A recording of poems written by the Indian prime minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has been released in the Indian capital, Delhi.

The poems, written in free verse, are in what is known as pure Hindi, a form closer to the ancient language of Sanskrit.

The Prime Minister "We Will Not Let a War Happen"

They have been set to music and recorded by an Indian classical singer, Padmaja. The album is entitled "Geet Naya Gata Hoon" (or "I Sing a New Song").

In the first major event to mark Mr Vajpayee's emergence as a poet since he took office more than six months ago, the audio cassette of his poems will be released by a noted Urdu poet, Ali Sardar Jafri.

The album begins with a line often repeated in Mr Vajpayee's speeches, reflecting the poet's determination to carry on despite constant pain and disappointment.

In another poem, Jang Na Hone Denge, (or We Will Not Let a War Happen), Mr Vajpayee says India and Pakistan must live together and bear the brunt of their love or hatred for each other.

Not the first poetic PM

Mr Vajpyee is not the first prime minister to display skills beyond politics.

Former prime minister V P Singh also wrote poetry, and has been spending a lot of time painting and writing poems. Another former prime minister, P V Narsimha Rao, recently published a novel entitled "Insider".

Mr Vajpayee has been known for his poetic interests among Hindi speakers for many years, and has published a book of poems and in magazines.