What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hanuman Chalisa
Hail Hanuman, great wisdom’s ocean
The three worlds glow with your light and devotion.
The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the best-loved hymns and poems of all time.
Many millions recite it by heart—in times of joy or sorrow, success or distress, and when they are in need of courage. Its words and music are designed to lift the spirits of both the believer and non-believer.
Vikram Seth—as acclaimed and popular a poet as he is a novelist—spent some years translating this beloved classic into English, in rhyme and metre.
The result is a flawless translation which has the magical incantatory quality of the original Awadhi. Millions can now recite The Hanuman Chalisa in English.
This elegant bilingual edition has the original verses in Devanagari and Roman script alongside the English translations.
The three worlds glow with your light and devotion.
The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the best-loved hymns and poems of all time.
Many millions recite it by heart—in times of joy or sorrow, success or distress, and when they are in need of courage. Its words and music are designed to lift the spirits of both the believer and non-believer.
Vikram Seth—as acclaimed and popular a poet as he is a novelist—spent some years translating this beloved classic into English, in rhyme and metre.
The result is a flawless translation which has the magical incantatory quality of the original Awadhi. Millions can now recite The Hanuman Chalisa in English.
This elegant bilingual edition has the original verses in Devanagari and Roman script alongside the English translations.
- GenresPoetry
100 pages, Hardcover
Published July 5, 2024
About the author
Vikram Seth
58 books1,732 followersVikram Seth is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.
During the course of his doctorate studies at Stanford, he did his field work in China and translated Hindi and Chinese poetry into English. He returned to Delhi via Xinjiang and Tibet which led to a travel narrative From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983) which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.
The Golden Gate: A Novel in Verse (1986) was his first novel describing the experiences of a group of friends who live in California. A Suitable Boy (1993), an epic of Indian life set in the 1950s, got him the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.
His poetry includes The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985) and All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). His Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992) is children's book consisting of ten stories in verse about animals.
In 2005, he published Two Lives, a family memoir written at the suggestion of his mother, which focuses on the lives of his great-uncle (Shanti Behari Seth) and German-Jewish great aunt (Henny Caro) who met in Berlin in the early 1930s while Shanti was a student there and with whom Seth stayed extensively on going to England at age 17 for school. As with From Heaven Lake, Two Lives contains much autobiography.
An unusually forthcoming writer whose published material is replete with un- or thinly-disguised details as to the personal lives of himself and his intimates related in a highly engaging narrative voice, Seth has said that he is somewhat perplexed that his readers often in consequence presume to an unwelcome degree of personal familiarity with him.
During the course of his doctorate studies at Stanford, he did his field work in China and translated Hindi and Chinese poetry into English. He returned to Delhi via Xinjiang and Tibet which led to a travel narrative From Heaven Lake: Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet (1983) which won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.
The Golden Gate: A Novel in Verse (1986) was his first novel describing the experiences of a group of friends who live in California. A Suitable Boy (1993), an epic of Indian life set in the 1950s, got him the WH Smith Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.
His poetry includes The Humble Administrator's Garden (1985) and All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990). His Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992) is children's book consisting of ten stories in verse about animals.
In 2005, he published Two Lives, a family memoir written at the suggestion of his mother, which focuses on the lives of his great-uncle (Shanti Behari Seth) and German-Jewish great aunt (Henny Caro) who met in Berlin in the early 1930s while Shanti was a student there and with whom Seth stayed extensively on going to England at age 17 for school. As with From Heaven Lake, Two Lives contains much autobiography.
An unusually forthcoming writer whose published material is replete with un- or thinly-disguised details as to the personal lives of himself and his intimates related in a highly engaging narrative voice, Seth has said that he is somewhat perplexed that his readers often in consequence presume to an unwelcome degree of personal familiarity with him.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 12, 2024
This is a not a book. It’s a prayer that has been translated with lot of heart and mind by Vikram Seth
It’s an easy read even for those who prefer English and translation is good . He also distalls the meaning of the verse and that helps understand the prayer .lovely little treasure.
But it’s important to note is it 80 pages with 4 line on each page and personally feel it was too costly for that .
It’s an easy read even for those who prefer English and translation is good . He also distalls the meaning of the verse and that helps understand the prayer .lovely little treasure.
But it’s important to note is it 80 pages with 4 line on each page and personally feel it was too costly for that .
June 9, 2025
Hanuman Chaalisa is a revered piece of work.
This is a far cry.
This is a far cry.
