Remembering Syed Amin Ashraf: Selection of couplets of the prominent Aligarh-based Urdu poet

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

A few months have passed but literary world is still in a state of mourning due to the demise of prominent Urdu poet Syed Amin Ashraf.

Ashraf, 80, was a leading Urdu poet, who avoided popular 'mushairas' and this is perhaps the reason that he didn't get the fame which he deserved.

But his command over language and idiom, had made him one of the foremost 'shayars' of the era in the country.

shahar-dar-shahar shab-e-taar* ka pheraa hoga

ham na honge, to andheraa hi andheraa hoga

[Syed Amin Ashraf]

Syed Amin Ashraf was born in Kachhauchha Sharif in UP, on June 20, 1930. A professor of English in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Urdu poetry was his first love. Though he began writing poetry in the decade of fifties, his first collection of poetry [divan] was published only in 2000.

This suggests how Ashraf sahab was indifferent towards publication of his own poetry.

In fact, he was the most important poet in the region. But he mostly remained confined to literary magazines and attended only select gatherings and 'mushairas'. Eminent Urdu writer Rashid Anwar Rashid recently wrote in Ajkal that, 'Only after Shaharyar's demise, Syed Amin Ashraf got recognition as the most important poet in Aligarh'.

Rashid is not off the mark. It is true that Shaharyar was a legend in his own right but his association with movies, particularly, his lyrics in Umraojan, made him a household name. Besides, Ashraf, wasn't a person who was interesting in pushing himself ahead. 

Some of his couplets:

halqa-e-shaam-o-sahar se nahiin jaane walaa

dard is deeda-e-tar se nahiiN jaane walaa

dekhtaa huuN muntashir shiiraaza-e-kaar-e-jahaaN

saa'at-e-naa-aafriida ki jhalak hai aur maiN

agar hazaar baras kii bhii zindagi hotii

to aarzuu yahii hotii ki aur jee lete

Ashraf sahab was aware of his literary standing. He said it it numerous couplets. In literary journal Kitabnuma, Dr Iffat Ara, wrote an obituary and she has also made a selection of his well-known 'ash'aar'.

munavvar aur mubham iste-aare dekh leta huuN

maiN sote jaagte, dilkash nazaare dekh letaa huuN

nasha-e-she'r uRaaye liye jaata hai mujhe

jaise rahvaar-e-sabaa, taKht-e-SulemaaN jaise

mauj-e-nasim ban ke ravaaN kuu-ba-kuu hue

ham bhii shariik-e-qaafla-e-rang-o-buu hue

Human beings don't get everything they wish for in life. An emotional, yet 'wazadar' person, he kept his pain to himself though it occasionally gets visible in his poetry. He did have a contended life and happy marital life. Yet, those who knew him, were aware about what he pined for and what kept him sad.

Jo milna hai vahi mil kar rahega

savaal-e-besh-o-kam bhii be-sabab hai

Amin Ashraf retired in 1990. It was only in later years that he took interest in publishing his works. Because of his command over Persian, one finds an enchanting quality in his couplets. Some of his couplets remind you of the legendary Irfan Siddiqui.

Ameen Ashraf maiN khud na-aashna lekin ye shohrat hai

butaan-e-shahar mein ek yaar-e-jaani main bhii rakhtaa huuN

koii sabab hai jo rahtaa hai Khauf-e-naadiida

muhiib saaya sa larzaaN hai farsh-e-jaaN par bhii

A 'qalandar' in the true sense, he lived life on his own terms.

ye maana aib bhii haiN saikRoN, kis meN nahiiN hote?

ameen ashraf, magar tujh sa qalandar ho nahiiN saktaa

[aib=weaknesses]

A couplet from the 'naat' genre:

Ye dil diwana hai uska, jo diwana Muhammad ka

AzaaN koii kahe, ruuh-e-Bilaali aa hii jaati hai

After his first collection 'Jaada-e-Shab' was published in 2000, the second divan 'Bahar Eejad' came out in 2007 and Qafas Rang appeared in 2011. He had a large social circle and not just because of poetry but also for his innate humane qualities that he would be remembered for a long time.

Yehi voh rishte haiN jo saath saath rahte haiN

Khud apnaa sayaa hai, yaadeN bhii haiN, muqaddar bhii

After his death in Aligarh on February 7 this year, across India programmes were held to pay homage to the poet. As per his wishes, his mortal remains were taken to his hometown and buried in the hospice premises of Sufi saint Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Samnani RH.

Syed Ameen Ashraf is no more. But his legacy lives on. He will always be remembered as a poet and an extraordinary human being. He always encouraged youngsters and treated everybody with respect. An extremely humble and modest person, he enriched classical Urdu poetry with his own experiences and unique idiom.

[*shab-e-taar; dark night, darkness]

[Some couplets have been obtained from Dr Iffat Aara's article in Kitabnuma. Thanks are due to her. Photo courtesy Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences]

The 'Shaharyar' of Urdu literature: Poetry, profile and selected couplets

True to his name, poet Shaharyar* rules over the Urdu literary landscape in the sub-continent, particularly, India.

Kunwar Akhlaq Khan 'Shaharyar' was born in Aonla [Anwla] town in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district. He published a monthly magazine, Ghalib, in 1959.

While many of his generation spent themselves early and faded from the scene, Shaharyar remains as prolific as he was three decades ago. He is loved by masses as well as classes.

