The Sun That Rose From The Earth by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

” In such meetings and partings, ultimately lives are lost. There is no end to Love and Beauty never relents” …….. From the First Divan of Mir Taqi Mir(1752)

With The Mirror of Beauty, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi made his place in the hearts of  readers who enjoy the magnificence and brilliance of historical fiction from the Mughal era. Wazir Khanum and the poets of Dilli enthralled everyone and Faruqi became a celebrated writer of the English reading world. Wazir Khanum’s tale was not lost in translation and the same stands true for “Savaar aur Doosre Afsane”, which was originally released in 2001 in Urdu, and in 2014 as an English translation “The Sun That Rose From The Earth”. The Afsane ( fictional stories) are beautiful and one only wonders how magical they would be in Urdu.

Faruqi manages to bring the beauty of poets like Ghalib, Budh Singh Qalandar, Mir Taqi  Mir and Kishan Chand to life. Poets and their verses stand out in this brilliant collection of prose. Faruqi is a master of Urdu prose and does justice to the translations as well. The descriptions are detailed and leave little to imagination. From the streets of Dilli and the Kingdom of Oudh to the pleasure houses of Nakhjavan, the reader is transported to times when tehzeeb and niakat were the parameters to judge character. The research is impeccable and the stories entertain and educate.

Judge this book by its cover! At first look, the regal bearings of the handsome Mughal attract you to the book. One wonders who this person was and what Dastaan (tale) defines him. The richness and magnificence of the era bygone is also reflected in the beautiful, intricately woven prose, with its refined language and poetry oozing  with sweetness and sublime joy. The book is 610 pages long. Ignore the ‘Rule of Fifty’ and be patient. What awaits as pages turn, is a treasure trove of writing that will surely make you fall in love with literature and history of the era that was synonymous with class and finese.

” I am the sun that rose from the earth. But the sky of poetry is bright because of me.” From the Ninth Divan of Shaikh Ghulam Hamadani Mushafi.

The Sun That Rose From The Earth

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

610 pages

Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Books

Rating 4/5

About artikaaurorabakshi

Artika Aurora Bakshi Artika Aurora Bakshi is the author of five well-acclaimed children’s books,My Little Sikh Handbook, My Little Sikh Handbook 2: Ardas, My Little Sikh Handbook: Travel Journal, My Little Sikh Handbook: The Mighty Sikh Empire, My Little Handbook of Feelings, and an anthology of stories, Hold On To Me. Her first story, set in Amritsar, during the pre-Partition period, All She Had Left, was published on Story Mirror. Her short stories have been published on Kitaab. She co-manages thegoodbookcorner.com, a manuscript help and book review site. Her passion for reading has led her to helping other writers with their manuscripts. She is a Contributing Editor for Nishaan, and the Associate Editor for SLIM Marketer. She comes from a family of lawyers and has a master’s degree in International Banking & Finance. A regular at the Galle Literary Festival and The Ceylon Literary and Art Festival, Artika’s articles and book reviews have featured in the Daily Mirror, Daily News, The Ceylon Chronicle, and various blogs, such as, talkingcranes.com, sikhchic.com, sikhnet.com. An avid reader, Artika runs an online book club with a membership base of over 600 members. Her quotes are featured under soul_nightingale_artika on Instagram and on Soul Nightingale by Artika Aurora Bakshi on Facebook. You can reach Artika at bakshiartika@gmail.com .

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