Believed by scholars to be the inspiration for "Tristan and Isolde", "Vis and Ramin" was written between 1050 and 1055 and is considered the first epic Persian romance. At the heart of the story is Vis, daughter of the queen of Mah and promised to Mobad, King of Marv. Against a background of court intrigue, broken promises, and open conflict, Vis finds herself escorted to her future husband by his brother, Ramin - an impetuous prince who cannot help falling in love with his charge and jeopardizing the fate of two realms. "Vis and Ramin", a masterpiece of psychological perceptiveness, is an epic with timeless appeal.

About the Author

Fakhraddin Gorgani was an eleventh-century Persian poet. He wrote Vis & Ramin sometime between 1050 and 1055, when he was a member of the retinue of the ruler of Isfahan. Although very little is known about his life, Gorgani's name suggests he was from the town of Gorgan to the east of the Caspian. Dick Davis is the foremost scholar-translator of Persian Literature at work today. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and currently a professor of Persian at Ohio State University. His other translations from Persian include Borrowed Ware: Medieval Persian Epigrams, The Legend of Seyavash, The Shahnameh, and, with Afkham Darbandi, The Conference of Birds.

Reviews

"A masterpiece of both its author''s and its translator''s arts."
-Ray Olson, "Booklist"