His ghazals like 'dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye' and other verses that were used as lyrics in Bollywood movies including Umrao Jaan and Gaman further added to his popularity. As a result his ghazal spread across non-Hindustani speaking regions.

He has won many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Akademi and the recently announced Jnanpith Award.

Here is a selection of his couplets:

ummiid se kam chashm-i-khariidaar meN aaye
ham log zaraa der se baazaar meN aaye

sabhii ko gham hai samandar ke khushk hone kaa
ki khel khatm huaa kashtiyaaN Dubone kaa

na jiskii shakl hai koii na jiskaa naam hai koii
ek aisii shakl kaa kyuuN hameN azl se intezaar hai

phir kahiiN Khwaab-o-haqiiqat kaa tasaadum hogaa
phir koii manzil-e-benaam bulaati hai hameN

zindagii jaisii tavaqqo thii, nahiiN, kuchh kam hai
har ghaRii hotaa hai ehsaas kahiiN kuchh kam hai

log sar phoR kar bhii dekh chuke
gham kii diivaar TuuTtii hii nahiiN

is natiije pe pohaNchte haiN sabhii aaKhir meN
haasil-e-sair-e-jahaaN kuchh nahiiN hairaani hai

markaz-e-diida-o-dil teraa tasavvur thaa kabhii
aaj is baat pe kitni haNsii aati hai hameN

voh dekh lo, voh samandar khushk hone lagaa
jise thaa daava merii pyaas bujhaane kaa

zamiiN terii kashish khiiNchti rahii hamko
gaye zaruur the kuchh duur mahtaab ke saath

For reading these couplets in Urdu script and Hindi. Click here.

For reading Shaharyar's other Ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Roman English and Hindi scripts at my other blog, Best Ghazals, on the link here.


UPDATE: Shaharyar passed away on February 13, 2012. He was suffering from lung cancer and died after brief illness at his residence in Aligarh. The news of his death has saddened poetry lovers, the literary community and those who loved the poet. Shaharyar was 76. Owing to popularity of his lyrics for movies like Umrao Jan and Gaman, his fame had spread outside literary world also.

*Shaharyar means king or one who has suzerainty.

[This is part of the series on renowed Urdu poets. Earlier posts on other poets can be seen in the archives]

Mahlaqa Chanda: Forgotten Urdu poetess before Ghalib, her tomb gets facelift in Hyderabad

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By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Mahlaqa Chanda had already compiled her first collection of poetry and attained fame when legendary Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib was just a year old.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Mahlaqa's tomb which remained neglected for long.

It was heartwarming to see that the tomb is being renovated at a time when Mahlaqa's poetry is once again drawing attention.

Mahlaqa's couplets represent the prevalent poetic taste of the era:

ham se kare hai yaar bayaaN apnii chaah kaa
haazir haiN ham bhii gar ho iraada nibaah kaa

Mahlaqa was a devout Shia and her devotion towards Hazrat Ali is visible in innumerable ghazals.

paiGhaam sabaa jaa ke mere yaar se kahnaa
betaab huuN us Ghairat-e-gulzaar se kahnaa

Chanda's divan has numerous such asha'ar. For example:

Mahlaqa's tomb

The truth was that Mahlaqa was an extraordinary artiste. Ironically she was even termed a tawaif in the sense of prostitute, which is a grave injustice to her.

Mahlaqa was a poetess, a celebrity classical singer and renowned danseuse of her era.

They briefly stayed at a place, Devalia, before shifting to Burhanpur, and later settling in Aurangabad where Mahlaqa was born.

Her intellect and literary taste were widely regarded. She was renowned for her mastery on dhrupad apart from khayal tappa.

A prominent personality, she lived in Khasa Mahal with hundreds of khadims at her disposal.

Mahlaqa's estate was spread over Syedpalli, Chanderguda, Chandapeth, Ali Bagh and several other areas.

Khuda Hafiz Abdullah Kamaal: Mumbai's egoist Urdu poet is no more

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It's a regret that will stay for life. I couldn't meet one of my favourite poets, Abdullah Kamaal, who passed away recently. I must curse my laziness for delaying my trip to Mumbai.

ajab thaa uskaa hunar, pai-qafas rakhna parinde ko
aur uske saamne shaakh-e-sharar pe aashyaaN rakhnaa


Though he lived in Mumbai, Kamal kept himself confined to literary circles. He had nothing but contempt for self-projection and publicity tactis though this is also a reason that he didn't get the due recognition outside Urdu world.

Abdullah Kamal was born in Muzaffarpur on April 17, 1948. He made Mumbai his home in 1966. Life was not a bed for roses for Kamal but he was the first of the generation of modernist [post-progressive] poets, who made their mark in Mumbai.

ye chaaNd taare merii nigaahoN kaa husn haiN
varnaa merii zamiiN pe koii aasmaaN nahiiN

toD aaya to huuN har rishta tere shahar se
tasma-paa yaadoN kii zanjiir kahaaN le jaauN

na koii Khwaab na Khwaahish, na Gam na Khushii
voh be-hisii hai ki har shaKhs raaigaaN hai yahaaN

His second collection Be-Aasmaan was published in 1991. He had suffered two heart attacks. Lately he avoided participating in events for obvious reasons and stayed mostly in his house in Mumbra suburb near Mumbai.
 
