The Essential Mir

Jaane kā nahīn shor su han kā mire hargiz tā-hashr jahāñ men mirā dīvān rahegā

(The roar of my verses will never fade out, never My divaan will stay till the doomsday to savour)

One of the main poets of the Delhi School of Ghazal, who was instrumental in shaping the Urdu language, Mir Taqi Mir lived a life of misty luminosities and subdued radiances. While the man himself is a myth-even his autobiography conceals more than it reveals-his legacy has survived for over three centuries, in a style he founded and a world view he propounded.

This one-of-a-kind collection presents two hundred of Mir’s best verses, meticulously selected and translated by the author, along with critical commentary to help modern readers appreciate the context. The couplets assert humanity as Mir’s first principle, man as his primary concern and poetry as his foundational creed. With an introduction that tells us little-known details about the poet’s life, The Essential Mir will cajole, persuade, impart pleasure and offer company to both general and informed readers.