Masterpieces of Urdu Nazm

This Book is intended to introduce the reader to the best specimens of the Urdu Nazm, as distinguished from the ghazal. It contains English translations of 42 nazms, chosen from the works of 19 famous poets, such as Mir Taqi Mir, Nazir Akbarabadi, Shauq Lucknavi, Iqbal, Josh, Hafeez, Akhtar Sheerani, Majaaz, Faiz, and Sahir. The poets are presented in chronological order, and each is introduced with an authentic portrait, and a brief biographical-cum-critical note. The "Introduction" attempts in lucid prose a definition of the Nazm, and describes its characteristic features as an art form.

The layout of the book is methodical. Each poem is first given in Urdu calligraphics, followed on the opposite page by its translation in lucid, rhythmical language which, in turn, is succeeded by the romanized version of the Urdu text. The transliteration should enable even the non-Urdu-knowing reader to have a feel of the Urdu language. All the Poems selected for translation are among the classics of Urdu poetry. They deal with all sorts of themes, and represent a variety of styles and stanzaic forms. It is thus a fairly representative collection which, taken together with the author's three earlier volumes on the ghazal and the rubai, should offer to the reader the best of Urdu poetry in English translation.