Rendered into Devanagari script, this book is a compilation of Urdu poetry written by Raj Kumar ‘Qais’ over the period 1993-2005. For the benefit of the reader, the meanings of the more difficult words appearing in the verse are given as footnotes.

Titled ‘Saihraa Saihraa’ --- which means ‘desert after desert’ --- the book conjures up the unending wanderings of ‘Qais’, the fabled lover of the Arabian damsel Laila. It comprises about ninety Ghazals and about thirty qit’aat that depict a variety of moods experienced by a lover and are expressed in a manner that directly touches the heart of the reader.

This book has been reviewed by a number of critics of Urdu poetry. In their words, the compositions presented here flow effortlessly and display qualities that provide glimpse after glimpse into the idiom of DaaGh Dehlvi, lyricism of Akhtar Sheerani and cultural nuances of Firaq Gorakhpuri. It is hoped that the reader of this book will enjoy those glimpses to his/her heart’s content.