Each of these three relatively early studies is built around a complex, highly creative ‘comparison’ of the phenomenological correspondences between texts (often highly fragmentary) from a vast range of spiritual traditions from late Antiquity (including Manichaenism and the sects of Sassanid Iran) – all ‘gnostic’ in the root Greek sense of that term favoured by Corbin, though not in the narrower historical sense used by most contemporary scholars – and comparable spiritual themes in an equally wide range of Islamic texts eventually preserved in the later Ismaili Shi‘i tradition. The Islamic texts and writers examined here cover many centuries, regions (from Egypt to Central Asia) and radically differing religious and philosophic perspectives, and marvellously illustrate the rich creativity, diversity and assimilative powers of Islamic thought in the early centuries of that civilization. (Despite the richness and complexity of the comparisons developed here, the author is not concerned with proving ‘historical’ connections, but rather the sorts of recurrent, archetypal spiritual inspirations and speculations which were the focus of the Eranos group.) While the comparative, phenomenological method is that popularly associated with Corbin’s close friend, Mircea Eliade, the density, sophistication and dramatic literary intensity of Corbin’s writing are of an entirely different order.

    International Collectors LibraryContents:Book One:• A Poet's Voice• Song of the Rain• The Tempest• The Life of Love• The City of the Dead• Song of Fortune• SatanBook Two:• The Creation• Slavery• John the Madman• We and You• The House of Fortune• Two Infants• The Day of My BirthBook Three:• The Criminal• Have Mercy on Me, My Soul!• The Widow and Her Son• Eventide of the Feast• Song of the Wave• Iram, City of Lofty Pillars• The CrucifiedBook Four:• My Countrymen• Behind the Garment• Peace• Song of the Soul• Laughter and Tears• Ashes of the Ages and Eternal Fire• Between Night and the Morn• Honeyed PoisonBook Five:• Madame Rose Hanie• Leave Me, My Blamer• Vision• Song of the Flower• Society• Song of ManBook Six:• Khalil the Heretic• The Poet• Youth and Beauty• Song of Love• Contemplations in SadnessBook Seven:• The Cry of the Graves• A Lover's Call• The Palace and the Hut• The Lonely Poet• Secrets of the Heart• Dead are My People• The Bride's BedBook Eight: • The Procession• The Mermaids• The Ambitious Violet• The Enchanting Houri• The Grave Digger• The Beauty of DeathBook Nine:• Yesterday and Today• Before the Throne of Beauty• Two Wishes• The Playground of Life• Joy and Sorrow• A Poet's Death is His Life