URDU POETRY

 

Aah! The beauty of Urdu language. I think Urdu must be the richest and the most respectful of all languages. It has adab (etiquette) and softness. I simply love Urdu and consider myself unfortunate to not have been a formal student of this language. Specially when it comes to poetry, no other medium can match up to the eloquence of Urdu. This medium is powerful and articulate, the speaker leaves a lasting impression on the audience. Just sample this:

"Raghon mein daurhte phirne ke hum nahin qaayal,

Jo aankh hi se na tapka to phir lahoo kya hai?"

(I don't believe in blood running around in veins, the blood is not blood unless it drips from your eyes!) Simpler translation is that you have to prove your point in an intense manner.

There have been innumerable poets in Urdu. Urdu has borrowed many words from the Persian language. Amir Khusro (1253-1325), Kabir (1440-1518) and many other poets of earlier era were to inspire later Urdu poets and served as intellectual and linguistic sources. Among the greatest Urdu poets can be counted stalwarts such as Ghalib, Dard, Meer, Iqbal, Zauq, Josh, Jigar, Faiz, Ahmed Faraz, Firaq and Adam.

Ghalib remains the best of all. I am particularly fond of this poem:

Aah ko chahiye ik umr asar hone tak,

Kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sar hone tak?

(A lifetime passes before a sigh shows its effects,
Who would wait so long to see your curls fixed up?)

Aashiqui, sabr, talab aur tamanna betaab,

Dil ka kya rang karoon khoon-e-jigar hone tak?

(Love asks for patience but lust is restless,
What colour do I call my heart till it bleeds to death?)

Hum ne maana ke taghaaful na karoge lekin,

Khaaq ho jaayenge hum tum ko khabar hone tak,

(You won't disregard me, I know that, but when
you know of me I would have become dust)

Partav-e khur se hai shabnam ko fana'a ki taaleem,
Main bhi hoon ik inaayat ki nazar hone tak,

(The morning sun’s ardent rays spell death to dew drops,
I, too, exist only until you cast a glance at me)

Yak nazar besh nahin fursat-e-hasti ghaafil,

Garmi-e-bazm hai ik raqs -e-sharar hone tak,

(A glance from you will bring my life to end,
Like the dancing sparks end a party's fun)

Gham-e-hasti ka 'Asad' kis se ho juz marg ilaaj,

Shama har rang mein jalti hai sahar hone tak.

(Life is all suffering, Asad. Its cure is only death,
The candle burns in many colours till the morning comes)

A SOLDIER FADES AWAY

I have been busier than usual in the week gone by as there were many commitments on the professional front. There were many deadlines to be met and many pending tasks to be completed. People to be met and decisions to be taken.

An average man always remains busy. If you want to work, there is a whole lot of work to be done. And it is true that a man wears off and dies ultimately but his commitments and responsibilities never finish. They finish only when the man is gone. As Joseph Stalin had said, "Death solves all problems – no man, no problem." A tragic fact but true.

I had a wonderful human as my colleague in our company, a soldier to the core and a cheerful person: Captain Ramesh Jusyal. Most unfortunately, we lost him today early morning in a fatal road accident while he was moving on duty. He did his full stint with the Electronics and Mechanical Engineers in the Indian Army and after retirement took up a field job in our company. He was a fully dedicated officer, who always placed duty before self. He was a devoted husband to his wife whom he has now left grief stricken and a loving and caring father to his three children. He was talented by any standard and was a doer. He did what others could not. The most shining trait of his personality was that he always remained in a simple state of 'high'. He was 'high' on simple pleasures of life, most of which was the ability to laugh at just about anything, including himself. How many of us can do that? Whenever I felt low, I would spend some time with him and rejuvenate myself and then go back to my work. He was an instant charger for me. Sometime, in the course of our routine work I would get upset with him but as soon as I faced him to admonish, my anger evaporated. He was such an endearing person, loved by all. I am yet to come across a person in our town who ever spoke ill of Ramesh.

Such a good human, then why did he have to go so early? Life isn't fair but then death isn't either.

I wish to tell as many people as possible that we all have weaknesses but we also continuously learn from our surroundings and I hope I can imbibe many good traits which Ramesh had and I don't have.

I salute you, my comrade, for your devotion to duty, your hard work and your eagerness to shoulder responsibilities, but above all, I salute you for your sense of humour. We will miss you but you will always live in our hearts.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the softly falling snow.

I am the gentle showers of rain, I am the field of ripening grain.

I am in the morning hush, I am in the graceful rush.

Of beautiful birds in circling flight, I am the star shine of the night.

I am in the flowers that bloom, I am in a quite room.

I am in the birds that sing, I am in each lovely thing.

Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die."

NAINITAL: A CHARMING TOWN

Many of us grow fond of places. There are many reasons to this fondness. It may be because a person has lived a major part of his life in that place or may be someone dear stays there or simply may be the place is actually good. One of my favourite places is Nainital in Uttarakhand. And the reason is, well, there are two reasons: I grew up in Haldwani, a town and gateway to Kumaon Region, about 35 km short of Nainital and also because it is indeed beautiful.

My fascination with this place began early in life. My parents had moved to the Terai Region in 1952 or so and then to Haldwani in about 1955. As children we used to go to Nainital every summer by bus and stay there for the night or sometimes fall back by evening. Boating in sail boats on the lake was the proverbial icing on the cake, not to underestimate skating!

Our memories are etched in those black & white photographs which today seem fascinating. The jewel in the crown of Nainital is the lake which is over 2 km long and sits pretty in the centre of the town. Beautiful ferns and flowers and tall, majestic pines and silver oaks deck up the place. I have been a regular visitor to Nainital and its charm and healthy climate never fails to fascinate me. It still bears that indelible stamp of the British Empire.

COKE STUDIO AND ALIF ALLAH

By its own admission, "Coke Studio embodies a musical fusion of exciting elements and diverse influences, ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music. Bringing alive the magic of live recordings and performances, Coke Studio prides itself on providing a musical platform, which bridges barriers, celebrates diversity, encourages unity and instills a sense of Pakistani pride."

The show provides a platform for renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream artists, from various genres and regions, to collaborate musically in live studio recording sessions.

Last season, a Sufi song, "Alif Allah Chambay Di Booti" was recorded and how! It is a complete song with good, enjoyable video. One has to see and listen to realise how grand the compilation is. Sung by Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi of Pakistan, this 'Jugni' song descends straight into the heart. Reach out for this song through

Alif Allah Chambay Di Booti 

Arif Lohar is a well known Pakistani folk singer and uses 'chimta' (a musical instrument resembling a huge tong). Son of the Pakistani legend, Alam Lohar, Arif has secured his place in history already.

Meesha Shafi hails from a well respected family of Pakistan. Born to Pak TV actors Syed Pervaiz Shafi and Saba Hameed, she is the granddaughter of famous Urdu writer Hamid Akhtar and a leading fashion model as well.

THE BARRICADED VALLEY

I have spent over 10 years of my Army service in the northern Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. And in these years, there were few places where circumstances did not take me. Overall, a rewarding experience. Kashmir Valley, I am more than ever convinced, remains one of the most beautiful places on earth but certainly not endearing any longer! Beautiful because it is endowed with natural beauty and resources and not endearing because there are more guns than flowers now. There is hardly a place where you can go unhindered, unchecked.

 I had the fortune (I am not sure good or bad) of going again into the valley on 01 Feb 12. Last I spent time over there was in Jul 2010. Every time I enter the Valley, the scene by and large is the same which I have now been watching since 1989, when insurgency began its deathly grip over this beautiful land. Wherever you may glance down from and whatever direction your eyes may decide to take, one thing you will surely see is guns. Every nook and corner of this paradise is covered through a gun sight. There are explosives, ammunition, violence, protest, anger, suspicion, grudges and much more. Incidentally, I have not understood the meaning of liberty in the context of Kashmir. Aren't the people of Kashmir liberated already? To my mind the true liberty means the following:

(a) Freedom to express

(b) Freedom to move unhindered

(c) Freedom to work

(d) Freedom to enjoy

(e) Freedom to live peacefully

But above all else, freedom means a very strong sense of responsibility and a sound base of discipline. All this and no more. Man has historically been argumentative, possessive and violent. We don't need materialistic largesse, we only need bare essentials to sail smoothly through this beautiful world.

Just see the photos on this page and judge for yourself which looks beautiful: unspoiled nature or barricades?

 How I wish we can one day get that same Kashmir Valley back, which I first witnessed in May 76 and when Yash Chopra'a blockbuster Kabhi Kabhie had just been released, showcasing the beauty of Kashmir.