Urdu Poetry & Epistemology – Volume II


Book Description

Urdu Poetry & Epistemology – Volume II celebrates the enduring beauty and depth of Urdu literature, captivating the heart of the reader. This work pays homage to the divine craftsmanship of words and poetry, showcasing how Urdu continues to carve new paths into the future, resonating with souls far and wide. The writings of the esteemed Sayed Athar Husain Naqvi serve as a testament to Urdu’s rich heritage, compelling readers to acknowledge the language’s origins and its poignant journey through time. Although it is often mourned for its perceived decline in its birthplace, Urdu finds a vibrant resurgence amidst its trials. Drawing inspiration from the historical currents of the Euphrates, it finds a new home among the diaspora in Europe, flourishing particularly on the fertile cultural grounds of London. In this new era, Rajab Ali Beg Saroor breathes life into Urdu with his pen. His work, infused with innovation and wonder, creates a mesmerizing universe of words, where magic and reality blend seamlessly, offering a testament to the language’s adaptability and enduring charm. London, celebrated as a melting pot of cultures, plays a crucial role in embracing Urdu and other languages, providing them with a platform to thrive and enchant anew. This book is not only a tribute to Urdu poetry’s illustrious past but also a beacon of hope for its flourishing future, inviting readers to delve into its harmonious and enchanting world.




Miracle at the Rauza of Rasool Allah Saww


Book Description

Miracle at the Rauza (Mausoleum) of the Prophet Hazrat Mohammad Mustafa SAWW is a real happening seen by the writer in dream, as clear as the day light. It was a chosen communication. Dreams have classes, in this dream vivid time bound enacts of the angels occurred, who are in service at the Rauza of the Mahboob (dear) of God Jallay Jalalahoo (God is glorious). The incident of the miracle explains of the status and the station of the Prophet of God Hazrat Mohammad SAWW, who will look towards God for command and revelation came. Of these the most generalised for the humanity is the Aayet 5:32 of the Quran to convey to stop bloodshed. The Aayet says: For this very reason We had made it obligatory on the Children of Israel that whoever neither in lieu of life nor in retribution to spreading disturbance in the country, (but without reason) will slay anyone then as if he killed the entire humanity and that who saved a life then as if he saved the entire humanity...




The Land of Seasons & Songs


Book Description

The Land of Seasons and Songs is a flower basket of humor, acquainting with cultures and traditions and presenting logical discourses. It is recollection of the yesteryears with observations. It is a book of criticisms, punches, and reformative doses. The book reviews the present-day ills of the society and describes the culture de-grand of the subcontinent of India. It describes of its kings, feudalism, and genius of the peoples, and it sheds light on the world divisive politics as and when it deviates from the path of peace. It draws attention to the excellences of poetry that is a naturally flourishing trait in the subcontinent of India. The book presents the picture of India under the British rule and remembers of British with affection. The book is written in vivid English, and the profession of the book is eulogy of the pious and pleasing the soul of the reader. The central character of the book is Bachchu Yarwah Aekkewan—the horse and cart driver. With his peculiarities of commands, he generates to control his horse on the road, and his life as he leads in his village gives an insight into the Indian-ology—the Indian colloquialism of the region he lives in. The thoughts picked for the book are from the observations as factual as the fall of snow: Snow It is snowing outside Grass and ground are white Birds have only branches to peg on Or fly across to unknown bites This is nature; it has made everything quiet The men don’t walk; dogs not out to stride Unless you are secure in shelter will die End of world but will not come; time will continue to ride Sayed Athar Husain




Nature and the Environment in Contemporary Religious Contexts


Book Description

This collection of essays discusses the human relationship with, and responsibilities toward, the natural environment from the perspective of religions and the social sciences. The chapters examine a variety of conditions that have contributed to the contemporary environmental crisis, including abuse of power, economic greed, industrialization, deforestation, and unplanned waste management. They then discuss concepts from several different religious texts and traditions that promote environmental protection as a sacred moral duty for all humanity. Religious concepts such as dharma (duty toward Mother Earth), tikkun Olam (repair of the world), khalifa (people as deputies of God on earth), amanah (the universe as a trust in human hands), and paticca samuppada (dependent co-arising) are employed to argue that all the components of the biosphere are integral to the cosmos, each piece with its own value and role in the harmony of the whole. The book makes it clear that religions can become more “green” and play a helpful role in raising our ecological consciousness and supporting preservation of the environment into the future.




Dictionary of Oriental Literatures 2


Book Description

This book fills a long-felt gap in Western literature by presenting a concise summary of practically all the literatures of South and South-East Asia, comprising India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Combodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.




