Poems from the <i>Satsai</i>

The seventeenth-century Hindi classic, Satsai, is a collection of four hundred couplets that blend amorous narratives about Krishna and Radha with archetypal hero and heroine motifs from older Sanskrit and Prakrit conventions. Biharilal's verses reflect deep knowledge of local north Indian culture and geography, and he weaves together worldly experience and divine immanence with ingenuity and virtuosity. The Hindi text is presented in the Devanagari script and accompanied by a new English verse translation.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 192 pages
\n Publication date: 29 January 2021
\n Publisher: Harvard University Press
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The seventeenth-century Hindi classic, renowned for its exquisite and nuanced portrayal of divine and erotic love, pleasures, and sorrows, holds a cherished place in literary history. In his remarkable work, Satsai, or Seven Hundred Poems, the talented poet Biharilal skillfully harnesses a rich vernacular tradition, seamlessly blending amorous narratives centered around the god Krishna and the goddess Radha with archetypal hero and heroine motifs drawn from older Sanskrit and Prakrit conventions. While the details of Biharilal's life remain largely unknown, except for his role as a court poet to King Jai Singh of Amber (1611–1667), his verses betray a profound understanding of local north Indian culture and geography, particularly the picturesque landscapes associated with Krishna's youth in the Braj region (present-day Uttar Pradesh). Through his ingenuity and artistic prowess, Biharilal skillfully weaves together worldly experiences and the divine, adapting the tropes of stylized courtly poetry, including romantic rivalries, clandestine trysts, and the poignant sorrow of separated lovers.

Poems from the Satsai presents a curated selection of four hundred couplets from this enduring masterpiece. The Hindi text, composed in the literary language of early-modern north India, is presented here in the Devanagari script, accompanied by a fresh English verse translation. This edition allows readers to appreciate the beauty and depth of Biharilal's poetry in both its original language and its English translation, offering a timeless exploration of love, desire, and the human condition.

\n Weight: 286g\n
Dimension: 148 x 212 x 17 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780674987074\n \n