This book contains selections from the eighteenth century Urdu poet Mirza Muhammad Ra? Sauda, the earliest poet to impress his readers with his versatility and extroversion. Apart from ghazal , Sauda has to his credit, odes, elegies and satires. Sauda wrote odes of a high order, some for his patrons, but mostly for prophets and saints. In the same spirit Sauda composed elegies for the martyrs of Karbala. Sauda had an eye for detail, and a graphic turn of expression, which led to his satires.