The Sun That Rose from the Earth

Book excerpt: A young Rajput, orphaned by the revolt of 1857, travels many years later from Cawnpore to Delhi on a mission to meet the great poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib himself. Young Mir Taqi Mir, a rising star in the world of poetry, meets the first great love of his life, Nurus Saadat, an exquisite beauty from Isfahan. An aspiring poet learns of the life and work of Shaikh Mushafi through the stories told by his widow. Poets and poetry occupy centre stage in these magnificent tales by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, the celebrated master of Urdu prose. Set in the great cities of north India and spanning the glittering age of the Mughals, The Sun That Rose from the Earth brilliantly recreates the lives of several poets who exemplify the land and culture of Hindustan—from Ghalib and Mir to Kishan Chand Ikhlas and Mushafi. With elegance and skill, Faruqi transforms these figures into vital, breathing beings alive in all their flawed magnificence.