Read Abdullah Kamaal's ghazals in Urdu, English (Roman) and Hindi (Devanagari) scripts at Best Ghazals.

Nida Fazli's poetic journey: Urdu poets' profile and poetry

Today Nida Fazli is considered a big name in Urdu poetry especially after the deaths of entire generation of veteran Urdu poets in the last couple of years. But this is not to belittle Nida's contribution to literature.

Along with Shaharyar and Ahmad Faraz (Pakistan), Nida is among the rare Urdu poets who have achieved fame across the sub-continent and outside. Nida Fazli has been writing lyrics for Bollywood movies but he didn't let this affect his literary output.

apnii marzii se kahaaN apne safar ke ham haiN
ruKh havaaoN ka jidhar ka hai, udhar ke ham haiN

waqt ke saath hai miTTii ka safar sadiyoN se
kisko maaluum kahaaN ke haiN, kidhar ke ham haiN

Success hasn't come the easy way. It has been a life, full of struggle for the Gwalior-born poet. He is often bitter that critics (and also poetry lovers) made fun of him back in the late sixties, because of the particular couplet:

sooraj ko chonch meN liye murGha khaDaa rahaa
khiDkii ke parde khiinch diye raat ho gayii

It was a simple couplet written at the height of modernist movement that highlighted the difference between urban and rural life style. Living in air-conditioned rooms, one doesn't come across the birds and the sounds of nature.

Living amid towering skyscrapers and moving in cars you don't get to see the sight of moon which used to be an every day experience in villages where lying on the cot in open, moon was a 'rafeeq' (companion).

The ghazal has other couplets also but people didn't bother to read them or react to them:

raste mein voh milaa thaa maiN bach ke guzar gayaa
uskii phaTii qamiis mere saath ho gayee

naqsha uThaa ke koii nayaa shahar DhunDhiye
is shahar meN to sab se mulaqaat ho gayee

It is the loss of home that haunted Nida in the early part of his poetic journey. After independence, Gwalior had witnessed more bloodshed that any where else in Central India. Most of his family memebrs migrated to Pakistan.

Thus 'ghar' remains an elusive dream for him despite the comforts of later years, apart from 'child' who is always present in his poetry:

bachchoN ke chhote haathoN ko chaand sitaare chhune do
chaar kitaabeN paDh kar yeh bhii ham jaise ho jaayenge

A humanist to the core, Nida's poetry has often stunned the traditionalists:

masjidoN meN sajdoN kii mashaaleN huiiN roshan
liye chiraaGh galiyoN meN kheltaa Khudaa dekhuuN

He asks God to come down to earth and help people out:

Nile gagan par baiThe kab tak chaand sitaaroN se jhaankoge...
khaali hai aaTe ka kanastar geNhuu ban kar usmeN aao
TuuT gaaa hai maaN ka chashma sheesha ban kar use banao
gum sum haiN aangan mein bachche, ban kar gend unhein bahlaao...

Nida has read a lot. Unlike other poets who restrict themselves to reciting their own poetry, Nida has read Latin American literature, East Asian, European and African poetry. He pores over Kabir, Wali Dakhani, Amir Khusro, Rahim and classical poets.

Nida is no longer the struggler. He now lives a comfortable life in Mumbai. He has learnt the tricks of the trade. He used to criticise Ali Sardar Jafri but has also picked up some of those habits.

He knows what sells. When TV channels' crew comes to him for interview, he exactly gives soundbytes which they want. He blasts globalisation for all the ills, though he is also a beneficiary of it and loves all the luxuries which modern day lifestyle offers.

He wants to be known as Nazir Akbarabadi of this era. But sophisticated Nida despite wearing it on his sleave, has shed the 'phakkad-pan' far behind. Still, he has his place secure in the annals of Urdu language and literature.

Read Nida Fazli's selected ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Roman and Devnagri scripts at Best Ghazals & Nazms. Click
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Great poets series: Zauq and his Urdu poetry

laaii hayaat aaye, qazaa le chalii chale

apnii khushii na aaye na apnii khushii chale

[hayaat=life, qazaa=death]

Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq (1789-1854) is among the classical masters of Urdu poetry whose couplets are oft-quoted in conversation and in writing, more than 150 years after his death.

Zauq is known for his absolute command on the language. Yet his poetry is simple and straight. For almost half-a-century, he remained associated with the Qila-e-Mualla (Royal Fort). Bahadur Shah Zafar was his disciple in poetry. In his life, Zauq was considered the greatest poet of the era, the Khaqaani of India.

Zauq was a contemporary of poets of the calibre of Ghalib and Momin in the golden age of Urdu poetry. But not even a single collection of his poetry could be published during his liftetime. He passed away in 1854. In a way, he was fortunate that he didn't see his beloved Delhi getting ravaged by the British after the struggle of 1857.

