Archive for poetry
Faraz
Day 10,207 – Monday – 03 Bhadra 1930 – 22 Shaban 1429 – 25 August 2008
Today, a great light has been lost forever. Ahmed Faraz. A great poet of Urdu. A great man.
Urdu, our society, our culture, our civilization and our people have lost a great presence. The loss can not be described in words.
The ever resounding noise in the background, Keht ur Rijaal, intensifies.
apnay maghmoom kivaron ko muqaffal kar lo
ab yahan koi naheen, koi naheen, aaye ga
But most of all, it was our love for him that will be lost, the love based on his contribution,
aur faraz chahiyen kitnee muhabbatain tujhe
maaon nay teray naam par bachon kay naam rakh diyay
We have lost a great man today, it is very unfortunate that in our day and age no others take the place of the ones lost.
We hope, we hope to see another Faraz, another Faiz, another great poet. We hope.
رات
Day 10,066 – Sunday – 17 Chaitra 1930 – 28 Rabi ul Awwal 1429 – 06 April 2008
Although not upto the standards of Urdu poetry, prosody or grammar; it is special to me, and it is mine.
البتہ اردو نظم کے اصولوں پر پوری نہیں اترتی؛ لیکن، میری ہے، اور میرے بہت قریب ہے۔
اب یاد کی نیلی چھائوں میں
اس رات کی ہر اک بات رہے
جس رات کو دل بھی دھڑکا تھا
جس رات کو آنکھیں مہکیں تھیں
اک خوف تھا ہر اک بات میں جب
اک جیت تھی ساری رات میں جب
جب چاک گریباں کر بیٹھے
جب حال اور ماضی کر بیٹھے
اب یاد کی نیلی چھائوں میں
اس رات کی ہر اک بات رہے
Mortality
Day 10,030 – Saturday – 22 Safar 1429 – 11 Phalgun 1929 – 01 March 2008
So, for the past couple of weeks, I have been having issues grappling with life, death, mortality, my own life, my mortality. The length of my life. How long I got. How long most people get. How incredibly short seventy years is. Youth. How short youth is. Is my youth over? How much longer will it last? What is the essence of life? How do I know it? How do I get it?
Seemingly, each question, less than eight words, but contemplation material for a lifetime.
The canvas of these questions is so broad that they have been thought of and contemplated and deliberated with such intensity and for so much time that I possibly can not do justice to this topic in a post. But, since it occupies my mind nowadays, I think it is pertinent.
How short life is, and how strongly, as of this moment, I feel that all that life is about is the other humans in my life: family and friends. But, do I loose them? I dont believe in an after life. So, with the last breath of anyone I love, or with my last breath, that bond is broken forever, and all that remains is protons and worms and old clothing that smells like the cologne I used to wear. On the one hand, it pains me to think that the bond is broken and the relationship is over. To me the loss of this treasure of mine is more than my life, the loss of my life will be less of a trajedy than the loss of these relationships. On the other hand, I must cherish each and every moment of my life with them. I must, there is never enough time, and I love them so much. Life is to live.
I have found another reason for being, for feeling alive, for life. The will to explore. Knowledge. Poetry. Literature. Art. Music. Science. Humans. Cities. Countries. I want to explore everything. As much of this immense and complex world that we have. If there is Allah, he has planned this world in a way that none of us would be able to see everything in their lifetime, and hence enjoy each and every bit just as much. Planned for perfection. Maybe that is why life is short, intense and meaningful. Travel gives me a high. Reading poetry gives me a high. On most occasions, my work gives me a high. Life is for living. Too beautiful to live.
The most beautiful things in life are free. The ability to enjoy whatever life may offer. Soldiers in fox holes laugh at jokes. The ability to appreciate beauty. I would consider my life lost if I had not known Faiz. The ability to learn and grow into a greater person. These are free, and we should make as much use of them as possible.
I was slightly shaken from this when my uncle passed away last year. I smsd one of my friends about this, and SAR sent me an sms that brings things into so much perspective, that I consider this email one of my most precious possessions, “Once we perish theres no coming back so dance to the tune of life till the music lasts.”
