"READINGS IN URDU
LITERATURE"

MDES W4636 -- SPRING 2008
Tu 6:10-8:00, 511 Kent; Th 6:10-7:00, 522A Kent
Prof. Frances Pritchett
 

*General Course Description*

*Course Materials*

*Week-by-Week Syllabus*

*Other Past/Future Course Topics*

 
==> PREREQUISITE! <==
Completion of the second semester of Intermediate Hindi-Urdu (MDES W1613y), or consent of the instructor. If you are uncertain about your eligibility, check with Prof. Pritchett <fp7@columbia.edu>.

General Course Description:

        This course is open to both undergraduates and graduates, subject to the above prerequisite. The course is repeatable, and the content changes every semester. It is two things at once: an advanced language course, with practice in speaking, understanding, vocabulary use, reading, writing, and grammatical analysis; and a literary course, with exposure in depth to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose and poetry.

        The two-hour Tuesday class will be devoted to work with written materials-- reading, grammar, writing practice, etc.-- and will be conducted by FWP. The one-hour Thursday class will vary in nature, but will often be used for conversation practice, and will sometimes feature topics and formats selected by students (playing games in Urdu is an option). Once in a while we may want to use the second hour on Thursday (7:10-8:00) for some special purpose; it is also a time that you may want to use to consult with me about your individual project. So if you can manage to keep that hour free, that will be very helpful.

        Because the course is repeatable, and naturally for other reasons as well, students in the course will have widely varying backgrounds in the language. Grading will therefore be entirely individual. Your grade will be determined by my assessment of your performance in relation to your background and capabilities, not by ranked comparison between you and the other students in the class.

        Grading will be based on two components. Half of your grade will be based on general class performance--including regular attendance (a record will be kept), participation, preparation of reading and homework assignments, and a two-hour final exam. The other half of the grade will be based on an individual project, suitable to your level, that you will discuss with me, formulate in writing, carry out in the course of the semester, and demonstrate to me in the course of an individual half-hour interview at the end of the semester. Projects can range from learning vocabulary words or memorizing poetry, through doing translations or readings, to writing major research papers or essays, in English or Urdu. 
 

COURSE MATERIALS:

== REQUIRED: There's usually a course packet, from Village Copier, 2872 Broadway, NY NY 10025; phone 212-666-0600, email <village-copier@nyc.rr.com>.But NOT THIS SEMESTER! See the syllabus for all information.

== REQUIRED: Access to a Platts’ Dictionary. It is strongly recommended that you get your own. I have some on hand right now (an exceptional value at $30) for those who want them. Copies are on reserve at Butler Library and the East Asia Library (3rd floor of Kent), and one is in the MEALAC reading room too. This is the best single work for any serious Urdu student to own. This invaluable text is also now online through the Digital South Asia Library.

== Highly recommended: M. A. R. Barker et al., Urdu-English Vocabulary: Students' Pronouncing Dictionary (Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, Inc., 1991 [1980]). Excellent vocabulary-building tool, with frequency count so you can target the most common words. Available through amazon.com.

== If you feel the need of some review, take a look at C. M. Naim, Introductory Urdu, Volume 1 (Chicago: South Asia Language & Area Center University of Chicago, 1999: online through the Digital South Asia Library. (It is also on reserve at Butler.) To make this text more useful, I've given links to some of the *main grammar topics*.  This text also features a thorough account of the Urdu *SCRIPT*. I also have some *script-related thoughts of my own* online.

== You should also check out the Urdu/Hindi language/literature page on my website for many other resources. A notable one is the *THE DATELIST OF URDU LITERARY FIGURES*, a comprehensive database on Sean Pue's website.

== You also might find useful some of the audio- and videotapes in our Language Resource Center, or texts and grammar books in our Butler Reserve reference collection.

== Just for a treat, take a look at my calligraphy collection.

== You might also like to join the Urdulist, a small listserv based at Columbia for those who are seriously interested in Urdu literature: for full information, send an email to <majordomo@columbia.edu> with no header and only the words "info urdulist" (without quotes) in the body.

== Are you fond of modern poetry? M. A. R. Habib's facing-text reader, *An Anthology of Modern Urdu Poetry* (New York: MLA, 2003) is a bargain, and might be just what you'd enjoy.

== And if you are really serious about the poetry-- *Urdu Meter: A Practical Handbook* is at your service.