Selected couplets of Zauq:

ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte haiN ki mar jaayenge

mar ke bhii chain na paaya to kidhar jaayenge

aye Zauq! kisii hamdam-e-deriina ka milnaa

behtar hai mulaaqaat-e-Masiiha-o-Khizr se

[hamdam-e-deriina: old friend]

naaz hai gul ko nazaakat pe chaman meN aye dost

usne dekhe hii nahiiN naaz-o-nazaakat waale

agar ye jaante chun chun ke hamko toDenge

to gul kabhii na tamanna-e-rang-o-buu karte

moazzin marhabaa bar-vaqt bolaa

terii aavaaz Makke aur Madiine

sitam ko ham karam samjhe, jafaa ko ham vafaa samjhe

jo us par bhii na vo samjhe to us but se Khudaa samjhe

kahte haiN aaj Zauq jahaaN se guzar gayaa

kyaa khuub aadmii thaa Khudaa maGfirat kare

ham haiN aur saaya tere kuuche kii diivaaroN kaa

kaam jannat meN hai kyaa ham-se gunahgaaroN kaa

khil ke gul kuchh to bahaar apnii, sabaa, dikhlaa gaye

hasrat un GunchoN pe hai jo bin khile murjhaa gaye

Zauq's poetry is still as fresh and simple to us in 21st century as it was in the early part of 19th century. Read Zauq's ghazals in Hindi, Urdu and Roman scripts at Best Ghazals and Nazms.

Immortal Couplets of Moin Ahsan Jazbi: Famed Urdu Poet's Life and Poetry

Moin Ashan Jazbi

Renowned Urdu poet late Moin Ahsan Jazbi never cared for fame or critics' attention.

Though his Nazms and Ghazals were more popular than many of the well-known poets, he preferred to remain in the background. Jazbi had a tough life, especially because of stepmothers' harsh treatment.

Jazbi suffered financial problems and remained unemployed for long. A reflection of these frustrations, as well as the lack of love [which he mentions openly in interviews, publicly and in his poetry] are visible clearly in his couplets.

It was after he got a job in AMU that he got financial security. He wrote less than his contemporaries but his couplets have more poetry and lyricism, as well as the poetic strength to survive time. Once he settled in life, he took great care of his stepmother, who had made life hell for him in his childhood.

Moin Ahsan Jazbi was born in 1912. A close of friend of Asrar Ul Haq 'Majaz' Lakhnawi, he initially kept 'Malaal' as his pen name but later changed it to Jazbi. Among the last of the poets of Progressive Writers' Movement, along with Wamiq Jaunpuri, he nurtured young talent till his old age.

Jazbi He passed away in 2005. Read Moin Ahsan Jazbi's eight immortal couplets here. In order to read them in Urdu script and Devanagri Hindi, CLICK HERE:

na aaye maut Khudaayaa tabah-haalii meN
yah naam hogaa Gham-e-rozgaar sah na sakaa

tere karam kii bhiik le aisaa haqiir Gham nahiiN
jaa O sitam-sh'aar jaa, aarzuu-e-karam nahiiN

tuu giraa degii mujhe apnii nazar se varnaa
tere qadmoN pe to sajdaa bhii ravaa hai mujhko

ho na ho dil ko tere husn se kuchh nisbat hai
jab uThaa dard to kyuuN maiN ne tujhe yaad kiyaa

jisko kahte haiN mohabbat jisko kahte haiN Khuluus
jhopDoN meN ho to ho, puKhtaa makaanoN meN nahiiN

terii nazar meN rah ek raaz ban gayaa thaa
gir kar terii nazar se afsaanaa ho gayaa maiN

aah kii dil ne na phir shikva-e-bedaad kiyaa
jab se sharmiilii nigaahoN ne kuchh irshaad kiyaa

daastaan-e-shab-Gham qissa tuulaanii hai
muKhtasar yah hai ki tuu ne mujhe barbaad kiyaa

Past posts on Jazbi:
1. Jazbi's famous nazm 'Maut' in Roman and Devanagari scripts
2. Obituary and the circumstances when he wrote Maut
3. Read his ghazals, couplets and poetry in Urdu, Roman and Devanagari scrips AT THIS LINK

Behzad Lakhnavi: A Great Urdu poet of Yore

Behzad Lakhnavi is one of my favourite poets. I fell in love with his poetry after watching Merchant Ivory's film 'In Custody' [titled Muhafiz in Urdu], when I was in my early teens.

Apart from Faiz Ahmad Faiz' poetry, the film also had Behzad's ghazals used as lyrics. It was a beautiful movie set in Bhopal. Shashi Kapoor had played the role of Urdu poet Noor Shahjehanabadi.

Shabana Azmi played the role of his younger wife. Om Puri was the protagonist, a Hindi speaking man, who is a fan of the famed Urdu poet.

hameN kis tarah bhuul paayegii duniyaa
ki DhuunDhe se hamsaa na paayegii duniyaa

qayaamat kii duniyaa meN hai dil-farebii
qayaamat meN bhii yaad aayegii duniyaa

What is the purpose of life? It intrigues all of us. So much effort man makes on this earth but isn't it all futile in a way. The poets and writers leave behind their works and wonder what will happen to them?

Will their writings help the future generations in understanding the world better. Poets and authors derive satisfaction from the fact that words written by them would guide and inspire the coming generations and immortalise the writer.

Read the ghazal in Urdu, Hindi and Roman scripts here Click

I especially like this ghazal, which I have earlier posted on this blog.

