'This is a work of love skill and scholarship that reflects the vast complex riches of the Urdu ghazal tradition. A must-buy for any lover of poetry!' - Tabish Khair

The ghazal is a literary curiosity a quintessential form of poetic expression known for its infectious appeal. This volume brings you the first ever comprehensive collection of Urdu ghazals from its very beginnings in the late sixteenth century to the present times. Sixty-five poets from seven literary periods and diverse locations come together in this collection to showcase a rich fare of ideas and styles. They represent the secular and the sacred the pious and the profane the plebeian and the patrician in manners as diverse as life itself. Here is an ever-moving kaleidoscope of the Urdu ghazal that authenticates the literary form. This volume is made richer with the inclusion of the Roman transliteration of the originals in Urdu alongside their English translations.