Ghalib


Book Description

Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797 1869) Lived At A Time Of Historic Change In India A Period When The British Conquest Of India Was In Its Ascendancy And The Mughal Empire Was Coming To An End. He Was Witness To The Ravagement Of Delhi And Its Courtly Culture, Culminating In The Catastrophe Of The Uprising Of 1857. This Trauma, Accompanied By His Personal Losses, Informs His Poetry, Evidenced In Divan-E-Ghalib Containing 235 Ghazals In Urdu, Ghazals Redolent With A Sense Of Loss, Grief And A Plangent Longing For A Vanished Way Of Life. Yet, What Sets His Poetry Apart Is An Irrepressible Sense Of Humour, Energy And Linguistic Delight That Drive His Darkest Lamentations. In Ghalib: Epistemologies Of Elegance, Sara Suleri Goodyear And Azra Raza Select Twenty-One Ghazals That Illustrate The Astonishing Range Of Ghalib S Many Voices And The Ideas That Populate His Poetry. Every Ghazal Is Accompanied By An Introduction, A Literal Translation And A Detailed Commentary That Elucidate The Complexities Of The Individual Sher And The Ghazal As A Whole. The Result Is An Erudite Introduction To The Work Of The Greatest Urdu Poet Of All Time, Which Will Be Invaluable Not Only To The Ghalib Aficionado But Also The Lay Reader Spellbound By The Intricate Imagery And The Dazzling Scope Of This Extraordinary Poet.




The Body and the Book


Book Description

The stimulating mix of academics and practising poets that have contributed to this volume provides an unusual and illuminating integration of critical and creative practice and a vibrantly diverse approach to questions of poetry and sexuality. Each section of essays is complemented by poems which creatively illustrate or develop the theme with which the essays critically engage. Rather than being limited to a specific genre, tradition, time or place, this collection seeks to make a virtue of contrast, comparison and juxtaposition. The collection is arranged into sections that range broadly across the thematic ground of dichotomies, traditions and revisions, microscopic and macroscopic perspectives, women and embodiment, and the notion of play and performance. Positioning eighteenth-century tinkers ballads alongside medieval Hebrew lyrics and the Blues of Gorgeous Puddin’, or making Dionysus rub shoulders with Sharon Olds and Mrs Rochester provides new perspectives on familiar material and valuable insights into more obscure work and the nature of sensual poetry as a mode of expression. As the editors suggest, the essays and poems presented collectively argue that writings about sexuality are always already about the way poets see and represent our bodies, the world and poetic language itself.




The Wonder That Is Urdu


Book Description

Language is a Developmental, social and cultural phenomenon. When Urdu started its literary journey, writing also treasured it and today we are proud of the great collection of Urdu books. Urdu lovers have also done a remarkable job in writing books on various topics and in conveying the standard writings to the Urdu circles by giving them solid ink. This book although written in English, is one such masterpiece by Krishna S. Dhir. However, it clearly reflects the love of the writer for the Urdu language and its literature. The beginning of this book is an excellent illustration of how the various apabhransha of South Asia interacted with Perso-Arabic and European languages, to give rise to various languages, including Urdu and how they grew up through the time of the Mughals and the British. How all the major religions of the world originated in the Asian continent and the observation of Sufis are highlighted in the second chapter of this book. The role of social and economic institutions and traditions in the evolution of Urdu has been shed light upon. Krishna S. Dhir has painstakingly elaborated upon the protest literature and extensively quoted Mir, Ghalib, Daagh Dehlvi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Faiz Ahmad, Ahmad Fraz and other poets to prove how Urdu poetry has been used to protest against siege, raids, imprisonment, imperialism and colonisation, and to express love and peace. Finally, the writer explores how Urdu is deployed by the diaspora that uses it.




Sad, Sardonic and Hopeful


Book Description

After years of being told to write down her sardonic musings, MJ Fuller finally took the plunge. These poems explore the various thoughts that she, and others, have had at various points in life, and are easily read and accessible for all. Whether you are a poetry novice or a poetry veteran, there is something in these verses for you. The poems of Sad, Sardonic and Hopeful take the reader on a journey through the eyes of the poet. That journey can be happy, sad, comedic, tragic or whimsical, but it's certainly a journey. A perfect, little, evocative escape from a very manic world.




Cultural Leaders of India - Devotional Poets and Mystics: Part - 2


Book Description

This Volume, the second part, on the Devotional Poets and Mystics, offers another fourteen of them; five from the Hindi speaking areas; three from western India (Gujarat and Maharashtra), one from the east (Bengal), a group of saints, the Hari-dasas of Karnataka; two from Tamil Nadu and one each from Sindh and Andhra Pradesh. The book is edited by Dr. V. Raghavan, an eminent Sanskrit scholar and Indologist.