Best World Literature

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.

In The Illuminated Rumi, Coleman Barks, widely regarded as the world's premier translator of Rumi's writings, presents some of his most brilliant work, including many new translations. To complement Rumi's universal vision, Michael Green has worked the ancient art of illumination into a new, visually stunning form that joins typography, original art, old masters, photographs, and prints with sacred images from around the world. Coleman's exquisite sensitivity to the flavor and turns of ordinary American speech has produced marvelous lines, full of flavor and Sufi humor, as well as the intimacy that is carried inside American speech at its best."

The spectacular illustrations in this edition were created from elements culled from thousands of manuscripts, lithographs, and miniatures dating from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and each panel becomes a new work of art, an exquisite collage of traditional forms. The ancient legends of the Persian Book of Kings (Shahnameh)1 were versified by Abolqasem Ferdowsi (940-1020 CE), who was born to a -family of small landowners near the city of Tus, in northeastern Iran. Unlike the Egyptian, Syrian, and other North African populations of the Roman Empire that were thoroughly Arabized after their Islamic conquest in the seventh century, Persians were able to hold on to their language and calendar even after they converted to Islam. The session ended with a cliffhanger as the hero Rostam climbed a pile of rocks, put his neck in a self-made noose, and kicked the rocks from beneath him to commit suicide.

The spectacular illustrations in this edition were created from elements culled from thousands of manuscripts, lithographs, and miniatures dating from the thirteenth through the nineteenth centuries, and each panel becomes a new work of art, an exquisite collage of traditional forms. The ancient legends of the Persian Book of Kings (Shahnameh)1 were versified by Abolqasem Ferdowsi (940-1020 CE), who was born to a -family of small landowners near the city of Tus, in northeastern Iran. Unlike the Egyptian, Syrian, and other North African populations of the Roman Empire that were thoroughly Arabized after their Islamic conquest in the seventh century, Persians were able to hold on to their language and calendar even after they converted to Islam. The session ended with a cliffhanger as the hero Rostam climbed a pile of rocks, put his neck in a self-made noose, and kicked the rocks from beneath him to commit suicide.

Writing some twelve hundred years later, the Ming author Luo Guanzhong drew on histories, dramas, and poems portraying the crisis to fashion a sophisticated, compelling narrative that has become the Chinese national epic. "By the measure of sheer density of history and drama, all other historical novels suffer by comparison to "Three Kingdoms, the great epic of the Chinese literary tradition.

"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. Jackson Crawford earned his Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.A.

