My first book after my dissertation was this one (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991). While preparing it for publication, I was asked to shorten it somewhat; once I got started, I ended up shortening it by about half, which was painful. But the result was an improvement in narrative quality, so I had no real regrets.

But of course I kept the files for the longer translation-- which itself amounted to only about half of the original 544-page Urdu text. Now, with no space constraints, I can make available both the introductory material from the printed edition (modified and corrected wherever appropriate) and the longer translation. This translation in its present form is meant to be a free good; nobody has permission to do anything commercial with it. And if you want to delve deeper, here are some *further resources*.
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*Acknowledgments*
*A Note on Transliteration* (PDF format)
 *(1) The Medieval Persian Romance Tradition* (PDF format)
*(2) The Persian Hamzah Romance Comes to India* (PDF format)
*(3) The Hamzah Romance In Urdu* (PDF format)
*(4) The Dastan of Amir Hamzah in Oral Narration* (PDF format)
*(5) The Dastan of Amir Hamzah in Print* (PDF format)
*(6) Dastan-e Amir Hamzah: the Bilgrami Text* (PDF format)
*(7) Dastan-e Amir Hamzah: the Narrative* (PDF format)
*Bibliography* (PDF format)
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*Index of Characters*

*Glossary*

*ONE* == Khvajah Buzurchmihr goes to Mecca and makes inquiries everywhere about Amir Hamzah's birth.
*TWO* == Amir Hamzah’s cradle goes to the Realm of Qaf, and takes that sun of perfection to Mount Qaf.
*THREE* == The dastan of how the Amir and Muqbil and ‘Amar were given looks of empowerment by the Friends of God.
*FOUR* == The Amir comes to Mecca the Great, and Naushervan’s letter reaches him.
*FIVE* == [The Amir kills a lion on the way to Ctesiphon, and ‘Amar makes use of its skin.]
*SIX* == Gustahm arrives in the city of Ctesiphon, bringing Bahram Gurd the Emperor of China, with supreme grandeur and glory and splendor.
*SEVEN* == [Gustahm makes a treacherous attack and wounds Bahram, but ‘Amar cures the wound.]
*EIGHT* == [The Amir goes with Naushervan to the Garden of Justice, where ‘Amar contrives to join them.]
*NINE* == [‘Amar humiliates Bakhtak, and the Amir is stricken with love.]
*TEN* == The Amir’s first meeting with the foremost among the beautiful ones of the age, that is, with Princess Mihr Nigar.
*ELEVEN* == [The Amir sets out for Sarandip to conquer Landhaur bin Sa’dan, Emperor of Hindustan.]
*TWELVE* == The Amir’s ships are again storm-tossed, and those unlucky ones fall into the Whirlpool of Alexander, then emerge from the hurricane and arrive in the land of Sarandip.
*THIRTEEN* == [‘Amar plays tricks on the Amir’s companions, but cannot fool the Amir himself.]
*FOURTEEN* == Landhaur makes war on the Sahib-qiran, and is finally subdued by this world-conqueror.
*FIFTEEN* == [The Amir and Landhaur return to Naushervan’s court, where Landhaur narrowly escapes execution.]
*SIXTEEN* == Bakhtak’s mother Hell-cave Bano spreads a rumor of Princess Mihr Nigar’s death, and the Amir hears it and is distraught, and ‘Amar kills Hell-cave Bano and conceals that worthless one in the leaves.
*SEVENTEEN* == [The Amir is tricked into setting out to conquer the kings of the Seven Lands.]
*EIGHTEEN* == The Amir sets out for Greece, and contracts a marriage with Nahid Maryam, a charming beauty.
*NINETEEN* == The pigeon’s letter arrives in Ctesiphon, and plans are made to kill Muqbil, etc., and ‘Amar suddenly arrives.
*TWENTY* == ‘Amar sets out for Egypt after the pigeon and kills it by the city gates and frees the Amir from captivity, after grief and despair.
*TWENTY-ONE* == The Amir is brought out of the prison of the Pit of Joseph, and is freed through the help of Zuhrah of Egypt.
*TWENTY-TWO* == Zhopin mounts a night-attack on the army of Islam, and the Amir is wounded and cannot be found at the scene.
*TWENTY-THREE* == ‘Abdur Rahman the Jinn, vazir of the King of Kings of the Realm of Qaf, comes to bear away the Amir.
*TWENTY-FOUR* == Naushervan discovers that the Amir has gone to Qaf, and sends an army off to Mecca.
*TWENTY-FIVE* == Directing the reins of the steed of the pen toward writing about the Sahib-qiran, the World-conqueror, Amir Hamzah of great magnificence, the possessor of generosity and kindness.
