Bullhe Shah's work is among the glories of Panjabi literature, and the iconic eighteenth-century poet is widely regarded as a master of mystical Sufi poetry. His verses, famous for their vivid style and outspoken denunciation of artificial religious divisions, have long been beloved and continue to win audiences around the world. This striking new translation is the most authoritative and engaging introduction to an enduring South Asian classic.
Christopher Shackle is Emeritus Professor of the Modern Languages of South Asia, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
Title: Sufi Lyrics: Selections from a World Classic: 1 (Murty Classical Library of India)
Author: Shah, Bullhe
ISBN: 9780674251366
Binding:
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Publication Date: 2021-03-26
Number of Pages: 208
Weight: 0.2301 kg
The lucid and informative introduction by the volume's editor and translator, Christopher Shackle, takes readers through the trajectory of Sufism from Persia to India and the several orders within the movement in India. But most useful is a short essay on the themes of the lyrics. The poems that follow open up in all their appeal, universal and timeless in their great subject of love, endearing in their simplicity of expressiveness. -- Neel Mukherjee * New Statesman *
Drawing from the Sufi tradition of mysticism, Bullhe Shah wrote poetry that is sharp, simple and immortal. His verses question strictures of organized religion and societal norms. They are beautiful paeans to romantic and mystical love underpinned by rich spiritual philosophy. -- Pragya Tiwari * India at LSE blog *