Resonating Duologue with Ghalib’s Oeuvre

Resonating Duologue with Ghalib’s Oeuvre

Pradeep Trikha

Rahman, Anisur. The Essential Ghalib. New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2024.pp. 401. Rs. 499/-

The Essential Ghalib by Anisur Rehman is yet another feather in his cap following Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi: The Wonderful World of Urdu Ghazals (HarperCollins, 2019). Rehman is a veteran scholar, author, and translator. In The Essential Ghalib, he presents an exemplary selection of Mirza Ghalib’s Urdu couplets, translated into English, along with critical commentaries. Ghalib, widely regarded as one of the most influential poets in the history of South Asian literature, is known for his complex yet profound poetry that engages with themes of love, pain, spirituality, and existential despair. Rehman’s anthology of Ghalib’s poetry aims to provide a curated and accessible insight into the poet’s expansive work. The Essential Ghalib distills the essence of Ghalib’s poetry, making it easier for those unfamiliar with the intricacies of his work to appreciate and understand his genius, particularly for a broader global audience that does not read Urdu. Thus, Rehman’s Ghalib is both representative and digestible. He notes in the introduction to the book: