Famous Ghalib

'Marion Molteno has mined a substantial corpus of Russell's writings to string together his most valuable insights into the genre of ghazal. To prepare the uninitiated reader for the final feast of Ghalib's ghazals in English translation. And what a magnificent feast it is!' - M. Asaduddin, Jamia Millia Islamia The second edition of Ralph Russell's critically acclaimed The Famous Ghalib introduces Ghalib to readers who want to find out why his poetry has inspired generations of Urdu speakers and many others besides. It explains the form of poetry in which Ghalib wrote, and how he used its symbolism to express his response both to the universal experiences of life and to the times that he himself lived through. With over 200 couplets in Russell's translations, alongside the original Urdu - and also transcribed using both English and Hindi scripts, this is a must have for all poetry lovers.

About the Author

Ralph Russell (1918-2008) has been widely recognized as the greatest western scholar of Urdu. Khushwant Singh described him as 'much the most revered name of interpreters of Ghalib's life and works'. For over thirty years he headed the Urdu department at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and throughout his life regularly spent time in both India and Pakistan, writing, working with fellow scholars and as a popular lecturer. After his retirement he pioneered the teaching of Urdu to English speakers in communities across the UK, to encourage greater mutual understanding between people of different backgrounds. His unusual skill as a translator and his insightful writing have opened up an appreciation of Urdu literature to a wide range of readers.