Dastan-e Amir Hamza

The Adventures of Amir Hamza (Dastan-e Amir Hamza, Qissa-e Amir Hamza or Hamzanama) dates back hundreds of years, perhaps to as early as the seventh century, when oral narratives of the deeds of the prophet Muhammad’s uncle Amir Hamza spread through Arabia, Persia, and the Indian subcontinent, expanding into a marvelous chronicle of warriors, kings, tricksters, fairies, courtesans, and magical creatures. The definitive one-volume Urdu text by Ghalib Lakhnavi and Abdullah Bilgrami appeared toward the end of the nineteenth century, but no complete English translations of this text had been made until Modern Library published Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s faithful rendition from the Urdu language in October 2007. In this masterful translation, the spell-binding Adventures of Amir Hamza - the adventurer who loves Mehr-Nigar, the daughter of the Persian emperor, Naushervan and Aasman Peri, the daughter of Emperor Shahpal of the fanstastic Mount Qaf - is captured with all its colorful action, ribaldry, and fantastic elements intact. Traveling to exotic lands in the service of two emperors, Amir Hamza defeats many enemies, loves many women, and converts hundreds of infidels to the True Faith of Islam before finding his way back to his first love. Guided by a Merlin-like clairvoyant called Buzurjmehr, protected by legendary prophets, and accompanied by his loyal friend, the ingenious trickster Amar Ayyar, Amir Hamza rides his devoted winged demon-steed, Ashqar, into combat against a marvelous array of opponents, from the deadly demon, Sufaid Dev, to his own rebellious sons.