UJJAYINI By O.N.V. Kurup Rupa, Rs 250 After the recent spate of novels, both fiction and non-fiction, with cleverly structured sentences and the equally ingenius use of words, Ujjayini, which has been described as a 'fiction-poem', definitely stands apart with its depth of imagination, range of emotions and web of allusions. The author, O.N.V. Kurup, has reinvented and reinterpreted the historical origins and the legends surrounding Kalidasa to present the reader with an episode in the life of the poet through a narrative poem which is descriptive and easy to read - even though it is a translation. Translating any work is difficult and even more so is the translation of a poem. That the interest of the reader is sustained till the end is in no small way owing to the skill and ability of A.J. Thomas, who has translated the poem from Mayalalam to English. As the title of the poem suggests, the focus is not so much on the court poet, Kalidasa, but on the city-state of Ujjayini. The story is about Malavika, the daughter of a singer in Kalidasa's village.'She is the darling daughter/ of the chief of the village-elders/ who traditionally sing the legends/ of Udayana down the generations.' Kalidasa loses his heart to her but is distraught when he finds out that Malavika has been chosen to join the king's harem. Ultimately, the poet undertakes a long journey which takes him to the farthest corners of India. Kurup describes the 'unending journeys' where the 'traveller did not count how many times the sun's chariot passed overhead' or 'how many times night crested with full-moon crown in the horizon, passed!' In the course of his wanderings Kalidasa's poetry gains wide acclaim and Chandragupta grants him recognition through an invitation which he accepts. But Kalidasa finds court life claustrophobic and is never particularly comfortable in court. Yet it is here that he rediscovers Malavika. She is one of the dancers performing a play written by Kalidasa in the presence of the king. Their love is rekindled and although they meet clandestinely, their meetings are reported to the king. The alarmed king gifts Kalidasa a beautiful maiden but the poet rejects his offer. This so angers the king that he sends Kalidasa into exile. The author, who has cleverly blended legend and history all along, now relates the composing of Meghduta (the Cloud Messenger) by Kalidasa while the poet is still in exile. When Kalidasa returns from exile he is shocked to learn that Malavika has been gifted to the king's grandson, Pravarasena. Malavika cannot endure this arrangement and one day she is found dead in her palanquin. Kalidasa, mourning her death, leaves the state, but only after placing Meghduta before the palanquin which has been laid to rest on a memorial mound. The narrative of Ujjayini is in the voice of Pallava who was Kalidasa's confidante and his valet in court. The author manipulates Pallava's narrative in a manner that makes the simplicity of the tale compelling. This episode from the life of Kalidasa will strike a chord in the hearts of Bengali readers who are familiar with Saradindu Bandopadhyay's historical novel on Kalidasa. Though one is in prose and the other in verse, the reader is bound to perceive certain similarities between both works. After reading Ujjayini in English, the reader is sure to feel a twinge of envy for the person reading the book in the language it was originally written in, Malayalam.