False Paradise

"Shoddader Boean" is an early nineteenth century Sylheti ballad based on an old Arab legend. King Shaddad earns renown as a powerful and able monarch, but his unbounded pride and ambition lead to his ruin. The drama and moral appeal of the story have assured its lasting popularity. This edition incorporates a full colour reproduction of each page of the original hand written text (in the unique script known as Sylheti Nagri), and on the opposite page a transcription in Roman script and a modern English translation. Of special interest to students of folk literature, the work is entertaining enough to engage the casual reader too.