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Indian Love Poetry (Hardback) /anglais
A selection of beautiful Indian love poetry, richly illustrated with vivid paintings from magnificent collections
Love is widely celebrated in Indian poetry, whether mystic love for the divine or the passionate and affectionate feelings between lovers, husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends. Although the literary forms and language may not be quite so familiar, the same themes reappear in many of today’s preoccupations with love and romance.
This attractive collection combines a selection of translations from various languages of the best of Indian poetry with illustrations drawn from some of the finest examples of Indian art. With a brief introduction to the Indian poetic tradition and a short biographical note about each of the poets, this beautiful anthology is the perfect way to discover the treasures of Indian literature and art.
Love is widely celebrated in Indian poetry, whether mystic love for the divine or the passionate and affectionate feelings between lovers, husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends. Although the literary forms and language may not be quite so familiar, the same themes reappear in many of today’s preoccupations with love and romance.
This attractive collection combines a selection of translations from various languages of the best of Indian poetry with illustrations drawn from some of the finest examples of Indian art. With a brief introduction to the Indian poetic tradition and a short biographical note about each of the poets, this beautiful anthology is the perfect way to discover the treasures of Indian literature and art.
- GenresPoetry
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 27, 2015
Vivid in so many ways, my favorited part keeps dancing in my head..."The kite may float and fly where it will, but at all times, it is attached to someone's hand" ...the painting describes it beautifully!
June 2, 2025
The poems in this book are more captivating compared to the Persian ones - I guess I prefer Mughal poetry to Persian somehow.
October 6, 2012
I picked this little book up a while ago when I went to a special exhibition of Indian art at the British Museum a couple of years ago. Because I’m actually rubbish at sitting down and reading poetry, however, it’s taken me this long to get round to reading it. Unfortunately the reason I’m rubbish at reading most poetry is because I don’t very often ‘get’ it, and normally sit there feeling slightly underwhelmed. This was, sadly, no exception.
There were a couple of poems here that I liked (mostly the more erotic ones so make of that what you will) but the majority of these left me feeling a bit uncultured for not liking them more. It didn’t help, of course, that I’m used to western forms of poetry and found a lot of this unfamiliar ground – several of the first poems here didn’t even look like poetry to me, but read and looked more like a paragraph of vivid description. But still, that’s all problems with me and my perceptions and preconcieved notions, I think, rather than the poetry or the book. Because it is a lovely little book, I found the introduction fascinating, several of the poems made me smile, and the illustrations – copies of Indian paintings and photographs of Indian sculptures, were absolutely gorgeous.
I think certain things about the book could have been formatted better – seperating the descriptions more visibly from the poetry itself, providing translations of key words in footnotes rather than breaking the flow by putting them in [brackets], but those were editorial minor niggles. The collections of poems and art worked very well together and it’s a book I’m certain I’ll return to and idly flick through in the future and that some of the poems will grow on me if I don’t try to force myself on them – I certainly liked the sumptous, lazy, sensuality a lot of them seemed to use and I do adore the illustrations – but for the moment it’s a book that, though fascinating and beautiful, didn’t really stand out or make me fall in love with Indian love poetry.
On a more positive note though! Silly things I did enjoy!
Favourite poem of the collection:
Biting my mouth in love play
since to talk would be to let go
my lord would speak only
with his hands.
- Kshetrayya
Not quite John Donne levels of sexy ( Licence my roving hands, and let them go/Before, behind, between, above, below ) but I kinda liked it.
Favourite line of the collection:
Listening to my moans as you touch certain spots,
The pet parrot mimics me, O how we laugh in bed!
- Kshetrayya
Almost makes it seem worth getting a parrot, just for the giggles. Then I remember that I hate parrots. And that it probably wouldn’t be so gigglesome when my mum heard it… maybe not such a great idea after all.
There were a couple of poems here that I liked (mostly the more erotic ones so make of that what you will) but the majority of these left me feeling a bit uncultured for not liking them more. It didn’t help, of course, that I’m used to western forms of poetry and found a lot of this unfamiliar ground – several of the first poems here didn’t even look like poetry to me, but read and looked more like a paragraph of vivid description. But still, that’s all problems with me and my perceptions and preconcieved notions, I think, rather than the poetry or the book. Because it is a lovely little book, I found the introduction fascinating, several of the poems made me smile, and the illustrations – copies of Indian paintings and photographs of Indian sculptures, were absolutely gorgeous.
