Dr Chander Mohan
Name of Book : Dervish in the city of merchants
Name of translator: Kumar Krishan Sharma
A Dervish Among Dealers of Desire
In an age where love is increasingly packaged, marketed, and reduced to algorithmic gestures, Dervish in the City of Merchants arrives like a gust of soulful wind-restorative, defiant, and deeply humane. It is not just a collection of translated poems; it is a reclamation of love as longing, as protest, and as quiet revolution.
This anthology brings together 53 Hindi love poems by Kamal Jeet Chowdhary, Aditya Sharma, Shailja Pathak, Rajat Krishan, Rohit Kumar, Piyush Kumar, Manoj Sharma, Farid Khan and Kumar Krishan Sharma. –
Now exquisitely translated into English-preserving their earthy charm, philosophical undertones, and emotional intensity. Across its 92 pages, the reader is taken on a journey where love transcends the personal and edges into the political, the spiritual, and the poetic.
The title itself is a bold metaphor. The “Dervish”-the mystic, the seeker, the soul stripped bare-twirls through a marketplace obsessed with transaction, trade, and appearances. The poems, like the dervish’s dance, are ecstatic spirals of emotion, truth, and yearning in a world intoxicated by materialism.
The Poets and Their Voices
Kamal Jeet Chowdhary opens the collection with verses that cut with quiet precision. His poetry breathes resistance through restrained passion, carrying the perfume of longing, rebellion, and nostalgia.
His words move like a scalpel-political, poignant, and unafraid:
“What you are bent on erasing is a patriotic declaration from periphery:
My nation is a beautiful window from where the father, Sun daily at the crack of each dawn pins the flowers of hope to the curls of his daughter, Earth.”
Aditya Sharma presents love as a reflective mirror. His poems navigate the fragile balance between self-love and separation, brimming with tenderness, silence, and space. Each line is soaked in thoughtfulness.
Shailja Pathak brings a fierce feminine voice-strong yet vulnerable. Her poetry questions, confronts, and soothes. With courage and elegance, she breaks stereotypes and brings out the politics of love.
“When you are late
I show my concern
and if I…
I am a suspect.”
Rajat Krishan is the poet of the people. His earthy, colloquial expressions and rootedness in folk idioms make his work both contemporary and timeless. His simplicity is his strength.
Rohit Kumar stitches daily urban life with threads of passion and protest. His verses challenge the rigidities of structure and celebrate love that dares to exist in between the margins.
Piyush Kumar writes with gentle sadness. His is the poetry of glances, silences, and unsaid words. Each poem leaves behind a quiet echo, allowing space for personal introspection.
Manoj Sharma infuses love with revolutionary zeal. Inspired by Marxist thought, his metaphors elevate mundane reality into emotional clarity. His voice is full of fire and compassion.
Farid Khan offers short, striking pieces-deceptively simple but emotionally charged. His style is minimalist, yet his imagery carries deep resonance and warmth.
Kumar Krishan Sharma, who closes the collection, is the mystic heart of the anthology. His poems swirl like a Dervish, anchored in emotion yet reaching toward transcendence. Themes of exile, justice, and spiritual yearning echo throughout his work.
“After a pause
I told my daughter
if it’s possible
in my next birth
I wish to be a huge tree
under which
you shouldn’t wait-
meet the one
who loves you the most…”
Translation and Design
The translations are handled with remarkable grace. They preserve the lyrical heart of Hindi without falling into the trap of literalness or cultural dilution. The cadences, metaphors, and silences translate beautifully, maintaining the integrity of each poet’s voice.
Published by Vera Prakashan, Jaipur, the book features a clean, contemplative design that honors the intimacy of its content. There is no unnecessary commentary-just poems, speaking directly to the soul.
Final Thoughts
Dervish in the City of Merchants is more than a poetry book-it is a poetic manifesto. It challenges the reader to feel deeply in a world trained to scroll past emotion. Through nine powerful voices, it reimagines love as defiance, as sanctuary, and as sacred dance.
Whether you’re a seasoned poetry lover, a curious newcomer, or a soul searching for truth beneath the noise-this book will not only move you; it might change you.
(The reviewer is Associate Professor English Govt.Degree College Majalta)
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