There is little about Faiz that hasnt already been said. This is a wonderful selection of some of the best that faiz has to offer. But what sets it apart from other translations of Faiz is that to be able to read it in urdu, one doesnt need to know the script. Apart from the original urdu, it contains a transliteration in English, in addition to a literal translation and an interpretative one. Also, the introduction contains great information on faiz's early influences. The poems are carefully chosen from each of his early collections and each one is still a delight after having read them many times over the years. Priceless.

The first drafts of the translations in this collection were written by Faiz himself. It is no wonder then that the translations retain the starkness of the originals. This is no easy task while translating between languauges as disparate in grammar and emotion as Urdu and English. I think this book is far better than the collection of translations of Faiz by Agha Shahid Ali (The Rebel's Silhouette). Agha Shahid Ali tries to retain the poetic sense and form of Faiz's poetry, and sacrifices starkness and overall feel in the process. Naomi Lazard's translations do not retain poetic sense, meter nor verse - seeing Agha Shahid Ali's attempts to do so, one can conclude that to retain the structure of the original is to adorn the poetry too much, losing in the process the starkness and honesty that are Faiz's trademarks.