January 22, 2025
Vikram Seth has truly nailed the detailed interpretation of the Hanuman Chalisa. He delves into each and every word, preserving its profound essence. The translation is remarkably meaningful, showcasing his meticulous attention to every doha and chaupai. This work is a testament to his dedication and skill, making the timeless verses accessible and deeply impactful.
January 20, 2025
For me Hanuman was a powerful mythological figure. He was devoted to Lord Rama in the purest way possible and plays an important role in the Hindu epic, Ramayana. Here is a story of Hanuman that always inspires me
In ancient Indian Mythology, Valmiki was a poet who many considered a pioneer of Sanskrit Literature. He had written one the Greatest Hindu epics of all time titled, 'The Ramayana'. It consists of 24,000 verses in 7 books. The book depicts the journey of one of the seven avatars of the Indian God Vishnu, whose name is 'Rama'. It explores human values and explains the concept of dharma. A few days after Valmiki had finished his version of the Ramayana, he was told that Hanuman the monkey God and King, and an ardent devotee of Rama had written his own version of the Ramayana.
Out of curiosity Valmiki goes to visit Hanuman to see this new version of the Ramayana. Hanuman then gives him a banana leaf on which he has written the Ramayana with the tip of his finger nails. Valmiki reads 'Hanuman's Ramayana' and then he starts crying. He is amazed because Hanuman's Ramayana is extra-ordinarily good and much better than his.
When Hanuman saw the grief of Valmiki, he took his version of the Ramayana and tore it up. When Valmiki asked him why he had done that, Hanuman replied as such, "Valmiki, while you wrote the Ramayana to achieve fame and status, I wrote it to find Rama."
The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn in praise of Hanuman, and popularly recited by millions of Hindus everyday. It is an Awadhi language text attributed to Tulsidas, and is his best known text apart from the Ramcharitmanas. he word 'chālīsā' is derived from 'chālīs' meaning the number 'forty' in Hindi, denoting the number of verses in the Hanuman Chalisa (excluding the couplets at the beginning and the end). I often chant the Chalisa and it helps me feel calm and centered. Vikram Seth does a great job helping you understand the meaning of each of the verses. They praise Hanuman's devotion, strength and glory in different ways. He also provides some cintext in the introduction.
In ancient Indian Mythology, Valmiki was a poet who many considered a pioneer of Sanskrit Literature. He had written one the Greatest Hindu epics of all time titled, 'The Ramayana'. It consists of 24,000 verses in 7 books. The book depicts the journey of one of the seven avatars of the Indian God Vishnu, whose name is 'Rama'. It explores human values and explains the concept of dharma. A few days after Valmiki had finished his version of the Ramayana, he was told that Hanuman the monkey God and King, and an ardent devotee of Rama had written his own version of the Ramayana.
Out of curiosity Valmiki goes to visit Hanuman to see this new version of the Ramayana. Hanuman then gives him a banana leaf on which he has written the Ramayana with the tip of his finger nails. Valmiki reads 'Hanuman's Ramayana' and then he starts crying. He is amazed because Hanuman's Ramayana is extra-ordinarily good and much better than his.
When Hanuman saw the grief of Valmiki, he took his version of the Ramayana and tore it up. When Valmiki asked him why he had done that, Hanuman replied as such, "Valmiki, while you wrote the Ramayana to achieve fame and status, I wrote it to find Rama."
The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn in praise of Hanuman, and popularly recited by millions of Hindus everyday. It is an Awadhi language text attributed to Tulsidas, and is his best known text apart from the Ramcharitmanas. he word 'chālīsā' is derived from 'chālīs' meaning the number 'forty' in Hindi, denoting the number of verses in the Hanuman Chalisa (excluding the couplets at the beginning and the end). I often chant the Chalisa and it helps me feel calm and centered. Vikram Seth does a great job helping you understand the meaning of each of the verses. They praise Hanuman's devotion, strength and glory in different ways. He also provides some cintext in the introduction.
January 8, 2025
The Hanuman Chalisa is a very important work of classic Awadhi poetry (also arguably the most popular religious hymn in North India).
Seth's translation apparently took a decade to finish.
He describes beautifully the challenges of rendering from Awadhi: English is quite iambic in spoken cadence (ta-TUM ta-TUM) whereas Awadhi is rather descending in emphasis (TUM-ty TUM-ty). So he had to work to find English rhyming words that emphasise the 2nd last syllable (ocean, devotion) instead of the last syllable (cat, mat). Apparently the former are much rarer.
This was a treat to read. The English actually sounds incantatory when spoken.
