Arzu

The book describes Arzu as a poet of Gwalior who held an important Government post in the days of Shah Alam II (r. 1759–1806), wrote his poems mostly in Persian, and was the author of a dictionary of mystical words. He is not identified here with Khan-i Arzu of Delhi, since the book’s description does not match; no dates are given.

The one piece given here is drawn from Hindustani Lyrics (London: The Sufi Publishing Society, 1919), in the English verse of Inayat Khan and Jessie Duncan Westbrook. It is a free rendering, not a literal translation, and the original Urdu poem is untitled; it is named here by its first line.