You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Urdu’ category.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=RmnF9GZNJH4
Please keep in consideration the environment. It is a HIndu temple area in Gujarat , India. The patron of the concert is a famous Hindu saint. The congregation comprises Guru’s disciples and the regular attendees – most of them are not Urduites.
Now you watch the linked video carefully till the end.
Observe the reactions of the listeners. Singer is Osman Mir from Gujarat. Guru Bapu Murari is the patron. The Ghazal being recited is by late Khumar Barabankwi. One can see the appreciation flowing from the eyes and ears of listeners and the very visible ecstasy of Shri Bapu Murari.This undoubtedly is the beauty of Urdu literature especially Ghazal. When recited or sung nicely it turns into Magic.
Urdu is the Magic which is spellbinding, magnetic and hypnotic . It is irresistible even for those who are not so friendly towards it.
JAADOO WOH JO SAR CHADH KAR BOLAY.
In my opinion the presentation is a knockout blow to those who project Urdu as the language of Muslims.
Word ‘Relevant’ can be best defined by its various shades of meanings viz. authentic, credible, great, of good standing, reliable, related, valid, to the purpose, pertinent, etc.
Kalim Ajiz is well known all over the Urdu world for his sweet but insightful Ghazals. Here I am attempting to analyze the repute and stature of his poetry based on the criterion of RELEVANCY.
Why is this man’s poetry so appealing to his listeners’ hearts? (I am intentionally using the word listener and not reader because he always prefers to recite his Ghazals than to get them printed in magazines). When he recites, why all the ears around him become neglectful of all sounds except this man’s voice? How come his words so soft in texture become so penetrating and piercing to reach the inside of even those carefree ones who have shut themselves from all sensitivities?
Kalim Ajiz has multi-faceted personality. He is a master prose writer. He has been awarded PhD in literature for his valuable research. He has been a much loved professor in the University. He is author of around dozen books. He is a good story teller. He received Government of India’s prestigious Padma Shree title way back in 1989. He was honored by some big cosmopolitan metropolis in United States with symbolic key to the city. He has been awarded for his contributions from various literary and cultural organizations. Many scholars have written their doctoral thesis on Kalim Ajiz’s poetry. All these facets aside, this simple, fragile, soft spoken man in his eighties has now become the most esteemed symbol of Urdu’s classic poetry at its best.
As regard authenticity, he himself has expressed very vividly in his poetry. At one place he says: “Don’t compare me with others since:
MERA GHAME ZAATI HAI AURON KA KITAABI HAI
(Others merely borrowed from books; my pain and tribulations are my own).
Please note that translation here is not literal; instead is my subtle interpretation of his verses.
We can very easily sense that there is no artificiality in his poetry. His verses are the most appropriate and pertinent words put around the true events he faced in life at all critical junctures.
This aspect of authenticity has made him stand out amongst his contemporaries. For last fifty-sixty years in all gatherings of commons as well as elites he has been projecting the pent-up feelings of all oppressed, neglected and mistreated human beings all around him. Though he never uses words like hammer, bullet, rifle and dynamite in his poetry, it is much more effective than the poems of so called progressive representatives of proletariats.
Kalim Ajiz stands against tyrants, bullies, oppressors and persecutors but he does it in more cultured, refined and sophisticated style.
AAZMANA HAI TO AA BAZOO-O- DIL KI QUWWAT
TOO BHI SHAMSHIR UTHA HUM BHI GHAZAL KAHTE HAIN
(Want to assess the strength of my arms and courage of my heart? Take up your sword; I am ready too with my Ghazal.)
Those who are familiar with various rallies, demonstrations and parliamentary sessions, do also know how widely his couplets are quoted every where. Whether it is lawyer’s movement in Pakistan or political speeches by leaders in India, when they want to highlight the clever and tricky maneuverings of tyrants, most of them take help from Kalim Ajiz’s couplets. One universally famous couplet is:
DAAMAN PE KOI CHHEENT NA KHANJAR PE KOI DAAGH
TUM QATL KARO HO KI KARAAMAT KARO HO
(Neither blood stains on clothes nor spots on the dagger; vow! you commit the murder or perform a miracle!)
In Ghazals, beloveds are playfully given the adjectives of Qatil (murderer), Zaalim (tyrant) etc. What Kalim Ajiz has artfully done is the opposite. He has called the real Qatil and Zalim his beloved. He not only calls them so, he accepts them as his beloved. Thus the canvas of Ghazal has been immensely enlarged by him.
WOHI QATIL BHI HAI, MUKHBIR BHI HAI, MUNSIF BHI WOHI
AQRABA MERE KAREN KHOON KA DAAWA KIS PAR
(He is the killer, the informer and also the judge; against whom my family should lodge the murder charge?)
