Drinking from love's cup : surrender and sacrifice in the vars of Bhai Gurdas / selections and translations with introduction and commentary by Rahuldeep Singh Gill.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gill, Rahuldeep Singh, author.

Series:

AAR religion in translation

Language:

English

Panjabi

Subjects (All):

Guradāsa, Bhai, approximately 1555-1629--Criticism and interpretation.

Guradāsa.

Guradāsa, Bhai, approximately 1555-1629.

Sikh poetry, Panjabi--History and criticism.

Sikh poetry, Panjabi.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

xiii, 280 pages ; ǂc 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 2016.

Language Note:

In English with some in Punjabi

Summary:

"Bhai Gurdas Bhalla (d. 1636 CE) is widely considered the most important non-canonical poet in Sikh history, having shaped the theology and ethics of the tradition for centuries. His poems, which offer an authoritative illustration of Sikh life in the early seventeenth century, defined Sikh identity during a tumultuous period of upheaval. In Drinking from Love's Cup, Rahuldeep Gill brings together for the first time a collection of the revered poet's early work, masterfully translated into English, alongside the original Punjabi text. The magic of Gurdas's poetry, says Gill, is the fusion of Islamicate narrative with Indian heroic literature to speak about death, martyrdom, and the spirit's absolution in love. Gill challenges the traditional scholarship surrounding the dates of Gurdas's writing, suggesting that Gurdas wrote his poetry to console the Sikh community when it was in mourning over the execution of the fifth of the Sikh founders, Guru Arjan (d. 1606), by agents of the Mughal Empire. Gurdas in his verses immortalized the fifth Guru's role as a martyr and encouraged the faithful to stay involved in the community, resist hegemony, and reinforce Sikh beliefs during the sectarian upheaval. Rhythmic, elegant, and lucid, the poems weave Sikh scripture into the lyrical fabric of Sikh spirituality. Gill brings a contemporary flair to Gurdas's moving stanzas and in his commentary unearths fresh insights about his life and context"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part 1 Seeing Gurdas Anew

Part 2 Text and Translations

Var 4. Hardship's Promise of Victory 71

Var 5. Royal Road, Path of the Pious 85

Var 6. Falling at Feet, We Conquer 98

Var 12. Slay Me for the Sikhs 112

Var 15. Refuge of the True Guru 125

Var 16. The Fruit of Joy in the Gurmukhs' Congregation 139

Var 17. They Waste This Precious Life 153

Var 21. The Guru's Congregation, God's Court 166

Var 23. Saints Seek Sikhs' Feet 176

Var 24. Protector of the Poor 191

Var 25. Heads of Emperors Burn 207

Var 26. Bearing Burdens with Love's Cup 220

Var 30. Truth and Falsehood 241

Part 3 Explanation of Translated Terms.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-261) and index.

Contains:

Guradāsa, Bhai, approximately 1555-1629. Works. Selections.

Guradāsa, Bhai, approximately 1555-1629. Works. Selections. English.

Other Format:

Online version: Gill, Rahuldeep Singh, author. Drinking from love's cup

ISBN:

9780190624088

0190624086

OCLC:

953439050