Mauj-e-Saraab (Waves of Illusion) by Minu Bakshi [Hardcover]

Poetry is not merely a play of words but a serious spiritual exercise whose very being is pledged to the comprehension of the self and the universe. Good poetry is not possible in the absence of the flame of love because it is this light that tears apart the mist of obscurity surrounding the secrets of the universe. Shorn of the mist, the details become vibrant and the poet becomes aware of the enigma of reality.Tishnagi: The Thirst, Minu’s first book, garnered her unstinting praise from connoisseurs of Urdu poetry and hardened critics as well.Mauj-e-Saraab (Waves of Illusion), her second book of Urdu ghazals, is a manifestation of the various hues of the pageant of love and passion. It is the figurative expression of the tableaux of worldly spectacles that according to her is nothing but waves of illusion, while the reality is far beyond the purview of the physical eye. Mauj-e-Saraab includes transliterations in Urdu, Hindi and English with translation of the ghazals in English by Nyla Daud.Minu Bakshi’s poetry from Tishnagi to Mauj-e-Saraab is a saga of love. It is the expression of her journey, from the body to the soul. Hence, it displays the hues of material love and passion along with true lofty love. Thus, she should neither be taken merely as a painter of human relationships, nor simply as an illustrator of spiritualistic values. Instead she should be taken as a translator of both notions.