HUM NE TO CHHAHA OOSE BHI KI JISE DEKHTE HI
LOG BESAKHTA BOL UTHTE HAIN “QATIL” “QATIL”
(I have loved even him who when seen is immediately recognized and addressed as ‘Killer’, ‘Killer’)
It is not that he just calls his dire enemy his beloved; he really treats the assailants like a beloved and does so with full sincerity. This is the unique specialty with which Kalim Ajiz has been endowed. He has always remained a true well-wisher of his adversaries. This he does in spite of knowing enemy’s evil intention as well as all his wicked planning. When he sees the adversary in trouble, he himself goes to him and invites him by saying
IDHAR AAO TUMAHAARI ZULF HUM AARASTA KARDEN
JO GESOO HUM SANWARENGE KABHI BARHAM NAHI HONGE
(Come to me; let me straighten your troubling hair locks; when I set them right your tresses shall never ever be entangled again)
Those smart players who skillfully blame the oppressed and wronged for being barbaric, violent, poorly attired, uncivilized etc, his simple plain answer is to show them their real face.
DEKHIYE MERI GHAZAL MEN KABHI SOORAT APNI
YEH WO AAEENA HAI JO AAPNE KAM DEKHA HAI
(See your image through the lenses of my Ghazal; alas you never saw yourself in this mirror)
Very sarcastically he tells those Neo-rich and Pseudo-civilized to simply look at their own history:
ITRAA RAHE HO AAJ PEHAN KAR NAI QIBA
DAAMAN THA TAAR TAAR ABHI KAL KI BAT HAI
(You are so arrogant just on wearing the new long gown; it was only yesterday that you wore nothing but shredded threads)
Though he is poet of Ghazlas, when one recites his poems or Nazms especially Kahani, Jaanaan , Duaa, Musaafir and Humnasheen one has to immediately agree that his poetry is immensely relevant for our time. This is because relevancy means being factual, to the point and meaningful.
When his listeners feel that this humble man projects the true history, challenges enemy’s false propaganda, courageously faces all odds and is never apologetic, they immediately realize how ‘RELEVANT’ Kalim Ajiz is. He is deservedly most appropriate spokesman of the entire silent majorities by expressing their pain and suffering so lucidly using simple but beautiful words in the sophisticated format of Ghazals.
Another very important role he plays is to show everyone the approach which is bound to succeed in tackling any difficult situation. This is to give flowers in return to all the stones hurled. Though he lost his mother, his sister and many of his close family members in shameful 1946 carnage of Bihar, he did not get disenchanted with humanity and never became bitter in his writing or in his relationship at all levels. He himself says:
ZAMAANA. LAAKH OOSE TADPAYGA RULAYEGA
WO MARSIYA NA KAHEGA GHAZAL HI GAAYEGA
(Destiny will give him excruciating pain, compel him to weep; still he will never lament or write elegy; he will always sing Ghazal)
May the world adopt his prophetic approach and see the benefits. Amen! Unfortunately the present world is not sensible enough to adopt this path of love and forgiveness.
In his own words,
PUKAAROON HOON LEKIN NA BAAZ AAYE HAI
YEH DUNIYA KAHAAN DOOBNE JAAYE HAI
(I am calling and invoking but it is not ready to turn back; where is this world going to drown itself?)
If we take relevancy as being “to the purpose”, he has always been relevant. His purpose from the beginning has been very transparent. What is the purpose after all? He himself gives answer to this.
APNA TO KAAM HAI KI JALATE CHALO CHIRAAGH
RASTE MEN KHWAH DOST KE DUSHMAN KA GHAR MILE
(My purpose is solely to light the lamps; whether the houses on my route are those of friends or foes).
*********
Some Urdu words which are being used all the times on TV are wrongly pronounced. It is high time someone should give the TV anchors and drama artistes a little coaching in this regard. After all Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. No harm if along with Urdu, they learn some basic Persian (Farsi) and few common Persian verbs.
One such disaster is with the word related to Suicide – a forbidden act as per Islam. The Urdu word they use for this act is “KHUDKASHI”. It is wrong.
Let me explain it a bit. In Persian there are two differnt verbs-one is Kashidan which means To Pull. Kashi comes from Kashidan. There is altogether another verb “Kushtan” which means To Kill. Kushi comes from Kushtan. To do suicide is KhudKUSHI (Self Killing). KhudKASHI is wrong.
Similarly if any one uses the Urdu word for Tug of War, he will say RassaKASHI since a rope is being pulled. RassaKUSHI will be wrong since they are not killing the rope.
My humble request is that whether you do self-killing or not, it is your choice but please don’t kill Urdu.
We wish you and your family
peace, poise, progress, perfection, pride,
and
prosperity
Some of my friends showed keen interest in the Urdu poem titled “Masjid-e-Qurtuba” by Dr. Iqbal mentioned in my previous post about Morocco and Spain.
For the benefit of all I am uploading this great poem in the original text along with the English translation in “pdf” format.
To hear the recitation of the poem in the beautiful voice of Ziya Mohiyuddin, you may click here. This is a Youtube link. You will hear the recitation along with verse by verse different English translation.
As an additional gift, here is another Youtube link just to view some 3-D images of this grand mosque.
Enjoy!
This is my first post on WordPress. I shall try to put something interesting in Urdu and English on this weblog.
مہمانوں کا شکریہ ۔ امید ہے ہماری تحریر پسند آئیگی
سعید اختر