Sleep Journeys

When Sleep Journeys first appeared in 1981, it took the Urdu poetry world by storm. Now considered one of the finest contemporary Urdu poets, Azra Abbas was among the first to embrace experimental, free verse poetry, a form that took time to gain traction in a field dominated by traditional forms. A single book-length poem, divided into three cantos, Sleep Journeys remains one of Abbas's most complex works, a dreamlike rumination that explores faith, female desire, and the subconscious mind. Her language is simple and austere, the complexity of the work emerging through repetition, interweaving, and juxtaposition. The result is a gossamer thread that leads the reader through a labyrinth of metaphor, imagery, and awe. Award-winning translator Daisy Rockwell has crafted a poetic translation that captures the rhythm and flow of the original. Though comprising a vast web of interwoven prose, each page is self-contained, with the original Urdu facing the English. At the end of the book, a transliteration into Roman script allows readers of Hindi the opportunity to access the original. All told, the book ushers us into the state that lies between sleeping and waking, exploring hidden thoughts and desires; this edition brings one of the most celebrated Urdu poems from the late twentieth century to a broader, worldwide readership.