Author: Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 288
ISBN/UPC (if available): 019561987
Description
Translated with an Introduction and Notes by V G Kiernan, this book focuses on the poet's four collections, which represent not only some of Faiz's finest work but also the best in contemporary Urdu writing. The Urdu text appears here in easy-to-read calligraphed script with two translations, a 'literary' one and a 'literal' one- a scholarly transliteration into roman script.
The poems of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, one of the most important Urdu poets in India and in Pakistan, combine the older poetic modes: elegiac, romantic, introspective, with a fresh note of criticism of society, and the desire to alter it. Today, half a century later, Faiz's poems have an historical interest. They contain glimpses of the Indian national movement, and the beginnings of the socialist movement.
Kiernan's versatile, scholarly and learner-friendly translation clearly brings out the qualities of Urdu poetry for readers in English. The literary translation captures the essential qualities of Faiz's delicately suggestive poetry, and a scholarly transliteration into roman script with diacritics which is faithful to the text almost word for word.
Students and teachers will find Kiernan's book an extremely useful basic textbook for the teaching and the study of the Urdu language.
Excerpts from Reviews: The language of both the literal as well as the poetic translation is grand, almost majestic. The translation places the reader face to face with a poet par excellence - his view of both the material as well as the metaphysical. - The Weekend Observer
One could hardly wish for a more adequate and authentic presentation to a readership not acquainted with the language in which it was written. The excellence of the translation is quite striking.
THE TRANSLATOR: V G Kiernan is Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh, UK.