Seth's translation apparently took a decade to finish.
He describes beautifully the challenges of rendering from Awadhi: English is quite iambic in spoken cadence (ta-TUM ta-TUM) whereas Awadhi is rather descending in emphasis (TUM-ty TUM-ty). So he had to work to find English rhyming words that emphasise the 2nd last syllable (ocean, devotion) instead of the last syllable (cat, mat). Apparently the former are much rarer.
This was a treat to read. The English actually sounds incantatory when spoken.
July 30, 2024
Crisp. Smart. Clear.
Nice binding.
Nice binding.
May 10, 2025
Even if the book had carried only the Introduction, it would still have made your day. These phonetic translations of the hymns also echo the music of the author's beautiful mind.
September 10, 2024
Vikram Seth’s translation of the Hanuman Chalisa bridges cultures, making this timeless classic accessible to a global audience while preserving its poetic essence. Here’s my take on this remarkable feat...
https://poojasodhi.com/translating-ha...
https://poojasodhi.com/translating-ha...
April 11, 2025
Who does not know Shri Hanuman Chalisa (fortyverser in praise of Lord Hanuman) by heart? However, since the day I read (Vir Sanghvi's one full page article in HT) about Vikram Seth's labour of love , the English translation of the devotional poem, I was all agog to read it. My prime curiosity being how the internationally renowned Indian poet writing in English has handled the translation of the ancient Awadhi poem by the devout poet Tulsidas.
In the introduction itself Seth makes it clear that it is not an exact translation. He admits he may have taken certain liberties in translating the verses in English wherein phonetic transliteration has been made use of to transmit the joy , magic and charisma of the best loved and incantated verse by tens of millions to whom it endows support and courage. The Chalisa includes doha or couplets and chaupai , i.e., quadruplet. To be honest I was not very taken up with the English version. Who will be ? Those who chant it by heart every day perhaps more than once whenever the need and feel arise? I guess even Seth is aware of the lacuna.
Translation or transliteration robs the original of its beauty and worth. It's proven one hundred times true in this case. If it is transliteration then there are words in the couplets which have been omitted in English. In others, the larger connotations have been down played for the sake of fitting into the metre or rhyme. Needless to say it's a bit disappointing in some parts.
However, the one big contribution of Seth is to make the reader aware of the literary value of a chant which is perhaps taken for granted or overlooked in incantation. It's hard to translate a work which is so rich in its simplicity. The alliterations , the cadence, the rhythm, the metre , the syncopations - an exalting experience as one's tongue rolls out the lyrical praise of the Lord powered by pure and sacred bhakti rasa or devotion. It's extraordinary spiritually elevating sound reinstating the lost cadence of the devotees' soul!
It has taken years for Seth to complete the exercise. It is also said that he was not keen on publishing his labour of love. He has dedicated this laborious work to Bhaskar , the protagonist of his first novel - The Suitable Boy - because Bhaskar had learnt the verse by heart almost in his infancy and in adult years taken up the cudgel to fight against religious chauvinism which is so vulgarly obvious in today's times. Seth's hope that "the self aggrandisement and wilful cruelty " adopted by "users of religion" will be replaced by inclusivity and humanity of the verses which is the motivational spirit behind this stupendous endeavour.
Credit goes to Seth for putting his pen to this daunting task with an altruistic aim. The exercise itself is enormous in magnitude and no amount of nitpicking can deprecate his years of efforts to that extent.
In the introduction itself Seth makes it clear that it is not an exact translation. He admits he may have taken certain liberties in translating the verses in English wherein phonetic transliteration has been made use of to transmit the joy , magic and charisma of the best loved and incantated verse by tens of millions to whom it endows support and courage. The Chalisa includes doha or couplets and chaupai , i.e., quadruplet. To be honest I was not very taken up with the English version. Who will be ? Those who chant it by heart every day perhaps more than once whenever the need and feel arise? I guess even Seth is aware of the lacuna.
Translation or transliteration robs the original of its beauty and worth. It's proven one hundred times true in this case. If it is transliteration then there are words in the couplets which have been omitted in English. In others, the larger connotations have been down played for the sake of fitting into the metre or rhyme. Needless to say it's a bit disappointing in some parts.
However, the one big contribution of Seth is to make the reader aware of the literary value of a chant which is perhaps taken for granted or overlooked in incantation. It's hard to translate a work which is so rich in its simplicity. The alliterations , the cadence, the rhythm, the metre , the syncopations - an exalting experience as one's tongue rolls out the lyrical praise of the Lord powered by pure and sacred bhakti rasa or devotion. It's extraordinary spiritually elevating sound reinstating the lost cadence of the devotees' soul!
