Question

1. Most readers of Urdu-Hindi poetry are familiar with Muneer Niazi’s iconic nazm or free-verse poem Hamesha der kar deta hun main (‘I always leave it late’).

2. The poem, like all of his oeuvre, touches emotional chords that you may have long forgotten.

3. The finest among the poets of the late 20th century, not just in Urdu but also Punjabi, he was fittingly awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s Star of Excellence award, prior to his death in 2006.

4. The travel writer will open the 11th edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival (BLF) with his talk titled, ‘Why We Travel’.

5. Now, author-translator Amitabha Bagchi has finally brought Niazi’s verses — that capture the deepest emotions with startling revelations and innovative turns of phrase — to English, in Lost Paradise.