Hidden Garden, The: Mir Taqi Mir [Hardcover] Narang, Gopi Chand and Deol, Surinder

The translations were simple and got the point across without fancy long words. I have mixed feelings about that to be fair. Also reading this man's poetry, you would definitely paint him as kinky dude with a foot fetish who ... In typical bollywood romance style, got his heart broken once and decided to write eloquent lines about it while remaining romantically mysterious. He never talks about another romantic interest after that incident (involving detailed accounts of feet, getting stepped on and eventual ostracism from family, trust me it's wilder than I, a complete novice, expected from an urdu poet. I can assure you I did not expect "step on me mommy" vibes). Our man manages to keep seated on his high horse and promptly dishes out some really beautiful verses. It's a fun book all in all, a wild ride. I should take up more poetry books... If this is what's in store

The book was a treat, specially because it brings back the memory of Mir's writing and it brings it back with meaning. But the translation wasn't up to the mark. I could enjoy the book only because of a basic knowledge of Urdu words and a familiarity with Mir's technique. The cultural and historical context gives a depth to the reading experience, an opportunity to come closer to his story, beyond his words. However, I'm not so sure how or if someone completely unfamiliar with the language will be able to enjoy the book, because most of the translated verses lose their essence. It felt too dry, too distant, and far away from the intimacy that Mir originally writes and confesses in.

have to read something out of your comfort zone?The Hidden Garden that explores Mir Taqi Mir's life has been one such book for me. I am clearly not well versed with the nuance’s of Urdu to completely let the words written engulf me but still I could sense the sheer amount of intensity brimming through them.“begaana sa lage hai chaman ab khizaan mein haaeaisi gaai bahaar magar asshna n thi”translation :The garden looks strange, this time of autumn, alas! spring left in a way as if it never belonged herewords like these, the sense of melancholy, the missing of places you haven’t been to. The life that could have been. The first part of book takes us through his childhood and upbringing and the struggles he endured, it sometimes feels so surreal that people actually went through so much to find their calling. There is story about hi looking at moon when he alone and then this habit someone made his life so miserable that he had to get treatment for this “illness”.The ghazals and couplets in this book is like a revelation about this life :his sufferings, his pain, the deep passion and fire that burnt within him that pushed him to the stature he holds now. His writing is personal, every verse is a testament to this fact.people who enjoy ghazals and poetry and can understand Urdu would definitely be able to enjoy it more, i plan to revisit this one, when i feel i need to go over those couplets/verses and can find solace through his words.This is definitely not an easy work to translate as the words might seem flat in English. But still for someone like me who wanted to explore Urdu translation’s this was a good starting point.

To be true to the reader in me, this book isn't worth the paper it is printed on. I was so eager to indulge in the poetry of Mir, but the translation leaves a lot to be desired. The translator seems to have focused more on the letter than on the spirit of the poetry. Except in some stanzas the spark is missing from the rest of the book.Also, the second part feels quite dry, boring and repetitive. It may interest if you're academically interested in Mir's poems and are looking for a detailed analysis. But if you're a simple reader, looking to relish the beauty of his poems, then this book isn't for you. At least it didn't feel right for me. 😞

The Hidden Garden: Mir Taqui Mir by Gopi Chand Narang, translated from the Urdu by Surinder DeolTime and again I have let mad poets break into my heart and make a place there. The places they have created for me within their verses have been so profoundly beautiful that I have been astonished that I could comprehend such beauty. This volume of poems did that for me. There is a hidden garden of my own, one that I was able to find within the pages of this book.I have always found it diffictto critique poetry. It's not that I don't comprehend it, I do understand it. It's just that the language to write about poetry always eludes me. How does one write about something so beautiful, without seeming to gush? But here I am, with a poetry collection. Again.Within the pages of this book I have been able to find hope, love, despair, madness, solitude. I've found poems that made me realise how great it is to be alive (a feeling that comes rarely, but how powerful it is when it hits).I held hostage a friend who reads Urdu and asked him if he would read these aloud to me. The charm and musicality of the language have always enthralled me.There is, however, a thing about the translation of the Urdu poems that did not sit well with me. A better reader might find my opinion invalid, but I will offer my experience of reading these poems. I found the translation clunky. Sometimes, too literal. When it came to the ghazals, the brevity of the couplets had been abandoned for free verse interpretations. There is a great beauty to the poems, yes. But the translation feels very stiff. Almost as if the translation or the translator know what beauty they have seen and do not want to share.When I'm older and, hopefully, wiser, I will read it again and be able to find some more depth and beauty. But for now, this is my opinion of the collection and translation.