It has taken years for Seth to complete the exercise. It is also said that he was not keen on publishing his labour of love. He has dedicated this laborious work to Bhaskar , the protagonist of his first novel - The Suitable Boy - because Bhaskar had learnt the verse by heart almost in his infancy and in adult years taken up the cudgel to fight against religious chauvinism which is so vulgarly obvious in today's times. Seth's hope that "the self aggrandisement and wilful cruelty " adopted by "users of religion" will be replaced by inclusivity and humanity of the verses which is the motivational spirit behind this stupendous endeavour.
Credit goes to Seth for putting his pen to this daunting task with an altruistic aim. The exercise itself is enormous in magnitude and no amount of nitpicking can deprecate his years of efforts to that extent.
December 20, 2024
I can’t tell you the number of times I would recite these lines (in Awadhi, of course) as a child: going from my room to the bathroom located in the verandah at six years of age, travelling through a dark lane to reach my home as an 8-year-old, crossing dark roads to pass off some item to my dad at 10, and so on. As thousands and lakhs of Indians, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country, I’ve grown up to hundreds of recitations of Hanuman Chalisa (while reciting yourself).
And while I’ve left my religious and theist selves somewhere in the lanes of past tense, I can still recite the entire chalisa in less than 70 seconds (trust me, I just counted) with all the stammerings and slips in my muscle memory today. The point of all this is that it’s been a large part of my life growing up, and I’ve seen it being a large part of many around me.
Translating a poem with this many contexts and nuances, not to mention its poetic sensibilities, is no mean task. On top of that, to address the elephant in the room, at a time when religion, religious texts, and religious figures have been claimed and appropriated by violent groups and authoritarian regimes, Vikram’s text (and his brief yet delightful introduction where he dedicates the translation to Bhaskar, his character from A Suitable Boy, the boy who loved Hanuman and grew up to fight against intolerance) is a reminder of times and sentiments where religion and polarization didn’t need to be brethren and where religion and religiosity can be devoid of political affairs.
Before I stray too far away, let’s come back to Seth’s translation at hand. I’ve always admired Seth’s inclination to play with rhyme and rhythm in his poems and perhaps because of those same reasons, there’s a certain old-school charm to his poetry. That same charm lends itself greatly to the beauty of this translation, which is a valiant attempt at adapting not just the essence but also the musical quality of the original.
Whether a devotee or not, whether someone belonging to Hinduism or even familiar with the faith and its myths or not, Vikram Seth’s The Hanuman Chalisa is a wonderful read. I call it Vikram Seth’s because despite it being a translation, anyone familiar with Seth’s works would find many characteristics of his poetic self here— not simply as a translator but as someone creating a classic work anew.
A much longer review here:
https://www.purplepencilproject.com/v...
And while I’ve left my religious and theist selves somewhere in the lanes of past tense, I can still recite the entire chalisa in less than 70 seconds (trust me, I just counted) with all the stammerings and slips in my muscle memory today. The point of all this is that it’s been a large part of my life growing up, and I’ve seen it being a large part of many around me.
Translating a poem with this many contexts and nuances, not to mention its poetic sensibilities, is no mean task. On top of that, to address the elephant in the room, at a time when religion, religious texts, and religious figures have been claimed and appropriated by violent groups and authoritarian regimes, Vikram’s text (and his brief yet delightful introduction where he dedicates the translation to Bhaskar, his character from A Suitable Boy, the boy who loved Hanuman and grew up to fight against intolerance) is a reminder of times and sentiments where religion and polarization didn’t need to be brethren and where religion and religiosity can be devoid of political affairs.
Before I stray too far away, let’s come back to Seth’s translation at hand. I’ve always admired Seth’s inclination to play with rhyme and rhythm in his poems and perhaps because of those same reasons, there’s a certain old-school charm to his poetry. That same charm lends itself greatly to the beauty of this translation, which is a valiant attempt at adapting not just the essence but also the musical quality of the original.
Whether a devotee or not, whether someone belonging to Hinduism or even familiar with the faith and its myths or not, Vikram Seth’s The Hanuman Chalisa is a wonderful read. I call it Vikram Seth’s because despite it being a translation, anyone familiar with Seth’s works would find many characteristics of his poetic self here— not simply as a translator but as someone creating a classic work anew.
A much longer review here:
https://www.purplepencilproject.com/v...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews