The first anthology of its kind to appear in English, Modern Poetry of
Pakistan brings together not one but many poetic traditions indigenous
to Pakistan, with 142 poems translated from seven major languages, six
of them regional (Baluchi, Kashmiri, Panjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, and
Sindhi) and one national (Urdu). Collecting the work of forty-two poets
and fifteen translators, this book reveals a society riven by ethnic,
class, and political differences--but also a beautiful and truly
national literature, with work both classical and modern, belonging to
the same culture and sharing many of the same concerns and perceptions.