Erotic Love Poems from India: Selections from the Amarushataka

Book Overview

"A single stanza of the poet Amaru," declared a ninth-century poetry critic, "may provide the taste of love equal to what's found in whole volumes." Graceful and yet remarkably playful, intensely... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590300971
• ISBN13: 9781590300978
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Shambhala
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.7" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Elegant and Sparkling

Andrew Schelling's translation is stunning. This is the first complete English translation of the Amarushataka (also known as the 100 Songs of Amaru), and we are lucky it is an exceptional one. The author does a great job balancing respect for its originating culture with the needs of English poetry. I'm not ordinarily a poetry fan, but this book made me laugh, long, and even tear up a little. Highly recommended.

A beautiful collection that brings love to life.

Containing 101 brief and beautiful poems, this translation of the ancient Indian collection the Amarushataka has a wealth of life and vibrancy that belies the age of the poems involved. And, although titled 'Erotic Love Poems', there is as much in this collection of loves lost, scorned and betrayed as there is of love enjoyed. Most of these poems dwell on the obvious and simple interactions between the sexes; the folly of youth and the endurance of passion, the duplicity and intimacy of human relationships: Why won't she talk to me? Why won't he look at me? Many made me smile with a knowing recognition, a couple made me laugh out loud. It's perfect proof that, regardless of race or creed, human emotion can be boiled down to one thing, two if you want to have your cake and eat it (three if she finds out about the other cake!) The characters spring to life: messenger girls, temptresses, wandering husbands and newlyweds; youthful longing, bitter desperation, apathy and joy all leap from the page. The lives of these people are a thousand years and a world apart from our own lives, yet still no different to ours. And I can't help thinking the original authors themselves would be proud of the translation Schelling has done. Each one is concise and precise, clipped like a haiku to give maximum meaning from apparently minimum effort. This is a delightful book that I have already read through several times and am sure to be dipping into many more times to come.