Aye jazba-e-dil gar main chahuuN har chiiz muqaabil aa jaye
Manzil ke liye do gaam chaluun aur saamne manzil aa jaye

Read it here Click

Another ghazal of Behzad Lakhnawi is as follows:

diivaanaa banaanaa hai to diivaanaa banaa de
varnaa kahiiN taqdiir tamaashaa na banaa de

aye dekhne vaaloN mujhe haNs haNs ke na dekho
tum ko bhii mohabbat kahiiN mujh saa na banaa de

maiN DhuuNDh rahaa huuN merii vo shamaa kahaaN hai
jo bazm kii har chiiz ko parwaanaa banaa de

Essentially a poet of love, Bahzad is also remembered for his 'naats' [poetry praising Prophet Muhammad]. I have heard from elders that his naats were daily broadcast on radio, early in the morning, in the decades of 60s and 70s.

As his name suggests, he hailed from Lucknow. He, however, later migrated to Pakistan, after partition, and he died there. Yet another ghazal has the following couplets:

mujhe kar ataa sirf baar-e-mohabbat
maiN bandaa huuN parvardigaar-e-mohabbat

maiN ek but* ko Khud hii Khudaa kah rahaa huuN
ajab chiiz hai aitbaar-e-muhabbat

[but=idol, बुत]

Poem on destruction of Iraq, 'Halaku, if you visit Baghdad, again': Marjeena no longer lives in Alif Laila land...

Even  Halaku would be shocked at such destruction!

What would the medieval Halaku Khan feel if he ever came to the shores of Iraq, a country he had plundered centuries ago.

Iraq has been ravaged, destroyed. Post 2/11, the War on Terror, led to the American forces targeting Saddam Hussein.

'Halaku's Second Coming To Baghdad' is an Urdu verse written in this context, and is being published and circulated across Urdu speaking world.

Shattered at the mindless violence in Iraq and the end of a country, a civilization, in this modern era, famed poet Hasan Abidi's wrote this famous Nazm, which you can READ HERE IN URDU, ENGLISH & HINDI.

Now, coming back to the post:

*A lunatic killed over 30 students on the Virginia university campus and I joined millions of Americans in this hour of sadness. But then I heard George Bush saying how his heart was full of sadness at the deaths.

*Later as news of 360 persons dying in a single day in Baghdad in four separate suicide attacks was broadcast, I switched off the television in disgust. The figure was slightly higher even by Iraq's standards.

Hulagu Khan [Halaku]

You curse these mindless Shias and Sunnis, butchering each other. But then we really don't know what is happening there. We only know one thing for sure, who planned this insane war on Iraq and the devastation of this country.

Doesn't he feel remorse? Can he sleep peacefully after this dance of death.

It was during such a mental state that I remembered Hasan Abidi's Urdu verse about Halaku's second coming. The Tatar Holocaust had begun nearly eight centuries ago when the army of Halaku [also writte as Hulagu or Halagu], turned towards the Abbasid empire.

Halaku was the son of Changez [Genghis/Chingiz] Khan. As the cruel war-monger Halaku moved ahead, the tidal wave of devastation led to millions of deaths in Iraq. Baghdad, Nishapur, Samarkand and Herat accounted for over a million deaths each.

Many other cities were completely exterminated. The jewel of Islamic world, Baghdad, was turned into a city of corpses by Halaku's men. Halaku's father practiced Shamanism, they worshipped sky, and his mother was a Nestorian Christian woman but his great grandson Berek had later embraced Islam.


What Halaku would feel if he comes to Baghdad again?

The English translation is here:

Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time
'Dajla' would have cleaned her shore with wetness of blood
Here one more army, an army of blaze-n-rock would have camped
For many hundred years this city of angst
which never slept, would have been slept this time

Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time
You will find corpses, but without head
A tower of skulls would have been built before your entrance
streets, lanes, inns, sanctuaries, cafes
would have been standing their hands bagging their shadows

Ashes of libraries would have been drifted
Antiques would have been distributed in bags
Valued copies of god's book and divine scrolls
whose sights kept chests lighted
woud have been burned

No more Marjinas, No more land of Alif Laila

Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time
Nights of "alif Laila" (Thousand nights) will have escaped from tales
wearing sheet of sunlight, sitting on sand's cliff
would have been waiting for tale-tellers, merchants, travellers, con-mans and princes
(to see when night will fall on city)
But now no dawn will come, or any night will fall


Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time
(from) Ali Baba's treasures of gold, (to) tents and field, all would have been looted
Where vougish-n-astucious Marjeena lived, there now lived young warriors of some other world
Here is a magic in soil, earth bears gold
(but now)there is smell of oil

Halaku, when you will come to Baghdad this time
you will come for not to go

[Thanks to Mystic Soul for the translation]

O Quli: My Visit to Famed Poet-King Quli Qutb Shah's mausoleum in Hyderabad

The tomb of Quli Qutb Shah in Hyderabad, Deccan

I recently visited the tomb of poet-king Quli Qutub Shah, the first Sahab-e-Diwan Shaa'er of Urdu [first Urdu poet with a complete anthology].

Quli was the fifth king of Qutb Shahi dynasty and founded the city of Hyderabad besides constructing the Char Minar.

He married Bhagmati. Apart from Arabic, Persian and Urdu, Quli was also well-versed in Telugu.

Unfortunately, almost all of his Telugu writings got lost. Quli Qutab Shah rests in peace in this imposing tomb in Hyderabad. The Qutubshahi sultan also knew Sanskrit well. The kings of the dynasty and female members of the family are all buried on the premises here.

The simplicity of the 'mazaar' inside this majestic tomb is striking to any visitor. On a recent visit to Hyderabad and the 'Seven Tombs', a few couplets of Quli instinctively came to my lips. His 'munajat' is also famous.

