About the Book

Ghalib—The Life, Times & Poetry of Mirza Ghalib, is the first attempt to include both Ghalib’s life and nearly two-third of his Urdu poetry, in translation, in a single volume.

'Ghalib (1797–1869) was the last of the great poets of the Mughal era whose life spans the twilight of the Empire, the uprising of 1857 and its terrible aftermath and the consolidation of British rule in India. This book aims to make Ghalib accessible to that larger audience that is aware of his greatness but can approach him only through the medium of English.

It also delves on the evolution of Urdu, covering the doyens of Urdu literature and the milestones in its development from a ‘scattered’ language to a ‘language par excellence of Islamic thought and culture in India’.

Faiyaz Ahmed’s prose is impeccable, the translation intelligible and lucid and the portrayal of Ghalib has been done with great sensitivity and charm.