The Signet Classics edition of William Shakespeare's fantastical play that combines elements of tragedy and comedy. PROSPERO, the right Duke of Milan. MIRANDA, his daughter. ALONSO, King of Naples. SEBASTIAN, his brother. ANTONIO, Prospero's brother, the usurping Duke of Milan. FERDINAND, son to the King of Naples. GONZALO, an honest old councillor. ADRIAN and FRANCISCO, lords. TRINCULO, a jester. STEPHANO, a drunken butler. MASTER, of a ship. BOATSWAIN. MARINERS. CALIBAN, a savage and deformed slave. ARIEL, an airy spirit. IRIS, CERES, JUNO, spirits commanded by Prospero. playing roles of NYMPHS, REAPERS. Tend to th'master's whistle.- Blow, till thou burst thy wind, if room enough. You are a counsellor: if you can command these elements to silence, and work the peace of the present, we will not hand a rope more: use your authority. If you cannot, give thanks you have lived so long, and make yourself ready in your cabin for the mischance of the hour, if it so hap.- Cheerly, good hearts!- Out of our way, I say. GONZALO I have great comfort from this fellow: methinks he hath no drowning mark upon him: his complexion is perfect gallows. Stand fast, good Fate, to his hanging: make the rope of his destiny our cable, for our own doth little advantage. GONZALO I'll warrant him for drowning, though the ship were no stronger than a nutshell and as leaky as an unstanched wench. This wide-chopped rascal: would thou mightst lie drowning, the washing of ten tides! GONZALO Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground: long heath, brown furze, anything. MIRANDA If by your art, my dearest father, you have. Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them. The sky, it seems, would pour down stinking pitch, But that the sea, mounting to th'welkin's cheek, Dashes the fire out. Had I been any god of power, I would. Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere. It should the good ship so have swallowed, and. The fraughting souls within her. The direful spectacle of the wreck, which touched. The very virtue of compassion in thee, I have with such provision in mine art. So safely ordered that there is no soul -. No, not so much perdition as an hair. Betid to any creature in the vessel. Which thou heard'st cry, which thou saw'st sink. MIRANDA You have often. Begun to tell me what I am, but stopped. And left me to a bootless inquisition, Concluding 'Stay: not yet.'. PROSPERO The hour's now come, The very minute bids thee ope thine ear: Obey, and be attentive. PROSPERO My brother and thy uncle, called Antonio -. I pray thee, mark me - that a brother should. Be so perfidious - he whom next thyself. Of all the world I loved, and to him put. The manage of my state, as at that time. Through all the signories it was the first, And Prospero the prime duke, being so reputed. In dignity, and for the liberal arts. Without a parallel; those being all my study, The government I cast upon my brother. And to my state grew stranger, being transported. And rapt in secret studies. PROSPERO Being once perfected how to grant suits, How to deny them, who t'advance and who. To trash for over-topping, new created. The creatures that were mine, I say, or changed 'em, Or else new formed 'em; having both the key. Of officer and office, set all hearts i'th'state. To what tune pleased his ear, that now he was. The ivy which had hid my princely trunk. And sucked my verdure out on't.- Thou attend'st. not. PROSPERO I pray thee, mark me: I, thus neglecting worldly ends, all dedicated. To closeness and the bettering of my mind. With that, which but by being so retired, O'er-prized all popular rate, in my false brother. Awaked an evil nature, and my trust, Like a good parent, did beget of him. A falsehood in its contrary, as great. As my trust was, which had indeed no limit, A confidence sans bound. He being thus lorded, Not only with what my revenue yielded, But what my power might else exact: like one. Who having into truth, by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory. To credit his own lie, he did believe. He was indeed the duke, out o'th'substitution. And executing th'outward face of royalty. With all prerogative: hence his ambition growing -. Dost thou hear? Me - poor man - my library. Was dukedom large enough: of temporal royalties. He thinks me now incapable. Confederates -. So dry he was for sway - wi'th'King of Naples. To give him annual tribute, do him homage, Subject his coronet to his crown, and bend. The dukedom yet unbowed - alas, poor Milan -. To most ignoble stooping. MIRANDA I should sin. To think but nobly of my grandmother: Good wombs have borne bad sons. This King of Naples, being an enemy. To me inveterate, hearkens my brother's suit, Which was, that he, in lieu o'th'premises. Of homage, and I know not how much tribute, Should presently extirpate me and mine. Out of the dukedom, and confer fair Milan, With all the honours, on my brother: whereon, A treacherous army levied, one midnight. Fated to th'purpose, did Antonio open. The gates of Milan, and i'th'dead of darkness. The ministers for th'purpose hurried thence. Me and thy crying self. PROSPERO Hear a little further, And then I'll bring thee to the present business. Which now's upon's: without the which, this story. Were most impertinent. In few, they hurried us aboard a barque, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared. A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast: the very rats. Instinctively have quit it. Thou didst smile, Infusèd with a fortitude from heaven, When I have decked the sea with drops full salt, Under my burden groaned, which raised in me. An undergoing stomach, to bear up. Against what should ensue. Some food we had, and some fresh water, that. A noble Neapolitan, Gonzalo, Out of his charity - who being then appointed. Master of this design - did give us, with. Rich garments, linens, stuffs and necessaries, Which since have steaded much. So, of. his gentleness, Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me. From mine own library with volumes that. I prize above my dukedom. Here in this island we arrived, and here. Have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit. Than other princes can that have more time. For vainer hours, and tutors not so careful. PROSPERO Know thus far forth: By accident most strange, bountiful Fortune -. Now my dear lady - hath mine enemies. Brought to this shore: and by my prescience. I find my zenith doth depend upon. A most auspicious star, whose influence. If now I court not, but omit, my fortunes. Will ever after droop. 'Tis a good dullness, And give it way: I know thou canst not choose.- Miranda. Come away, servant, come. PROSPERO Hast thou, spirit, Performed to point the tempest that I bade thee? I boarded the king's ship: now on the beak, Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flamed amazement: sometime I'd divide. And burn in many places; on the topmast, The yards and bowsprit would I flame distinctly, Then meet and join. Jove's lightning, the precursors. O'th'dreadful thunderclaps, more momentary. And sight-outrunning were not; the fire and cracks. Of sulphurous roaring, the most mighty Neptune. Seem to besiege and make his bold waves tremble, Yea, his dread trident shake. ARIEL Not a soul. But felt a fever of the mad and played. Some tricks of desperation. All but mariners. Plunged in the foaming brine and quit the vessel, Then all afire with me: the king's son, Ferdinand, With hair up-staring - then like reeds, not hair -. Was the first man that leaped; cried 'Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.'. ARIEL Not a hair perished: On their sustaining garments not a blemish, But fresher than before: and, as thou bad'st me, In troops I have dispersed them 'bout the isle. The king's son have I landed by himself, Whom I left cooling of the air with sighs. In an odd angle of the isle, and sitting, His arms in this sad knot.

The authoritative edition of Much Ado About Nothing from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes: -An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death.

The New York Times -bestselling collection of poems from celebrated poet Mary Oliver In A Thousand Mornings , Mary Oliver returns to the imagery that has come to define her life’s work, transporting us to the marshland and coastline of her beloved home, Provincetown, Massachusetts. Some read like brief fables, such as when an old fox compares their respective species and tells the poet, “You fuss, we live.” A Bob Dylan quote inspires a poem about song, while a mockingbird’s mimicry elicits thoughts about authenticity and one’s true self.

Don Gifford's annotations to Joyce's great modern classic comprise a specialized encyclopedia that will inform any reading of Ulysses. "Teaches more than how to read a particular novel; it teaches us more profoundly how to read anything.

One of the biggest problem areas for writers is conveying a character's emotions to the reader in a unique, compelling way. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are bestselling authors, writing coaches, and international speakers.