The Famous Ghalib

by Ralph Russel, Ralph Russell (Translator)

This book presents a selection from the Urdu verse of Ghalib (1797–1869), the greatest of all the poets of Urdu and Persian that the subcontinent has produced (in the translator’s opinion). This selection has been specially selected to exclude those of his verses that are replete with allusions which present-day readers would not understand. They do, however, cover a wide range of his thought. In order to serve the needs of the widest possible readership the couplets are given in English translation, and then in Roman, Urdu, and Devanagari. Those who wish to understand the full range of what Ghalib has to offer will find the guidance they need in the essay ‘Getting to Know Ghalib’, and for those who know Urdu, the essay ‘On Translating Ghalib’ will be of particular interest since it deals with the problems of presenting Ghalib in an ‘English dress’.

Genres: Poetry

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

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by Ralph Russel