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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Ashura Poems in English Explained and Annotated (volume 1) Introduction There is something quite strange yet intriguing with the name ?Imam al-Husain?. One of the most charming and pleasing names, the name ?Imam al-Husain? implies noble characteristics and most admirable qualities. Yet, it mysteriously inspires his adherents and admirers to carry out their most sincere duties and modes of servitude, simply for the sake of meeting his satisfaction.

The compiler of the present volume simply aspires to be regarded as one such person. Throughout history, the purest and noblest forms of art, literature, architecture, and so forth have been associated with either religion itself, or figures closely associated with God and/or religion. Hence, the most sincere feelings of devotion are crystallized in the form of poetry, regardless of the language used.

The impact of Imam al-Husain on poets is highly evident in such languages as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, or Turkish, being the dominant languages of Muslim populations. Such poems reveal the extent and depth of the impression the Imam has since exerted on the culture of the language in question. By the same token, it is interesting to examine such 21 devotional poems in English. Indeed, such poems only express the poet's most sincere feelings or reflections about the admirable figures in question.

The bulk of ziarat 1 texts, poems, prose pieces, laments, sermons, and tazia (Shiite version of passion play) 2 scripts devoted to the Ashura tragedy collectively make up what can generally be called Ashura literature.3 Granted that such forms of Ashura literature necessitate redefinition of ? literature proper? simply to cover literary and linguistic manifestations of the whole event, Ashura literature is by no means limited to the Islamic era, beginning specifically from the very day of Ashura.

1 According to The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed., 20 vols [^1989], s.v. ?ziarat?), the word ?ziarat? is defined as ?A Muslim place of pilgrimage, a shrine; a pilgrimage to such a place.? This is one sense of the word ?ziarat? as used in Arabic and Persian. Although not recorded in The Oxford English Dictionary, there is still another sense of the word which concerns prescribed and often-recommended texts, of various lengths, to be read while paying such a visit. ?Ziarat texts?