The poetic excellence of Ismail lies in the sincerity of his feelings and in the simplicity while giving expression.
He seemed to have possessed an artistic mind and an articulating heart— a combination which made him reach a time-honoured position in the field of Telugu poetry. He combines the sensuous with the sublime, earthy with ethereal. Basically an imagist poet, Ismail was a much acclaimed contemporary poet.

For a poet to gain a prophetic vision— an all-absorbing penance and a forward looking perseverance is required. One finds that quality in Ismail’s poetry. His vision and mission were to laud the divine ‘giving’ qualities of a tree. He calls the tree his guru, a teacher par excellence. The image of the tree being a symbol of life seems to linger in the mind of the poet.

“They built this city/brick by careful brick/but it did not live/Then they stabbed/the heart of the corpse/with rapiers of chestnut-rows/the city woke up/and sang magnificently” ( Boulevard of Paris)  

Ismail’s poetry sometimes does not lend itself easily for translation, but the translator very adroitly transports the content, meeting valiantly the challenges   which crop while translating vernacular poetry into English. Being a poet himself, he doesn’t make ‘translation’ a mere mechanical act, but gives an evocative quality to it.
The poem titled ‘The thousand bottomed sea’ is an example— “The roots of the sea branch in our veins/and the silent fish swim/sending loud signals/the crab-gaited Sun ripens your body/as we resurrect ourselves amidst crashing waves”  

Not given to verbosity, Ismail packs great truths in few words— “Pulling out/the world-thorn/that had been pricking her sorely/she walked away/briskly” (‘Suicide’). “Man and woman/a strange creation/ each for the other’s happiness/like a wick and flame/ each for the other’s perdition, like a wick and a flame’ (‘Creation’) .
The book carries the original poem alongside the English translation and is very reader-friendly. A well crafted foreword by the publisher, a poet himself and the explanatory notes by the translator add strength to this fine volume, which speaks as much about the poet as the translator.  

A work of art or literature should result in mutual fulfilment— known as ‘paraspara siddhi’ between the creator and the enjoyer. Even when there is a metaphysical veil between them, it should be allowed/enabled to be broken to reach the reality.

Sometimes, particularly in translations, words fall inadequate or get distorted so the veil remains intact between the creator and enjoyer and the reality of the work remains elusive. A K Ramanujan asserted that in translations poems are never finished but abandoned. But the beauty of the translations in this book gives a feeling of fulfilment; that’s where the translator proves his potential.

Some poets transgress all limits of time through their work— Ismail is one such poet. He lives on and on and this volume is a deserving tribute to him…