The Shadow of a Bird in Flight is an invitation to engage with the rich tradition of Urdu and Persian poetry as envisioned and curated by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi. It features one hundred and sixty-seven poems by sixty poets, representing the essence of eight centuries of Indo-Persian poetic tradition. The collection invites readers to discover these works organically-each poem standing on its own, yet resonating with the others in unexpected ways.
This edition is enriched by new prefaces by Mehr and Baran Farooqi, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi’s daughters, alongside his original introductory essay which situates the collection within the broader landscape of Persian poetry and his own sensibilities. With pieces spanning all five main genres of Persian verse, this anthology serves as both an introduction for newcomers and a fresh lens for seasoned readers.
The Shadow Of a Bird in Flight celebrates the enduring influence of Indian contributions to Persian literature, offering a fresh and accessible entry point into this layered tradition, as well as the man who brought modernism to it.
About the Author
Acclaimed writer Shamsur Rahman Faruqui is also modern Urdu’s most celebrated critic. He was editor and publisher of the highly regarded literary journal Shabkhoon and is the author of a landmark four-volume study of the poet Mir Taqi Mir, and another four-volume work on Urdu’s immense oral romance, Dastan-e Amir Hamza. He received the prestigious Saraswati Samman in 1996 for his contribution to Urdu literature. He also has a novel to his credit, The Mirror of Beauty, originally published in Urdu to
huge acclaim. He is also the recipient of a Padma Shri.
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