SPRING 2008: A study of the great canon-forming work of Urdu literary history:
Aab-e hayaat (1880), by Muhammad Husain 'Azad' (1830-1910)
~~~~~~~

More details will be added here, and any necessary changes made, as the semester progresses. Please check this syllabus regularly for all current information.

*Urdu Meter: a Practical Handbook* (not required but very helpful)
*Platts* (Urdu); *Steingass* (Persian); *CRULP* (all-Urdu)

*Nets of Awareness* (Part 1 must be read)
*"A Long History of Urdu Literary Culture, Part 2 (an article about the tazkirah tradition)* (not required)
*Early Urdu Literary Culture and History by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi* (Chapter 1 must be read)
*Aab-e hayaat (Urdu)*
*Aab-e hayaat (English)* (The whole translation must be read in the course of the semester; pb. ed. can be bought on amazon if desired)
*The Digital Ghazal Reader* (for examples of classical ghazal, with glossaries and recitations)

WEEK ONE == Tu. Jan. 22, Th. Jan. 24
Please read the two prefatory essays (by Faruqi and Pritchett) in the Aab translation, and all he introductory material up to E94
In class: discussion of the Aab intro: E53-56; U1-5; materials will be provided in class. Focus: E54-56,from "Since I have" to the end (U3-5).

WEEK TWO == Tu. Jan. 29
"The History of Urdu Poetry" E95-106; U64-80; focus: E103-06, "At the beginning" to the end (U75-80)
= Th. Jan. 31: reading, etc.; making arrangements for the semester

WEEK THREE == Tu. Feb. 5
"The First Era" E109-120; U81-105; focus: E109-115 (U81-88), on Vali; highly recommended as background: *Faruqi, "Early Urdu," Chapter 6*
= Th. Feb. 7: Nadia's class

WEEK FOUR == Tu. Feb. 12
"The Second Era" E123-133; U106-122; focus: E123-126; U106-109; Intro and Shah Hatim (up to the preface from Divanzadah)
= Th. Feb. 14: Suzanne's class

WEEK FIVE == Tu. Feb. 19
"The Third Era" E137-203; U123-220; focus: E161-164; U156-160; From "Ibrat ul-ghafilin" to "...on the lips of thousands" (Sauda's clash with Makin)
= Th. Feb. 21: Arthur's class

WEEK SIX == Tu. Feb. 26
"The Third Era" E137-203; U123-220; focus: E197-200; U208-211; From "2 3/4 poets" to "...pharmacist's boy"
= Th. Feb. 28: Zeeshan's class

WEEK SEVEN  == Tu. Mar. 4
"The Fourth Era" E207-269; U221-232; focus: E243-246; U276-279; From "A rakish jest" to "..."do somewhat better than others."
= Th. Mar. 6: Mae's class

WEEK EIGHT == Tu. Mar. 11
"The Fourth Era" E207-269; U221-232; focus: E261-266; U305-308; the whole anecdote about the "neck" ghazals
= Th. Mar. 13: Jane's class

WEEK NINE == Tu. Mar. 25
"The Fifth Era" E273-428; U325-526; focus: E371-375; U455-459; from "His Typical Style of Poetry" to the end of the anecdote about taking out the eyes
= Th. Mar. 27: Ambreen's class

WEEK TEN == Tu. Apr. 1
"The Fifth Era" E273-428; U325-526; focus: E382-383; U463-467; from "Hooray for his quick wits" to "This phrase is a complete chronogram."
= Th. Apr. 3: Namrata's class

WEEK ELEVEN == Tu. Apr. 8
"The Fifth Era" E273-428; U325-526; focus: E403-406; U493-497; from "An opinion about his Urdu volume" to "...pressed to our eyes like spectacles."
= Th. Apr. 10: Sydra's class

*URDU/HINDI WORKSHOP*, Sat. Apr. 12

WEEK TWELVE  == Tu. Apr. 15
"The Fifth Era" E273-428; U325-526; focus: E409-413; U501-504; from "Impromptu" to the end of the sahra controversy
= Th. Apr. 17: Joel's class

WEEK THIRTEEN == Tu. Apr. 22
"The Fifth Era" E273-428; U325-526; focus: E414-418; U506-510; from the anecdotes about debt and jail, to the end of the death chronogram anecdote
= Th. Apr. 24: Mujib's class

WEEK FOURTEEN == Tu. Apr. 29, Th. May 1
Review work and overview.

PARTY -- at Prof. Pritchett's apartment, details to be arranged in class