Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Muslim / Sufi

17th Century

Afghanistan
(Indian Subcontinent)

Rahman Baba

Timeline (1653 - 1711)

Poems by Rahman Baba
Books - Links

Rahman Baba, Rahman Baba poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry, poetry, poetry, poetry

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Abdul Rahman (respectfully referred to as Rahman Baba) is considered by many to be the greatest Pashtun poet.

Rahman Baba was born in the early seventeenth century in the hilly Mohmand region of Afghanistan, outside of Peshwar. This was a time when Afghanistan was under invasion by the Persians to the west and the Mongols to the east, a period of great struggle and hardship.

Yet, in the midst of this turmoil, the young Abdul Rahman showed himself to be an excellent student with a natural gift for poetry. But as he grew older he became disillusioned, questioning the real value of such pursuits. He withdrew from the world, becoming a hermit, dedicating himself to prayer and devotion. In his solitary worship, he began to write poetry poetry again.

Despite his reclusive life, Rahman Baba's poetry quickly spread and gained fame. Religious figures used his poetry to inspire the devout. Political leaders used his poems to inspire the independence movement. Rahman Baba's poetry became an important part of the nation's voice.

Poems by Rahman Baba

	Antics of the Age
	My Lord
	Soul Train
	Sow Flowers
	The One

Recommended Books

The Nightingale of Peshwar: Selections from Rahman Baba, Translated by Jens Enevoldsen

Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Virtual Afghans - Rahman Baba http://www.virtualafghans.com/culture/poetry/rahman_baba/ A basic biographical sketch of Rahman Baba.
	Rahman Baba - English translation of all poems http://www.rahmanbaba-poetry.com/ This is the home page for The Poetry of Rahman Baba, which is, I believe, the first book to translate Rahman Baba's entire body of work into English.
	Rahman Baba http://www.geocities.com/khyber007/rbaba.html A biography of Rahman Baba.
	Rahman Baba - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahman_Baba A good, though very brief biography of Rahman Baba.
	Diwan of Rahman Baba http://www.rahmanbabadiwan.com An excellent site exploring the life and significance of Rahman Baba's poetry.
	Interlit Foundation http://www.interlitfoundation.org/catalog2.html#nightingale_of_peshawar Publisher of two hard to find books with selections of Rahman Baba's poetry in English: The Nightingale of Peshwar, and Sow Flowers

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Rahman Baba

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Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World