It was then that I wondered how the Poet-King composed such beautiful verses almost 400 years ago in Urdu when as late as early twentieth century, we had the Hindi scholars debating whether it was possible to compose refined poetry in Khari Boli.

Alas, Quli's poetry finds no mention in Hindi text books in Northern India though it is undoubtedly the simplest form [and also most evolved poetry in either Hindi or Urdu, centuries ago]. Quli's Hyderabad is today one of the fastest growing urbal areas in the country.

And as far as Bhagmatis of 21st century Hyderabad are concerned, let us keep it for another post in future. After all, I have to keep this blog running. 

Pandit Hari Chand Akhtar's claim on Pakistan and his Urdu couplets

Hari [Green] Chand [Moon] Aktar [Star]

Pandit Hari Chand Akhtar was a popular Urdu poet. His wit [like poet Majaz] has also been part of Urdu folklore. His ghazal with the following couplets finds place in every standard collection of Urdu poetry.

shabaab aaya, kisii but pe fidaa hone ka waqt aaya
merii dunyaa meN bande ke Khudaa hone ka waqt aaya
&
unheN dekhaa to zaahid ne kahaa iimaaN kii yeh hai
ki ab insaan ko sajdaa ravaa hone ka waqt aayaa


Read the complete ghazal in Urdu, Hindi and Roman here

Hari Chand Akhtar's poetry gives you a glimpse of the era when taking liberty with Sheikh [or Pandit] were a distinct feature of Urdu literature. Once sitting amongst some Muslim League sympathisers in a poetic meet, Akhtar got irritated over the cries of Pakistan. 


'Who will be a greater Pakistani than me?', asked Hari Chand Akhtar. 'My name پنڈت ہری چند اختر symbolises the flag of your would-be-Islamic state', declared Pt Hari Chand Akhtar. He meant that Hari (Sanskrit=God) in common parlance would mean Green, Chand would stand for Moon [Crescent] and Akhtar is the Urdu word for Star. 


Together they formed the Pakistai flag [Crescent and star in green background]. 'Nobody can claim Pakistan more than me', he said. Everybody turned silent now. These were poets who were secular and humanist to core. [Akhtar was his pen name]

Firaq Gorakhpuri's famous Urdu couplet: Is daur mein zindagi...

Firaq Gorakhpuri

Raghupati Sahay 'Firaq' Gorakhpuri, who was born in 1896, is considered one of the giants of Urdu poetry in the 20th century.

Firaq's father was also a noted poet and poetry was in his genes. Here is one of his couplets:

is daur meN zindagi bashar kii
biimaar ki raat ho gaii hai                   [*bashar=human being]


اس دور میں زندگی بشر کی
بیمار کی رات ہو گیء ہے  

[فراق]


A simple but outstanding couplet. For a sick person, the night is painful and seems everlasting. Comparing this to suffering human beings in the current age, and putting it so simplistically is just what Firaq is famous for.

One must remember that Firaq wrote the couplets in the era between the first and the second world war, when humanity was sick of the battles and massacres. India was in the grip of imperialistic powers and freedom was still far.

Firaq passed away in 1982 in Allahabad. Another great poet of the same era, Josh Malihabadi, who had migrated to Pakistan, after partition, had died the same year, across the border, thus ending this era of Urdu shayri.

Today Firaq is remembered for his imagery, use of Hindustani words, bringing Hindu culture in Urdu poetry, though its shades were present in Urdu earlier also. Firaq is also known for his 'rubais'.

Read some of the selected couplets and ghazals of Firaq AT THIS LINK.

No dearth of Hindu, Sikh poets of Urdu in India: Sahitya Akademi function shows non-Muslim litterateurs abound in language

Sheen Kaaf Nizam

One is fed up of hearing that Urdu has become a language of Muslims in India and that the language has lost favour even amongst the Sikhs and sections of Punjabis who had kept the language close to their heart for decades after partition.

That may be true to a large extent but at the recent Sahitya Akademi Bhasha Awards function, it was clear that at least Urdu literature and poetry has no dearth of non-Muslim writers in India even today.

Quite a heartening sight indeed. In Urdu poetry rendition most of the poets were non-Muslim like Gulzar, Pritpal Singh Betab [from Jammu], Jayant Parmar [from Gujarat], Sheen Kaf Nizam ie Shiv Kumar Nizam [from Rajasthan], Chandrabhan Khayal etc. 

Jayant Parmar

The Sahitya Akademi president Gopi Chand Narang, whose mother tongue is Saraiki [spoken in Pakistan] is considered an authority in Urdu criticism. He was also present there.

A lady journalist who had gone to interview the litterateurs was astonished as she thought they were all poets of Hindi. However, they turned out to be that of Urdu.

The poets were visibly sad at the plight of Urdu in the country. Khayal, who has composed the life of Prophet Muhammad in poetic form recently, echoed similar sentiments. 

Pritpal Singh 'Betab'

"No language is identified with religion except Urdu, he said. "Unfortunately Hindu writers are given so much respect amongst Urdu-speakers."

"But most Hindus believe that Urdu is a Muslim language, kuchh halaat hi is mulk ke aise ban gaye hain, kya kiya jaye", he said in an almost resigned tone.

