The finest ghazals of Mir Taqi Mir, the most accomplished of Urdu poets. The prolific Mir Taqi Mir (1723–1810), widely regarded as the most accomplished poet in Urdu, composed his ghazals—a poetic form of rhyming couplets—in a distinctive Indian style arising from the Persian ghazal tradition. Here, the lover and beloved live in a world of extremes: the outsider is the hero, prosperity is poverty, and death would be preferable to the indifference of the beloved. Ghazals offers a comprehensive collection of Mir’s finest work, translated by a renowned expert on Urdu poetry.

Mir Muhammad Taqi Mir is widely regarded as the most accomplished poet in the Urdu language. Selected Ghazals and Other Poems offers a comprehensive collection of ghazals and masnavis. The Urdu text, presented here in the Nastaliq script, accompanies new translations of Mir's poems, some appearing in English for the first time.

Zikr-i Mir is a rare, autobiographical narrative in Persian and its author, Mir Muhammad Taqi 'Mir', is one of the finest ghazal poets in Urdu.

THE BOOK OF MIR Selected Poems of Mir Taqi Mir Translation and Introduction Paul Smith Mir Taqi Mir (1723 - 1810) was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century and one of the pioneers of Urdu. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi school of the Urdu ghazal. He was born in Agra and left for Delhi after the death of his father whose emphasis on the importance of love and the value of compassion remained with him, imbuing his poetry. At Delhi he finished his education and joined a group of nobles as a court-poet. At 17 he had a mental break-down and suffered from bouts of madness all his life. After the sack of Delhi he eventually moved to the court in Lucknow where he stayed for the remainder of his life. Like many Urdu poets Mir's literary reputation is from his ghazals. After moving to Lucknow his daughter died, then his son and wife. This, with other earlier setbacks, lends a strong pathos and melancholy to much of his writing. Like Obeyd Zakani and others before him Mir practiced the Malamati or 'Blameworthy' aspect of Sufism. He was a prolific poet, his complete works or Kulliyat consisting of 6 Divans, containing 13,585 couplets comprising all kinds of poetic forms: ghazals, masnavis, qit'as, ruba'is, etc He also composed in Persian a Divan, a unique autobiography and a book on Urdu Poets and a book of spiritual advice for his son. This is the largest selection in English of most forms of his poetry with correct form and meaning kept, published for the first time. Introduction: Mir's Life & Times & Poetry, Selected Bibliography, On the Various Poetic Forms Mir used. Large Format Paperback... 7" x 10" 214 pages COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. " Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "I was very impressed with the beauty of these books." Dr. R.K. Barz. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Lalla Ded, Mahsati, Iqbal, Baba Farid and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and a dozen screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Have you ever been enchanted by the spoken cadence of an Urdu couplet but wished you could fully understand its nuances? Have you wanted to engage with a ghazal more deeply but were daunted by its mystifying conventions? Are you confused between a qataa and a rubaai, or a musadda and a marsiya? In Urdu Poetry, Raza Mir offers a fresh, quirky and accessible entry point for neophytes seeking to enhance their enjoyment of this vibrant canon—from the poems of legends like Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib to the lyrics of contemporary game changers like Javed Akhtar and Gulzar. Raza Mir’s translation not only draws out the zest and pathos of these timeless verses, but also provides pithy insights and colourful trivia that will enable readers to fully embrace this world.

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 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.