Country Of The Soul: An English Translation of Bimla Raina's Kashmiri Verses

With the publication of her two volumes of Kashmiri verse titled Reshyi Maalyun Meon (1998) and Veth Maa Chhe Shongith (2003), Bimla Raina emerged as a talented poet in Jammu and Kashmir. Her verses are mostly cast into the form of quatrains, which are reminiscent of the vaakh used by the celebrated Kashmiri mystic poet, Lal Ded, over six centuries ago. However, it needs to be pointed out that Bimla Raina communicates her perceptions of the Divine in her own way and idiom. She deserves critical attention as a contemporary Kashmiri poet in view of her originality and novelty.
The book Country of the Soul attempts to capture the essence of Kashmiri poetry in English translations so as to give the readers a feel of the excellence of Bimla Raina’s poetic collections entitled Reshyi Maalyun Meon and Veth Maa Chhe Shongith. It presents translation of a sizeable number of her verses into English. The translations are excellent—at once readable, composed in the free-verse form and largely faithful to the original text. Additionally, the book provides a comprehensive introduction by eminent scholar Prof. A.N. Dhar to the poet in question, which is very useful and informative. It also analyses a fairly good number of the translated verses, which gives illustrative support to his observations. It offers some relevant material that serves as the needed intellectual background to the textual study undertaken. The volume has been planned and brought out with scholarly insight and meticulous care as a composite critical and literary piece.
This book is a delight for those who have interest in Kashmiri verse particularly that of Bimla Raina.