The Hidden Garden: Mir Taqi Mir by Gopi Chand Narang, translated from the Urdu by Surinder Deol

Category: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
Rights: World rights available (excluding Indian subcontinent)

Mir Taqi Mir (1723–1810), known as the ‘god of Urdu Poesy’ (Khuda-e Sukhan), is widely admired for his poetic genius. The most prolific among all Urdu poets, he produced six divans. His deceptively simple poetry had an unusual mellowness and natural flow.

Mir was the first major poet to demonstrate the hidden beauty and genius of the Urdu language. From the raw Braj of Agra to the sophisticated Persian of Delhi, and the mellow Awadhi of Lucknow, he wove them all into his verse. He took the half-baked Rekhta of the mid-eighteenth century to new heights, reaching the pinnacle of literary Urdu’s poetic and creative journey.

With a substantial selection of Mir’s most memorable ghazals, The Hidden Garden introduces readers to the life and poetry of the grossly misunderstood poet. This book is the perfect read for lovers of poetry and Urdu alike.

The author: Gopi Chand Narang
The translator: Surinder Deol