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This work consists of an edition of a hitherto unknown manuscript of the Persian poem Mūš u gurbah (The Cat and the Mice), ascribed to ‘Ubayd-i Zākānī (d. 771–772 A.H.q. [corresponding to Aug. 1369 – July 1371 A.D.]), a facsimile of this manuscript which is preserved in the National Library of Tunis, and translations into English and Swedish of the poem.

‘Ubayd-i Zākānī’s authorship of the poem Mūš u gurbah is discussed and refuted in favour of a more likely theory, namely that Mūš u gurbah was written at the beginning of the Safavid era (9^th cent. A.H.q. [16^th cent. A.D.]) by an adherent of the Pasikhānī (Nuqṭavī) sect. The Pasikhānīs were strongly opposed to the Safavid kings and were finally subdued during Shāh ‘Abbās I’s reign (996–1038 A.H.q. [1588–1629]).

Bo Utas’ translations into English and Swedish are based on two different editions. The English translation is recent and based on the present edition of the Tunis manuscript with 162 verses. The Swedish translation originates from the late 1980s, and was first published in Karavan 2003:1, 39-41. It is based on a considerably shorter edition of the poem from the 1950s and contains only 90 verses.

The present book is a collection texts containing poetry. At the beginning of each of the fifteen texts the editor has written some lines in Persian to introduce each poet and his poem. But they are presented in English in a preface at the beginning of the book

1. Mahabbat-nāmah, by ibn Nasuh Shirāzi, (died in the year 793/ 1391), in 1392 verses of poetry.

2. Qalandar-nāmah, by Amir Husayni Haravi (d. 718/ 1318), in 63 verses.

3. Qalandar-nāmah by Muhammad Sufi Āmuli Pasikhāni(d. 1035 / 1625-6), in 263 verses.

4. Divān by Haydar Haravi (d. 959/ 1552), in 240 verses. This is a selection of his Divān.

5. Hadiya-yi rāz, composed in the years 1132- 1135 (1720- 23), by a sufi poet in the small town of Nawsāri in india, in 1026 verses.

6. Mukhammas by Pir Muhammad Nawshahri Rumi, in 24 verses.

7. Sāqi-nāmah, by the author of Nazm al-‛aqāyid. It was written in the year 1188/ 1774- 5 in 18 verses.

8. Pand-i Aflātun bi Aristu, converted into poetry by Majd Khwāfi (died after 737/ 1336) in 23 verses.

9. Pand-nāmah-yi Anushirvān. The book is attributed to Anushirvān, the famous king, and its poet is unknown. This consists of 101 exhortations and 108 verses av poetry.

10. Pand-nāmah by Allāhyār Sufi Samarqandi (d. 1133/ 1720-1) in 61 verses.

11-13. Three poems by members of Hurufi sect.

11. Makhzan-i rumuz by Nasrallāh b. Hasan Nāfaji in the year 825/ 1422, in 172 verses.

12. Kanz-nāmah compiled by Bāyazid Glāni (died after 994/ 1586), versified by Jalāl Sāfir shāh, in 21 verses.

13. Tā’iyah by an unknown poet about the ideas of the Hurufis.

14. Takhmis al-khamriyah by Kamāl Pāshā-zādah (d. 940/ 1533).

15. Qilādat ad-durr al-mansur by ‛Abdal‛ziz al-dirini al-misr (d. 694 / 1295) in 119 verses of poetry.