Faiz Ahmed Faiz is the most contemporary Urdu poet of the twentieth century who appeals to both the common man as well as the elite connoisseurs of poetry. In the matter of style Faiz can be called the inheritor of the tradition of Ghalib because of his style of writing gazals, which reflect a strong influence of the Persian style and diction. At the same time several of his poems are written in simple conversational style dealing with the problems of the common man. Faiz’s poetry portrays peoples’ lives, their hopes and aspirations, their heartbreaks, hardships and frustrations with a rare elegance and beauty. Faiz was a committed poet who regarded poetry as a vehicle of serious thought rather than just a pleasurable pastime and often used his poetry to champion the cause of socialist humanism.

This book offers a selection of the best of Faiz’s gazals and poems along with their English translations as well as transliterations so you can enjoy the beauty and richness of the Urdu language as you read the English transliterations while the translation helps you understand the meaning with all its subtle nuances.

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