The Walled Garden of Truth: The Hadiqa

Rating:
Summary: A collection of disjoint excerpts taken out of context.
Review: The title of this book is misleading. Not only is it limited to the first of the seven books of the Hadiqa, but even that book is abridged mercilessly. It is a loose collection of short phrases quoted out of context, selected by the translator Mr. Pendlebury. As such, it reveals more about the views of the translator himself than about those of Sanai. The only thing worth reading is the 20-some page introduction to Sofu poetry, but even then, it is overpriced. Stay clear of that book. Try, instead, to find Major Stephenson's translation entitled "The first book of the Hadiqa: the enclosed garden of truth", which has an honest title for an accurate, unabridged translation of the first book only. I believe Stephenson's book is out of print, I could only find a copy in the library.

Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful, Well-Interpreted Selection of Sanai's Poetry
Review: Very little of what Sanai wrote has been translated. Pendlebury did an excellent job at assimilating excerts of Sanai's poetry into a easily readible fashion for Westerners in The Walled Garden Of Truth. At times the poetry definately doesn't flow smoothly from one stanza to a next but that is only because of difficulties in matching the Persian with the English in passages left out. Pendlebury's goal was to make this book as 'clear' as possible not as 'thick'. This book, while less complete, is much more clear and easier to understand than Major Stephenson's much more sporadic attempt at the Hadiqa. So its a matter of funtcion, if you are looking for a complete book of Sanai's read Stephenson's translation of the Hadiqa which will leave you trying to make meaning of far too much grammar or Pendlebury's easily transmissible and understandable, but shorter, translation here. I prefer the latter.

Sanai's book is a message to man or a seeker after knowledge to abandon his foolish ways and turn towards his Maker. The content and language is brilliant and I'am lucky I was exposed to this material. I hope if you are at all interested in Sufi studies that you will give it a shot.