Book: Kashmir Bliss (Selected Poetry of Nund Rishi)
Author:  Badruddin Muqeem
Publisher :   Gulshan Books, Srinagar  Kashmir.  
Price:      Rs.  725

Nund Rishi (Sheikh Nuruddin RA) was born on 10th of Zilhajj of Hijra Era, in 1377 AD and left for the heavenly abode in 1438. He emerged as the cultural leader of the people at a time when Kashmir was at the cross-roads of its socio-cultural and religio-political transition. He is The Flag Bearer of Kashmir, and is believed to have exercised utmost influence on the society and culture of Kashmir. He influenced and impressed people as a saint, Rishi, Sufi, religious scholar, spiritual head, poet, hero and a patriot. Sheikh Noor-ud-din-Wali (RA) has not done good to us through his sermons, deeds and spiritual lessons only but we are also indebted to him for his contribution to our mother tongue Kashmiri. It is tangibly true that the inhabitants or natives of our land feel and have felt tended towards Kashmiri language mainly due to the universal and eternal verses of our saint and national hero. As a poet, he delivered his message in the form of poetry in more than one thousand quatrains, lyrics, stanzasin varied poetic genres.
         Understanding and translating Sheikh Nuruddin’s (RA)  poetry means understanding our mother tongue Kashmiri and our great culture of which Nund Rishi was the symbol as well as representative. Badruddin Muqeem, deserves kudos for his valuable contribution of translating the verses of the great saint into English language which has been rarely done so for. The book Kashmir Bliss is a fabulous effort by the writer for spreading the epistle of Sheikh (RA) to divergent sections of the domain and make the people of various  credos understand that how great our language is and how great poetry our poets have written.  The book has been fore worded by the noted Kashmiri scholar and author Dr. Shafi Shuoq who heads the Department of Kashmiri at Kashmir University.  The book contains two hundred poetic verses on different motifs like infusing concept of following Allah and Prophet (SAW) in true sense, life hereafter,and realization of spiritual solace, character formation, piety, tolerance, justice and kindness upon all, irrespective of caste, colour, religion and creed.  These poetic verses have beengiven different titles / contents by the author marked from “Heaven A Picturesque”, to“Sincerity- ‘Rare’” pouring light on the above mentioned leitmotifs.   The translator has chosen those verses of the great saint whichhighlight spiritual approach to the problems of life with humane and cosmopolitan dash. These verses present varied range of outlook wherein social relationships are judged from acatholic moral angle. The translator has presented NundRishi (RA) in the form of an intellectual personality besides being a spiritual persona. He has proven that Nund Rishi’s verses are a testament to his perception and logical attitude to life. The world of literary appeal of the saint with the messages of spiritual feelings becomes relevant as well as important in today’s materialistically dominated society and while keeping this fact in mind the translator while rendering the verses into English has tried not to ignore the originality of the verses and thereby has taken utmost care to avoid distortions.  
Indubitably, the nimble and dexterous effort of Badruddin Muqeem should not be regardedas a labour for English translation but a tremendous refurbishmentof the holy verses of the Poet. The translation can be considered as a great service to the Kashmiri language for the noble and gallant message of the Kashmiri poetry will have an appeal to diverse sections of the literary world.  The translation has been done in a simple and lucid stylewhich edifies the command of translator overthe language of English and which also parades his intellectual and scholarly enthusiasm.  The translation titled Kashmir Bliss has a fascinating cover with an appealing show of the Shrine of the poet and inside of the book is of standard print. The book is an insight into the actual message and spirit of Kashmir through the great poetry of the great saint and poet and the book will provide a chance to the lovers of English language to plunge deep into the spiritual and mystical profundity of the sea of knowledge of which Kashmir is a symbol.

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Lastupdate on : Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
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