"Mai.n daae'N pahluu baith jaataa huuN to Hindi likhta huuN aur baa'eN pahluu baith jaataa huuN to Urdu jo jaati hai", said Sampooran Singh Kalra more popularly known as Gulzar. 

Zoroastrian Urdu poet's couplets condemning Mumbai blasts, terrorism

You may not have heard about many Urdu poets from the mico-minuscule Zoroastrians [Parsis] community in the country.

But we surely know that a Parsi doctor is now getting acclaim for his Urdu poetry. The poet's name is Dr Navroze Kotwal.

A Parsi Orthodontist, he not only learned Urdu out of passion but has also turned into a poet
of repute.

Dr Kotwal has recently penned a ghazal on Mumbai blasts. Read some of the couplets here:

nikle the kal jo sub'h ko karte hue salaam
lauTe na ghar ko aa hii gayii zindagii ki shaam

po.nhchaa ke zik kisi ko bhi kiyaa jo zer-e-daam
mansab huaa buland, yeh kaisa khayaal-e-Khaam

The couplets do reflect his command over language as well as his humanism. Parsis are a small minority in India but have made contribution in all fields. Now, we have a poet making his mark in Urdu literature. Perhaps, there may be Urdu poets from the community in Pakistan, but we don't know many Parsi poets in India.

The Afternoon Dispatch and Courier has printed the story and his photograph. Dr Kotwal reads Hamaari Zubaan paper that is published by the Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu Hind. Unfortunately the name of the correspondent who wrote this report is not mentioned as he too deserves to be congratulated.

[Photo and story courtesy: www.cybernoon.com]

Urdu's First Openly Gay Poet Iftikhar Naseem and seven beautiful couplets in English, Urdu scripts

IFTIKHAR NASEEM 'IFTI'

Iftikhar Naseem is Urdu's first gay poet [from Pakistan, now living in Chicago].

Though I don't have the courage yet to put some of his verses dealing with homosexuality on my blog, his poetry in classical mould is no less enchanting. Here is a selection from some of his couplets which I like.

GAY ACTIVISM

Ifti is now a well-known international figure due to his work for gay rights. Personally, I have nothing to do with his sexual preferences.


Earlier, I too had the perception that the there was something wrong with gays. I was told that gays were probably perverts who lured teenaged and even young boys.

But the difference between pederasty and gays became evident to me later. Otherwise Urdu classical poetry is full of homosexuality starting from the era of Khuda-e-Sukhan Meer Taqi Meer to 20th century's Firaq Gorakhpuri.

When I read his autobiography, I felt stunned like many others. It was too disturbing. Ifti has suffered enormously, faced brickbats for speaking truth. Atleast, he did not live a false life. He did not hide the truth about himself which many gays in the sub-continent do and marry girls who suffer all their lives.

IN ROMAN ENGLISH:


is qadar bhii to na jazbaat pe qabuu rakho
thak gaye ho to mere kaandhe pe bazuu rakho

KaTi hai umr kisii aabdoz* kashti meN
Safar tamaam hua aur kuchh nahiiN dekha
[*aabdoz=submarine]

Udaas baam, khulaa dar pukaarta hai mujhe
Jila-watan huuN mera ghar pukaarta hai mujhe

Taaq par juzdaan meN lipti duaa'eN rah gaeeN
Chal diye bete safar par ghar meN maaeN rah gaeeN

Chalte chalte aa gaya huun aisii manzil par jahaN
Chand mujhko aasmaaN ka ek darwaaza laga

Koii jo puuchhe to kah denge usne bheje haiN
Wagar-na phool khud apne liye khareede haiN


Read his poem 'Mere baba' [My father] in Urdu, Hindi and Roman scripts AT THIS LINK

History And Poetry: Immortal couplet of Raj Ram Mauzoo.n

How historical events get further immortalised and romanticised by poetry can not be better explained than this famous Urdu she'r [couplet].


It tells us about the power of poetry and how it passes from generation to generation. The couplet was penned when Sirajuddaulah lost in the battle against East India Company.


First read the couplet:


GhazaalaaN tum to waaqif ho, kaho majnoo.n ke marne ki
Diwaanaa to mar gaya aakhir ko viirane pe kyaa guzri

This immortal couplet was composed by  Urdu poet Raja Ram Mauzoo.n. It is said that the master poet had recited it extempore on hearing the news of Sirajuddaulah's defeat and death.


During the war in 1757, when Siraj, the last Nawab of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa, was killed, the prosperous region of Bengal [or Gaur] went to British hands. The people loved the Nawab, and ryots rued the defeat for long, as during later years, indigo cultivation ruined rural economy and the fields.

Couplet survives 250 years

The couplet has survived almost 250 years and is still afresh and on the lips of innumerable poetry aficionados who quote it.

Not many other couplets of Raja Ram Mauzoo.n, a poet from Bihar, are known. MauzooN was primarily a Persian poet and most of his kalaam was in Farsi [Persian] though he did write occasionally in Urdu as well.

Philosophical Poetry: Urdu couplets for humanity and against religious fundamentalism

NAUSHAD ALI 'NAUSHAD'

Naushad Ali is one of the most popular music composers of Hindustani movies, that are popularly termed as Bollywood, but not many are aware that he was an exceptional poet.

As a music director, he got enormous success, name and fame. But he remained a closet poet. In fact, his poetic abilities are an eye-opener. Naushad Ali was born in Lucknow in 1919.

