Title: The adventures of Hir and Ranjha
Description: A Punjabi story of star-crossed lovers, written in 1766, with significant parallels to "Romeo & Juliet." In my opinion, the author weaves a compelling epic poem with a strong personal narrative in a very effective manner. It is epic in the variety of characters and scope of the story, although the attention to detail, sometimes at great length, may dissuade some from persevering. I found it to be wonderful in its ability to immerse me in an exotic adventure.
Subjects: Epic poem
Places: Punjab, India
People: Romeo and Juliet
Time periods: Written in 1766, references suggest story based on centuries-old folklore before then.