Dick Davis

Dick Davis is a British poet, translator, and scholar specializing in Persian literature. He has translated over 20 works from Persian to English, including acclaimed renditions of classic texts like Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and many works by medieval Persian poets. As a translator, Davis is particularly noted for making Persian poetry accessible to English-speaking audiences while maintaining the artistic and poetic qualities of the original texts. His translations cover works from the 10th to 17th centuries and include poets such as Hafez, Sa'di, and Attar. Davis served as professor of Persian at Ohio State University and has published several volumes of his own poetry. His academic work focuses on medieval Persian literature and the ways Persian poetry has influenced and been influenced by other literary traditions. His contributions to Persian literary translation have earned him numerous awards, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, and recognition as "the leading translator of Persian literature in our time" by the Washington Post. He has served as Dick Davis Professor of Persian at Ohio State University and has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature since 2006.

Readers praise Davis's ability to make Persian poetry flow naturally in English while preserving the original's complexity. Many note his translations feel both accurate and poetic, unlike other more literal versions that can seem stiff or academic. Likes: - Clear explanations and context in introductions - Readable verse that maintains Persian imagery - Thorough footnotes that aid comprehension - Balance between accessibility and scholarly depth Dislikes: - Some find his prose translations less engaging than his verse - Occasional complaints about paper quality in certain editions - A few readers note his earlier translations can be harder to find Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 average across translations Amazon: 4.5/5 average, particularly high for Shahnameh (4.7) One reader wrote: "Davis manages to capture both meaning and music - no small feat." Another noted: "His introductions alone are worth the price, offering crucial cultural context without becoming pedantic."

Seeing the World - A collection of original poems exploring themes of travel, cultural differences, and personal relationships.

Belonging - Poetry examining identity and displacement through the lens of living between Persian and Western cultures.

At Home and Far From Home - Poems dealing with the experience of marriage, family bonds, and geographical separation.

A New Kind of Love - Poetry collection focusing on romantic relationships and emotional transformations.

Epic and Sedition: The Case of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh - Academic analysis of political themes in the Persian epic Shahnameh.

Panthea's Children: Hellenistic Novels and Medieval Persian Romances - Scholarly examination of the connections between Greek and Persian narrative traditions.

The Legend of Seyavash - Translation of a central episode from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh about a tragic Persian prince.

Borrowed Ware: Medieval Persian Epigrams - Translation of medieval Persian quatrains and short poems from various authors.

The Mirror of My Heart: A Thousand Years of Persian Poetry by Women - Translation anthology spanning Persian women's poetry from the 10th to 20th centuries.

The Conference of the Birds - Translation of Attar's 12th-century Persian mystical poem about birds seeking enlightenment.

Robert Graves translates classical mythology and ancient literature with attention to poetic form and cultural context. His translations of Greek myths and historical novels demonstrate similar interests to Davis's work with Persian literature.

Coleman Barks focuses on translations and interpretations of Rumi's Persian poetry. His approach to making medieval Persian verse accessible to modern English readers parallels Davis's translation philosophy.

Edward FitzGerald translated Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat from Persian to English using creative interpretation methods. His work represents a key milestone in Persian-English literary translation that influenced Davis's later contributions.

Arthur Waley translated classical Chinese and Japanese literature with emphasis on maintaining original meaning and context. His translation methods and focus on Eastern literary traditions align with Davis's approach to Persian works.

Tony Harrison produces verse translations of classical works while maintaining poetic form and meter. His translations of Greek and Latin texts demonstrate comparable technical skill in preserving both meaning and literary qualities.