The first English verse translation of the Georgian epic of adventure and romance written in 12th or 13th century. Urushadze has also produced a popular anthology of Georgian poetry in English. Her preface explains the original metrical structure, which is so complex that sometimes it requires rhyming words to the fourth syllable. She also includes a brief list of Georgian words she retained, many of them names. An introduction by David M Lang (oriental and African studies, U. of London) puts Rustaveli and his poem in historical context. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.