The Kasidah of Haji Abdu El-Yezdi & The Mesnevi and the Acts of the Adepts

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The Kasidah of Haji Abdu El-Yezdi

by Sir Richard Burton

This was written by Sir Richard Burton under the pseudonym of Hâjî Abdû El-Yezdî after his return from Mecca in 1854. Observant readers will note that the Kasîdah contains many references to 19th Century scientific and philosophical concepts, most notably the evolution of species. Nonetheless, it is a Sufi text to the core, and one of the few instances of Burton writing in the first person about his belief system, albeit under the cloak of pseudonymity. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a Kasidah is a classical Arabic or Persian panegyric, which must begin with a reference to a forsaken campground, followed by a lament, and a prayer to ones comrades to halt while the memory of the departed dwellers is invoked. The same rhyme has to run through the entire composition, not matter how long the poem is.

The Mesnevi and the Acts of the Adepts

Author:Eflaki

tr. by James W. Redhouse

In spite of the fact that the Persian Sufi master Rumi has achieved huge name reconition, his works took a long time to be translated into English. This was one of the first English translations of a major portion of Rumi's Masnavi, his largest work. The complete Masnavi is said to comprise 25,700 couplets. This translation is of the first book of the Masnavi; this was as far as Redhouse apparently got with his translation. Later, in 1898, E.H. Whinfield released an abridged translation of the first six books, also available at this site . The first complete translation of the Masnavi was by R.A. Nicholson, published in London by Luzac and Co. from 1925-40. A.J. Arberry also published several ground-breaking translations of Rumi in the mid-20th century.

The Acts of the Adepts, which forms the first part of this book, is also notable. This is an abridged translation of the Menaqibu 'l Arifin, by the historian Eflaki. This is a remarkable collection of legendary stories about the early Sufis.