Translation
Shakuntala (Abhijnanasakuntalam)अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलम्
By Kālidāsa. Translated by Arthur W. Ryder, 1912. Public domain.
Kalidasa's most celebrated drama — a seven-act play (3rd–5th century CE) on the love between King Dushyanta and the forest-raised Shakuntala, their separation through a sage's curse, and their eventual reunion. The play's discovery in the late 18th century (William Jones's 1789 translation) marked European recognition of Sanskrit literary tradition. Ryder's 1912 verse translation preserves the play's alternation of prose dialogue with lyrical verse interludes.