John Payne (1842—1917) was an English poet and translator, from Devon. Initially he pursued a legal career, and associated with Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Later he became involved with limited edition publishing, and the Villon Society.
He is best known for his translation of the Diwan Hafez and praises Hafez as the greatest poet of the world.Poetry Portal: Hafez. Self Sponsored. 13 May 2008 .He has also known for his translation of Boccaccio's Decameron and The Arabian Nights.
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night (1882) translation in nine volumes
Tales from the Arabic (1884)
The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio (1886) translation in three volumes
Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp; Zein Ul Asnam and The King of the Jinn: (1889) editor and translator
The Persian Letters of Montesquieu (1897) translator
The Quatrains of Omar Kheyyam of Nisahpour (1898)
Poems of Master Francois Villon of Paris (1900)
The Poems of Hafiz (1901)
Oriental Tales: The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night [and other tales]. (1901) verse and prose translation in 15 volumes, edited by Leonard C. Montesquieu Smithers
The Descent of the Dove and other poems (1902)
Poetical Works (1902) two volumes
Stories of Boccaccio (1903)
Vigil and Vision: New Sonnets (1903)
Hamid the Luckless and other tales in verse (1904)
Songs of Consolation: New Poems (1904)
Sir Winfrith and other poems (1905)
Selections from the Poetry of John Payne (1906) selected by Tracy and Lucy Robinson
Flowers of France: Romantic Period (1906)
Flowers of France, The Renaissance Period 1907
Flowers of France: the Latter Days (1913)
Flowers of France: The Classic Period (1914)
The Way of the Winepress (1920)
The Autobiography of John Payne of Villon Society Fame, Poet and Scholar (1926)