About this Item
1931 at copyright; no other dates. Signed and inscribed at half-title page by Willy Pogany: "To my friend, Steve _____, with my best compliments, 1934 - Willy Pogany". Additional inscription below this. Black full cloth boards, Pogany plate set to front board w/in wide silver borders, silver spine titles, some rub, discoloration, especially to back board. Pages generally good, toned, some fox. Discoloration at back endpapers. Features a dozen surreal plates by the enigmatic artist, Willy Pogany. Bind good; front, back hinges reinforced. Well worn, rare signed example. Printed in USA. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. 129 pages. Insured post. This scarce, beautiful poem, asserts that Happiness and Misery are equally divided and that Self-cultivation with due regard to others is the sole and sufficient object of human life. Written by Sir Richard Burton under the pseudonym of Hâjî Abdû El-Yezdî after his return from Mecca in 1854. The Kasîdah contains many references to 19th Century scientific and philosophical concepts, most notably the evolution of species. Nonetheless, it is a Sufi text to the core, and one of the few instances of Burton writing in the first person about his belief system, albeit under the cloak of pseudonymity. A Kasidah is a classical Arabic or Persian panegyric, which must begin with a reference to a forsaken campground, followed by a lament, and a prayer to ones comrades to halt while the memory of the departed dwellers is invoked. The same rhyme must run through the entire composition, no matter length of the poem. Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. Well known for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian, and African languages. Burton's best-known achievements include travelling in disguise to Mecca, an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights, bringing the Kama Sutra to publication in English, and journeying as the first European led by Africa's greatest explorer guide, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, utilizing route information by Indian and Omani merchants who traded in the region, to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. Burton extensively criticized colonial policies in his works and letters. He was a prolific and erudite author and wrote numerous books and scholarly articles about subjects including human behaviour, travel, falconry, fencing, sexual practices, and ethnography. A unique feature of his books is the copious footnotes and appendices containing remarkable observations and unexpurgated information. He was a captain in the army of the East India Company serving in India (and later, briefly, in the Crimean War). Following this he was engaged by the Royal Geographical Society to explore the east coast of Africa and led an expedition guided by the locals and was the first European to see Lake Tanganyika. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and was awarded a knighthood (KCMG) in 1886. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Seller Inventory # 019097
Contact seller
Report this item
