Recommended translations for books originally written in Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Urdu
| Text | Category | Recommended | Avoid translations by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rumi | Persian Poetry |   Jawid Mojaddedi, Alan Williams Muhammad Isa Waley, Kabir Helminski, E.H. Whinfield, R.A Nicholson, Refik Algan, William Chettick, Franklin Lewis, Annemarie Schimmel | Coleman Barks, Brad Gooch, John Moyne, Andrew Harvey, Deepak Chopra, Nadir Khalili, Maryam Mafi Idris Shah, Maryam Mortaz | Avoid any translations by Coleman Barks. His work is almost entire original poetry roughly based on Nicholson's translations of Rumi. For best rhyming poetry, read Jawid Mojaddedi, for another good modern translation read Alan Williams. |
| Rumi | Persian Poetry |   | Barks | A new 2022 translation by the poet and musician Haleh Liza Gafori |
| Hafez | Persian Poetry |   Dick Davis | Daniel Ladinsky, Mario Petrucci, Robert Bly, Gertrude Bell | Dick Davis currently has the only translation worth reading of Hafez. R.A. Nicholson's translation was the first English translation is great for a literal study of Rumi's Masnavi. |
| Ferdowsi ('Shahnameh') | Persian Poetry |   Dick Davis | - | Dick Davis has by far the best translation for lovers of this master Persian Epic. |
| Attar | Persian Poetry |   Dick Davis | Sholeh Wolpeh | Dick Davis again has completed the only translation worth reading. |
| Saadi | Persian Poetry |   Thackston M. Wheeler | - | The best translation available but in desperate need of an updated version. |
| Omar Khayyam | Persian Poetry |   Juan Cole | Edward FitzGerald | Edward FitzGerald's translation is incorrect, and loosely interpreted poetry that is attributed to Khayyam. |
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