{"product_id":"the-oasis-of-now-selected-poems-9781938160226","title":"The Oasis of Now: Selected Poems","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Oasis of Now\u003c\/i\u003e is the first U.S. book publication of the works of Sohrab Sepehri (1928–1980), one of the major Iranian poets of the twentieth century. Well-versed in Buddhism, mysticism, and Western traditions, Sepehri mingled Western concepts with Eastern ones, creating a poetry unsurpassed in the history of Persian literature. In Iran, his Persian verses are often recited in public gatherings and lines from them were used as slogans by the protesters in 2009. This first full-length American volume collects poems from three of Sepehri's most important books, including the highly acclaimed \u003ci\u003eWater's Footfall\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI want to know:\u003cbr\u003eWhy is a horse noble and the dove beloved\u003cbr\u003ebut no one keeps a pet vulture in a gilded cage.\u003cbr\u003eWhy is the humble clover trodden upon rather than the red tulip.\u003cbr\u003eI want to see anew and wash the words of the world\u003cbr\u003ein wind and rain.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSohrab Sepehri\u003c\/b\u003e wrote the poems collected in \u003ci\u003eThe Oasis of Now\u003c\/i\u003e after traveling through Japan, China, and India, where he was exposed to the arts of those countries as well as the spiritual disciplines of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. This book is crucial for anyone interested in Iranian arts and culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKazim Ali\u003c\/b\u003e is author of ten books of poetry, fiction, essays, and translations. He is an associate professor at Oberlin College and founding editor of Nightboat Books.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMohammad Jafar Mahallati\u003c\/b\u003e is Presidential Scholar in the religion department of Oberlin College. He served as Iran's ambassador to the United Nations from 1987 to 1989 and was instrumental in brokering a peace agreement between Iran and Iraq during that time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinalist and Runner-Up for 2014 Best Translated Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ali is clearly struck by the relevance of Sepehri’s poetry to the current political climate in Iran, in particular the ways in which younger Iranians creatively reuse Sepehri’s personal lyrics in political contexts.” - \u003ci\u003eThe American Poetry Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As a whole, Sohrab Sepehri’s The Oasis of Now is a volume celebrating the joys and sorrows of a poet as he journeys through life. Sepehri’s poems are wise and elegant and mysterious as they teach us that solitude is often the mother of breathtaking beauty.” -\u003ci\u003eThe Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I felt the need to slow down after reading these pieces, so much so that I just wanted to walk around my apartment, look at things, without expectations, certain that if I waited long enough something beautiful would emerge out of its ordinariness. And what if we looked at the objects or emotions we find mundane, or cheesy, or over sentimental, or pastiche; what could we learn from them? What would we see? That’s the question Sepehri’s poetry taught me.\" -\u003ci\u003eThree Percent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Pulsing with life, Sepehri’s poetry mourns and rejoices, celebrating the complex nature of the world and humanity’s place within it.\" \u003ci\u003eWorld Literature Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTable of Contents\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\t\t\t\t…3\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1\/ Water’s Footfall \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWater’s Footfall\t\t\t…7\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2\/ Dimension of Green \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Night Flooded Over\t\t…23\u003cbr\u003eLight, Me, Flower, Water\t\t…25\u003cbr\u003eAnd a Message on the Way\t\t…26\u003cbr\u003eBright Existence\t\t\t…28\u003cbr\u003eWater\t\t\t\t\t…29\u003cbr\u003eGolestaneh\t\t\t\t…31\u003cbr\u003eHomesickness\t\t\t…33\u003cbr\u003eThe Fish Pass Along a Message\t…35\u003cbr\u003eAddress\t\t\t\t…36\u003cbr\u003eOasis of Now\t\t\t\t…37\u003cbr\u003eBeyond the Seas\t\t\t…38\u003cbr\u003eThe Friend’s Pulsing Shadow\t…40\u003cbr\u003eThe Sound of an Encounter\t\t…42\u003cbr\u003eNight Alone\t\t\t\t…43\u003cbr\u003eThe Surah of Observation\t\t…44\u003cbr\u003eMurmuring Feathers\/March 20th\t…46\u003cbr\u003eBright Leaf of Time\t\t\t…47\t\u003cbr\u003eSunlight\t\t\t\t…49\u003cbr\u003eThe Living Word\t\t\t…50\u003cbr\u003eFrom Green to Green\t\t\t…51\u003cbr\u003eCalling for You\t\t\t…52\u003cbr\u003eTo the Friend’s Garden\t\t…54\u003cbr\u003eFriend: to Farrough Farrokhzaad\t…56\u003cbr\u003eAlways\t\t\t\t…58\u003cbr\u003eAs Far as the Pulse of Dawn\t\t…60\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e3\/ The Traveler \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Traveler\t\t\t\t…63\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNotes\t\t\t\t\t…80\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\t\t\t…82\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BOA Editions, Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51360277954903,"sku":"9781938160226","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781938160226.jpg?v=1754127203","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-oasis-of-now-selected-poems-9781938160226","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}