I think certain things about the book could have been formatted better – seperating the descriptions more visibly from the poetry itself, providing translations of key words in footnotes rather than breaking the flow by putting them in [brackets], but those were editorial minor niggles. The collections of poems and art worked very well together and it’s a book I’m certain I’ll return to and idly flick through in the future and that some of the poems will grow on me if I don’t try to force myself on them – I certainly liked the sumptous, lazy, sensuality a lot of them seemed to use and I do adore the illustrations – but for the moment it’s a book that, though fascinating and beautiful, didn’t really stand out or make me fall in love with Indian love poetry.
On a more positive note though! Silly things I did enjoy!
Favourite poem of the collection:
Biting my mouth in love play
since to talk would be to let go
my lord would speak only
with his hands.
- Kshetrayya
Not quite John Donne levels of sexy ( Licence my roving hands, and let them go/Before, behind, between, above, below ) but I kinda liked it.
Favourite line of the collection:
Listening to my moans as you touch certain spots,
The pet parrot mimics me, O how we laugh in bed!
- Kshetrayya
Almost makes it seem worth getting a parrot, just for the giggles. Then I remember that I hate parrots. And that it probably wouldn’t be so gigglesome when my mum heard it… maybe not such a great idea after all.
March 13, 2014
A. L. Dallapiccola is the author of “Hindu Visions of the Sacred and Hindu Myths” as well as “A Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend”. In this book ”The British Museum Indian Love Poetry” she has collated a beautiful selection of beautiful Indian love poetry, richly illustrated with vivid paintings from magnificent collections. Sometimes things pass me by. This is particularly true, and quite funny with regard to this book.
My husband and I were visiting our daughter in London and I was thrilled when he bought me this beautiful book during our visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum. It truly is a beautiful book and the Indian poetry translated in it is very moving. I enjoy reading it and sharing it with my friends in the local poetry group. However, it was only today that I realised I am related to the compiler, Anna Libera Dallapiccola, albeit by marriage!
She is an interesting woman. Her father was the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola. He knew what it was like to be a prisoner. In 1917 when he was a teenager, he and his family were interned by the Austrians. It was an experience that haunted him, but it would take decades before he would turn the strength of those feelings into music. The result is one of the most important operas of the 20th century: The Prisoner.
Anna is an equally intelligent and talented woman. Previously, she was a professor at Heidelberg University. It is there she met her husband The Very Reverend Duncan Shaw. She now lives in Edinburgh with him and is honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh and makes regular research visits to India.
Love is widely celebrated in Indian poetry. This is both mystic love for the divine or the passionate and affectionate feelings between lovers, husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends. The literary forms and language may not be quite so familiar, the themes reappear in today’s preoccupations with love and romance.
This collection discloses a selection of translations from various languages of Indian poetry. The illustrations are drawn from fine examples of Indian art. There a brief introduction to the Indian poetic tradition illustrated by each poem and a short biographical note about each of the poets. This beautiful anthology is the perfect way to embark on a discovery of Indian poetry and art. Next time there is a family gathering, I must remember to take it with me and ask Anna to sign it for me.
My husband and I were visiting our daughter in London and I was thrilled when he bought me this beautiful book during our visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum. It truly is a beautiful book and the Indian poetry translated in it is very moving. I enjoy reading it and sharing it with my friends in the local poetry group. However, it was only today that I realised I am related to the compiler, Anna Libera Dallapiccola, albeit by marriage!
She is an interesting woman. Her father was the Italian composer Luigi Dallapiccola. He knew what it was like to be a prisoner. In 1917 when he was a teenager, he and his family were interned by the Austrians. It was an experience that haunted him, but it would take decades before he would turn the strength of those feelings into music. The result is one of the most important operas of the 20th century: The Prisoner.
Anna is an equally intelligent and talented woman. Previously, she was a professor at Heidelberg University. It is there she met her husband The Very Reverend Duncan Shaw. She now lives in Edinburgh with him and is honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh and makes regular research visits to India.
Love is widely celebrated in Indian poetry. This is both mystic love for the divine or the passionate and affectionate feelings between lovers, husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends. The literary forms and language may not be quite so familiar, the themes reappear in today’s preoccupations with love and romance.
This collection discloses a selection of translations from various languages of Indian poetry. The illustrations are drawn from fine examples of Indian art. There a brief introduction to the Indian poetic tradition illustrated by each poem and a short biographical note about each of the poets. This beautiful anthology is the perfect way to embark on a discovery of Indian poetry and art. Next time there is a family gathering, I must remember to take it with me and ask Anna to sign it for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews