A unique collection of the poetry of Ṭáhirih: scholar, poet and the only woman Letter of the Living

Original Persian texts and annotated English translations set in their historical context and explained.

Poet, scholar, Letter of the Living, martyr. Transformed by her allegiance to the Báb, the messianic figure who ushered in a new era in religious history and whose advent changed the fortunes of humanity, Ṭáhirih was a 19th-century Iranian woman who overcame the restrictions of her birth to become one of the most outstanding figures of her time. Her poetry reflects her passion, devotion and depth of knowledge.

John Hatcher and Amrollah Hemmat ⏤one a poet and professor of English, the other a scholar of Persian and Arabic ⏤have combined their talents to produce a remarkable translation of more than 40 poems written by Ṭáhirih. Skilfully rendered and fully annotated, the poems demonstrate the breadth of Ṭáhirih’s scholarship, her mastery of a variety of poetic forms and her deep commitment to the Báb and to the one whose advent He heralded, Bahá’u’lláh.