep time, admirers of eco-poetry and environmental consciousness, seekers exploring the intersection of travel and spiritual practice, students of Asian artistic traditions and Native American storytelling, those interested in mythology and the sacred in nature, readers who love \u003cem\u003eLeaves of Grass\u003c\/em\u003e and visionary American poetry, anyone seeking poetry that celebrates mountains, rivers, and the endless journey of awakening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCounterpoint paperback edition. Gary Snyder's epic masterwork—offering forty years of poetic pilgrimage through mountains, rivers, cultures, and the landscapes of Zen practice and ecological consciousness.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gary Snyder","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46600541372547,"sku":"BS-3QC-434070","price":13.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0695\/1583\/7571\/files\/mountains_and_rivers_without_end_gary_snyder_book_cover.jpg?v=1772288495"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.merceliarose.com\/collections\/classical-epic-poetry-collection.oembed","provider":"Mercelia Rose","version":"1.0","type":"link"}