Umrao Jan Ada: The Courtesan of LucknowTranslated from the Urdu by Khushwant Singh. Umrao Jan Ada is perhaps one of the most enigmatic and forgotten female figures in South Asian Literature. The question of her existence, her beauty, her scholarly abilities and her poetic gift remain a mystery. The book is an account of Umrao's life as a Lucknawi courtesan, a nautch girl, delivered in first person by Umrao herself, and documented by a close friend. Written more than a hundred years ago, the novel recreates the gracious ambience of old Lucknow and takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the palaces of wealthy nawabs, the hideouts of the colorful vagabonds and the luxurious abodes of the city's courtesans. |
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Common terms and phrases
Abadi Akbar Ali Khan Allah Ameer Jan asked auntie Husaini began Birjis Qadr Bismillah Jan bracelets brother Chowk Chuttan cook courtesan daughter Dilawar Khan dupatta exclaimed eyes face Faiz Ali Faizabad father Fazal friends Gauhar Mirza gave girls give gold gold sovereigns hand happened Hasnu heard heart Hindustani idiom hookah hundred rupees Jemadar Kanpur Khanum Khurshid Jan knew lady leave live looked lovers Lucknow madam maidservant mama Maulvi Sahib Mirza Ruswa mistress morning mother Muslim Mutiny Nawab Chabban Nawab Sultan never night palanquin Peer Bakhsh pice poetry praise prostitutes Pyare Sahib pyjamas Rajah Sahib Rashid Rashid Ali recite replied rupees senior Begum sent servants singing someone song tabla talk tanpura teacher tell things told took turned Urdu verse Wajid Ali Shah wife woman women word young
Popular passages
Page 28 - ... case of other girls with my background, it could only be the physical compulsions of inherent wantonness. They would think that the delay in fixing the date of my wedding had made me impatient: that I cast my eye on some other man and ran away with him and when that someone dropped me, I must have picked up with another and, when even that affair did not turn out well, with yet another man and so gradually slipped into the profession. I would not blame them for coming to that conclusion because...
Page 27 - They are brought up amongst people who talk of nothing except sex and fornication. And whosoever they turn to, be it their mothers or sisters, they only have examples of degradation. That is not the case with girls who are born of respectable parents.
Page 28 - At the time I am speaking of, he had just secured his release by getting someone to intercede on his behalf. Dilawar Khan had a strong grouse against my father. When he was arrested in Faizabad, people of our locality were summoned to testify to his character. My father was amongst them. He was a simple and honest person. The Queen's magistrate had placed the Holy Koran in his hand and asked: 'Well, Jemadar, tell me the absolute truth; what sort of a man is Dilawar Khan?
Page 13 - Critics acclaimed it at once as the best narrative of the life and culture of Lucknow and praised Ruswa's mastery of Urdu prose. Several editions of the novel were sold out.