Indian Poetesses: From Vedic to Modern Times

In this book an attempt has been made to bring together some specimens of the work of Indian poetesses, women who sang or wrote in many different ages and under very varying circumstances. The field is a very wide one, and no claim is made that a fully representative selection of the work done is given here. The book is the work of many authoresses and of many translators. The ideal in view was that the translations as well as the poems should be the work of women. This, however, has not proved practicable in all cases. One person, or more than one—sometimes Indian, sometimes European—was responsible for each vernacular. He or she obtained such other help as seemed advisable, and sent in selection of such translations as were deemed suitable. If these were too numerous to be all included, a further selection was made. In a few cases the selections are from translations already published in English.