Naushad sahab passed away in Mumbai in 2006. Now read the first couplet of this ghazal:


Na mandir mein sanam hotay na masjid mein khuda hota
HameeN se yah tamasha hai na ham hotay to kya hota

न मन्दिर में सनम होते न मस्जिद में ख़ुदा होता
हमीं से है यह तमाशा है, न हम होते तो क्या होता

Aren't you impressed! Now see these lines of the same ghazal:

Na aisii manzilein hoteeN na aisa raasta hota

Sambhal kar ham zara chalte to aalam zer-e-paa hota


Ghata chhati, bahaar aati, tumhara tazkira hota
Phir uske baad gul khiltay ki zakhm-e-dil hara hota

The 'ghazal' that has five couplets deals with a gamut of issues which the world is facing. In a classical mould, still, its as progressive and modernist, as Urdu poetry can be.

From urging people to shun narrow-mindedness and stop fighting over God, all the 'ashaar' not only have a message but they are also enchanting to read and listen.

Bula kar tumnay mehfil mein hamko ghair se uthwaya
HameeN khud uth gaye hotay ishara kar diya hota


Tere ahbaab tujh se mil ke bhi mayoos laut gaye
Tujhe Naushaad kaisi chup lagi thi kuchh to kaha hota!


Read the entire GHAZAL in URDU, HINDI and ROMAN ENGLISH AT THIS LINK

Poet Bashir Badar goes to police against another Urdu poet Manzar Bhopali

Day before yesterday, TV channel Star News  screamed 'Shair ne desh ko bad-duaa di' [Poet cursed the country]. I heard the headlines and could not follow the entire news because I was in a hurry then.

Later it was beamed on other channels as well. Subsequently, it published in newspapers. Also, posters of RSS mouthpiece Panch-Janya that asks why a poet who has such 'ill-will' against the country should be given the national honour of 'Padma-Shree', came out.

Bashir Badr [see photograph on the left] approached police in Bhopal and complained that it was Manzar Bhopali, who was behind this slander campaign against him. Manzar says that it was in 2000 that Bashir Badr had offered such prayer during Umrah.

Another poet has then lodged a complaint against him at Noida police station. Today Manzar said that Bashir has lost his mental balance and might lodge a case against Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Incidentally, both Manzar and Bashir Badr are in BJP.

BJP made Bashir Badar the Chairman of Urdu Academy Madhya Pradesh. Both had joined BJP together and floated a platform of Muslims and Urdu poets that supported Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the last elections. Both were barred from mushairas then all over the country.

Now they are fighting. So is it a clash of interest!

Poet Dr Ateequllah's strange Urdu couplets

Ateequllah is an established Urdu poet, who hails from Ujjain. He is known for his experimenting with ghazal and for his unique verses.

But some of his couplets appear shocking at first sight. It is possible that you may admire his craft. Similarly, you may also feel that the poet has deliberately composed slightly different poetry, in order to astonish, the reader.

Just read the three 'shair' which I have posted here and tell me what do you make out of them. The couplets are posted in both Urdu as well as Roman transliteration, for the benefit of readers.






میں ایک کانچ کا پر تولتا پرندہ
اڑان بھر نہ سکا اور چھن سے ٹوٹ گیا


main ek kaanch ka par taulta parindaa
uRaan bhar na saka aur chhan se TuuT gayaa

طلوع ہوتے دن کی پیٹھ پر چڑھ کر
سیاہ دیو میری ہڈیاں چباتا ہے

tuluu hote hue din kii piith par chaRh kar
siyaah deo meri haDDiyaaN chabaataa hai

وہ سنگ پاش ازیت کی تاب لا نہ سکا
میں اپنی چیخ میں پیوست ہو کے گونج اٹھا

woh sang-paash aziyat ki taab laa na sakaa
main apnii chiiKh meN paiwast ho ke guunj uThaa

Urdu poetry: Less classical and more contemporary

Mumbai is India's commercial capital and the biggest metropolis. Its known for the film industry. But, Mumbai is a centre of Urdu language and literature. Poets, who have written lyrics for Hindustani movies, for generations, came from Urdu background.

Abdullah Kamal, who is one of the leading Urdu poets in the country, is not the one to compromise on quality. For him, literature is his first love. He can't alter his verses to suit the movies. I have a few of his ghazals in my 'bayaz' [diary].

Read this ghazal:

anaa rahi na meri mutlaq-ul-unaani ki
mere wujood pe ek dil ne hukmraani ki

karam kiya ki bikharne diya na usne mujhe
mere junoon ki hifazat ki, meherbaani ki

PahaaD kaatna ek mashGhala tha, bachpan se
Kadey dinoN mein bhi teshe se naujawani ki [Kadey=tough, Tesha=axe*]

Azl se husn ka apna mizaaj tha yahi
Yahi ki dasht mein aaye the, baaghbaani ki

badan, ki uDne ko par taulta parinda saa
kisi kamaan see chadhti nadi jawani ki

Sunaii khwaab mein us Gul ko dil ki bechaini
Naseem-e-sehen chaman ne jo aana kaani ki

'Kamaal' main ne to dar se diye uthaye nahin
Uthai usne hi deewaar badgumaani ki

Read Kamaal's poetry in Urdu, Hindi & Roman English scripts AT THIS LINK