Poetry Of Meditation On The Sacred: An English Translation of Wali Muhammad Aseer Kishtwari's Kashmiri Verses

Well-known as a writer of Urdu and Kashmiri verse alike, Wali Muhammad 'Aseer' Kishtwari has carved out a niche for himself as a literary figure in Jammu and Kashmir. He has also made his mark as an English writer of promise with his big volume Focus on Jammu & Kashmir published in 2003 that got him an award from the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in the year 2007. Thereafter, as a practising Kashmiri poet, he brought out the volume titled Farsh-e-Gul (Floral Carpet) in the year 2010—which is a compilation of his religious verses selected form a much wider corpus. Rich in content, it has a variety of traditional verse-forms in it.

This English translation of Aseer Kishtwari’s Kashmiri verses captures the essence of Kashmiri poetry and is largely faithful to the original text. The translations are impeccable and, at the same time, very readable. Brought out as a volume appropriately titled Poetry of Meditation on the Sacred, they bear testimony to A.N. Dhar's remarkable inwardness and ease as a translator. The volume also provides a useful critical introduction written by him.

The book will prove richly rewarding and provide a stimulating experience to all those interested in reading English translation of Kashmiri poetry.

About the Author

A.N. Dhar holds a doctorate in English Literature and a Diploma in English Studies from the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad. He is a distinguished scholar of English language and literature and a seasoned teacher, having taught at the University of Kashmir and earlier at the M.A.M. College, Jammu for about three decades. On his retirement from the University of Kashmir, Professor Dhar held two national fellowships—UGC Emeritus Fellowship (1990-92) and Senior Fellowship in Literature from the HRD Ministry, GOI (1997-99).

Prof. Dhar’s areas of interest include 19th century British poetry; mystical and comparative literature; and stylistics and literary translation. In 1984, he was awarded an academic visitorship by the British Council to several British universities. From 1995 to 2008, he remained closely associated with the Bhagavaan Gopinathji Trust, Jammu as the Honorary Editor of the trilingual religio-cultural journal, registered under the title Shuddha Vidya, published biannually by the Trust.

Other published works of A.N. Dhar are: Mysticism in Literature; Mystician Across Cultures; and Country of the Soul—all published by Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd., New Delhi.