Penguin set to release THE HIDDEN GARDEN. A substantial selection of Mir Taqir Mir’s most memorable ghazals by Gopi Chand Narang and translated from the Urdu by Surinder Deol.
Mir Taqi Mir (1723-1810), known as the god of Urdu poesy (Khuda-e Sukhan), is widely admired for his poetic genius. The most prolific among all Urdu poets, he produced six divans. His deceptively simple poetry had an unusual mellowness and natural flow.Mir was the first poet to demonstrate the hidden beauty and genius of the Urdu language. From the raw Braj of Agra to the sophisticated Persian of Delhi and the mellow Awadhi of Lucknow, he wove them all into his verse. He took the half-baked Rekhta of the mid-eighteenth century to new heights, reaching the pinnacle of literary Urdu’s poetic and creative journey.
With a substantial selection of Mir’s most memorable ghazals, The Hidden Garden introduces readers to the life and poetry of the grossly misunderstood poet. This book is the perfect read for lovers of poetry and Urdu alike.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gopi Chand Narang has won recognition all around the world for his outstanding contribution to literature. Among the many awards he has received, the most notable ones are the Sitara-e Imtiaz (2012) and the President’s Gold Medal (1977) from Pakistan; and the Padma Shri (1990), Sahitya Akademi Award (1995), and the Padma Bhushan (2004) from India. He is recipient of a D. Litt. (honoris causa) from the University of Hyderabad (2007), Aligarh Muslim University (2009), and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad (2012). He has the rare honour of being bestowed as the Professor Emeritus by both, University of Delhi and Jamia Milia Islamia.
He has also served as the Vice Chairman at Delhi Urdu Academy (1996-1999), Vice Chairman and National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (1998-2004), and President of the Sahitya Akademi (2003-2007). He has written more than 65 books in Urdu, Hindi and English.
Surinder Deol, a former staff member of the World Bank in Washington DC, is most recently the author of Sahir: A Literary Portrait (2019). His interest in Ghalib’s poetry, a passion from his early years, led him to translate the Divan-e Ghalib with the title The Treasure: A Modern Rendition of Ghalib’s Lyrical Love Poetry (2014). He has also published a book of poems titled A Moment in the Universe (2006), and a novel, Endless Life (2012). He lives in Potomac, Maryland.
January 2021 | Viking | Penguin Random House India
Rs 499 | 224pp | Hardcover
