Borrowed Ware: Medieval Persian Epigrams

Borrowed Ware presents a collection of Persian epigrams from the medieval period, translated into English by Dick Davis. These short, precise poems capture moments of wit, wisdom and observation from Persian literary culture. The translations maintain the brevity and impact of the original epigrams while rendering them accessible to English-speaking readers. Davis includes contextual notes about the poets and the cultural background that influenced their work. The anthology spans several centuries of Persian poetry, featuring both renowned masters and lesser-known voices from the tradition. The epigrams cover subjects from love and death to politics and daily life in medieval Persia. Through these concentrated verses, the collection explores universal human experiences while providing insight into Persian literary aesthetics and cultural values. The tension between permanence and transience emerges as a central theme throughout the work.

The book has limited reviews online, making it difficult to assess broad reader sentiment. The few available reviews focus on Davis's translations and selections. Readers highlighted: - Clear, accessible translations that maintain poetic quality - Helpful historical context provided in notes - Mix of serious and humorous poems - Introduction to lesser-known Persian poets beyond Rumi Critics noted: - Some translations prioritize readability over literal accuracy - Limited number of poems included - Desire for more background on individual poets Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (17 ratings, 2 reviews) Amazon: No reviews available One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "The translations strike a good balance between fidelity and poetry." Another noted: "A nice selection of medieval Persian poets, though I wish there were more biographical details included." The book has few reviews overall, suggesting a niche academic readership rather than mainstream audience.

Classical Arabic Literature: A Library of Arabic Literature Anthology by Geert Jan van Gelder This collection presents medieval Arabic poetry and prose with similar themes of love, wisdom, and courtly life found in Persian epigrams.

Wine, Poetry, and Politics in Medieval Persian Courts by A.A. Seyed-Gohrab The book examines Persian court poetry's role in society, providing context for the types of epigrams found in Borrowed Ware.

The Penguin Book of Japanese Verse by Geoffrey Bownas and Anthony Thwaite These translations of Japanese tanka and haiku share the concise, pointed style of Persian epigrams while exploring parallel themes of nature and human experience.

The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology by Nathalie Handal This collection features work influenced by classical Arabic and Persian forms, showing the evolution of Middle Eastern poetic traditions.

The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar) This Persian masterwork presents allegorical wisdom literature from the same cultural and literary tradition as the epigrams in Borrowed Ware.

🔹 The poems in Borrowed Ware come from a Persian poetic form called qit'a (meaning "fragment"), which was often used for sharp social commentary and witty observations during medieval times. 🔹 Dick Davis, besides being a renowned translator, is himself an accomplished poet who has won the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award for his own original poetry. 🔹 Medieval Persian poetry flourished during the period when major works like The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and Rumi's poetry were written, making it one of the richest periods in Persian literary history. 🔹 Many of the epigrams in the collection were written by court poets who used their wit to criticize rulers and society while maintaining plausible deniability through clever wordplay. 🔹 The book includes works from both famous and obscure Persian poets spanning several centuries (roughly 950-1500 CE), giving readers a broad perspective on medieval Persian literary culture.