*TWENTY-SIX* == Khvajah Nihal sets out toward Mecca to bring back Mihr Nigar, and dies at ‘Amar’s hands.
*TWENTY-SEVEN* == [Akhzar Elephant-ears besieges the fort, falls victim to ‘Amar’s trickery, and is driven to suicide.]
*TWENTY-EIGHT* == Qarin Elephant-neck sets out to chastise ‘Amar, and dies at the hands of the Veiled One.
*TWENTY-NINE* == [‘Amar persuades Zhopin that the Amir is dead.]
*THIRTY* == [‘Amar pretends that he will give Mihr Nigar to Zhopin in marriage, and thus acquires from him fresh provisions for the fort.]
*THIRTY-ONE* == [‘Amar uses fire and trickery to defeat and plunder the enemy army.]
*THIRTY-TWO* == ‘Ifrit Dev takes refuge in the tilism of the City of Gold, at the advice of his mother, Mal‘unah Jadu.
*THIRTY-THREE* == [The Amir pursues ‘Ifrit into the tilism, and has strange adventures there.]
*THIRTY-FOUR* == [The Amir kills ‘Ifrit, and Khizr kills ‘Ifrit’s mother.]
*THIRTY-FIVE* == Dastan about the situation of the Sahib-qiran of the Age, the Earthquake of Qaf, the Younger Solomon, Amir Hamzah the glorious.
*THIRTY-SIX* == The dastan of the King of the ‘Ayyars of the Age, the renowned Khvajah ‘Amar, and Hurmuz and Faramarz.
*THIRTY-SEVEN* == [‘Amar poses as a faqir, and conquers a new fort.]
*THIRTY-EIGHT* == [The Amir tries in vain to return from the Realm of Qaf to the Realm of the World.]
*THIRTY-NINE* == [The Amir’s adventures in the Island of Confusion.]
*FORTY* == [The Amir is persecuted by Asman Pari, and tricked by the White Dev.]
*FORTY-ONE* == The dastan of Khvajah ‘Amar ‘Ayyar’s going from his previous fort to the fort of Devdad, with Princess Mihr Nigar and the army of Islam.
*FORTY-TWO* == [‘Amar’s fort is treacherously attacked through a tunnel, but the plot is discovered and the invaders defeated.]
*FORTY-THREE* == [The Amir marries Raihan Pari, in an attempt to reach the World.]
*FORTY-FOUR* == Asman Pari goes with a powerful army to the fort of Sabz-nigar, lays waste the city, takes captive Sabz-qaba the Jinn and Raihan Pari, punishes Sabz-qaba the Jinn, and imprisons Raihan Pari in the Dungeon of Solomon.
*FORTY-FIVE* == [Zuhrah of Egypt disappears from the roof of the fort, and comes before Asman Pari.]
*FORTY-SIX* == [Mihr Nigar runs away in anger and has various adventures, until ‘Amar placates her and brings her back.]
*FORTY-SEVEN* == [The Amir tries again to leave Qaf, and again is unwillingly reunited with Asman Pari.]
*FORTY-EIGHT* == [The Amir frees the captives of the Dungeon of Solomon, and is helped by Asifa Basafa to escape from Asman Pari.]
*FORTY-NINE* == The Amir arrives at the house of Samandun Dev the Thousand-armed, and rescues Zuhrah of Egypt from captivity.
*FIFTY* == [The Amir is joyfully reunited with Mihr Nigar and all his old companions.]
*FIFTY-ONE* == [The Amir prepares to marry Mihr Nigar, with Asman Pari in attendance.]
*FIFTY-TWO* == [The Amir marries Mihr Nigar, and she gives birth to Qubad.]
*FIFTY-THREE* == [Bahman betrays the Amir, but is put to flight by the young Qubad.]
*FIFTY-FOUR* == [The Amir is wounded by Bahman, but recovers in a goatherd’s hut.]
*FIFTY-FIVE* == [The Amir suffers three terrible bereavements.]
*FIFTY-SIX* == Qarun bin Farhad ‘Akkah and Kulliyat bin Gilim ‘Ayyar go to the Amir, capture him, and take him and Muqbil away.
*FIFTY-SEVEN* == [The Amir finally learns the identity of the Veiled One.]
*FIFTY-EIGHT* == [The Amir acquires a wife, and discovers a son.]
*FIFTY-NINE* ==  [The Amir is carried off by one woman, and marries another.]
*SIXTY* == The Amir goes to the Fire-temple of Nimrod in order to bring Naushervan back.
*SIXTY-ONE* == Dastan of the birth of Prince Badi’ uz-Zaman from the womb of Geli Savar daughter of Ganjal, and the prince’s being shut up in a box and floated down the river, and his rescue and upbringing by Quraishah daughter of Asman Pari, at Hazrat Khizr’s order.
*SIXTY-TWO* == The martyrdom of Rustam Pil-tan in the war against Ahriman Sher-e Gurdan, Ruler of Bakhtar, and the death of Qunduz Sar-e Shuban and Aljosh at Ahriman’s hands.
*SIXTY-THREE* == The Amir sets out toward Nayastan, and kills Sang-andaz the Bloodthirsty of Nayastan, the lord of that place.
*SIXTY-FOUR* == The Amir sets out for Mecca the Great, and is martyred at the ever-victorious side of the Master of the Universe, God’s peace and blessing be upon him, and the dastan is concluded.
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*on the Dastan-e Amir Hamzah: further resources*
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