SAR, I love you man. Have a long and beautiful life. All of you. Have a long (measured by depth, not time) and beautiful life, I can never ask more for any of you.
Poetry
Sunday – 01 Shawwal 1428 – 22 Asvina 1929 – 14 October 2007
جوش ملیح آبادی
سنو اے ساکنان بزم ہستی، ندا کیا آ رہی ہے آسماں سے
آزادی کا ہر اک لمحہ ہے بہتر، غلامی کی حیات جاوداں سے
Josh Maleehabadi
Listen, o denizens of life, to the sound emanating from the heavens,
Every moment of freedom is better than eternal life of slavery
محمد ابراہیم ذوق
زندگی ہے یا کوئی توفان ہے
ہم تو اس جینے کی ہاتھوں مر چلے
Muhammad Ibrahim Zauq
Is it life? Or is it a tempest?
This life is my undoing
Nasir Kazmi
منگل – 19 رمضان 1428 – 10 اسوج 1929 – 02 اکتوبر 2007
شاعری کی دنیا میں ناصر کاظمی ایک ایسا نام ہے کہ جس سے شدت احساس منسلک یہں۔ ایک بہت واضع احساس محرومی۔ زندگی کی تلخیوں کا اس طرح ذکر کہ ان سے مانوسی کا شائبہ۔ افسوس، بہت افسوس۔ اور ایک ملال جو کہ ہر طرف چھایا ہوتا ہے۔ جیسے کہ سردی کی صبح اکیلے گزاری جائے اور بالکل سکوت میں دل ڈوب رہا ہو۔
جب ذرا تیز ہوا ہوتی ہے
کیسی سنسان فضا ہوتی ہے
ہم نے دیکھے ہیں وہ سناٹے بھی
جب ہر اک سانس صدا ہوتی ہے
دل کا یہ ہال ہوا تیرے بعد
جیسے ویران سرا ہوتی ہے
رونا آتا ہے ہمیں بھی لیکن
اس میں توہین وفا ہوتی ہے
منہ اندھیرے کبھی اٹھ کر دیکھو
کیا تر و تازہ ہوا ہوتی ہے
اجنبی دھیان کی ہر موج کے ساتھ
کس قدر تیز ہوا ہوتی ہے
غم کی بے نور گزرکاہوں میں
اک کرن ذوق فزا ہوتی ہے
غمگسار سفر راہ وفا
مژہ آبلہ پا ہوتی ہے
گلشن فکر کی منہ بند کلی
شب ماہتاب میں وا ہوتی ہے
جب نکلتی ہے نگار شب گل
منہ پہ شبنم کی روا ہوتی ہے
حادثہ ہے کہ خزاں سے پہلے
بوئے گل گل سے جدا ہوتی ہے
اک نیا دور جنم لیتا ہے
ایک تہزیب فنا ہوتی ہے
جب کوئی غم نہیں ہوتا ناصر
بے کلی دل کے سوا ہوتی ہے
Fareeda Khanum
Tuesday – 11 Rajab 1424 – 18 Bhadra 1925 – 09 September 2003
well here i am. i must tell everyone this. anyone interested in listening to ghazals. please listen to “chaand nikle kisi janib teri zebai ka” sung by fareeda khanum. it is wonderful to the extent of being orgasmically esctatic. it is wonderful.
well today wasnt as interesting as yerterday. but i have noticed one thing. when my computer is working. the electricity is on. and the internet is on. i blog a LOT. i mean i dont notice this but you people who actually have to read all this crap must realize it. LARGE posts full of crap. well what can i do. you are all stuck now.
AHAHHAHAHAHH !!!! AAHAHHAAHAHAHHAH !!!! MMMMUUUUUUAHAHAHAHAHHAHA !!!!
and now that my usual hysterics and dramatics are out of the way.
i would like to share a shaer (couplet) with you.
chaand nikle kisi janib teri zebai ka
rang badle kisi soorat shab e tanhai ka
may the moon rise anywhere of your allure
may the colour of this lonely evening change
another shaer (couplet)
daim para hua teray dar par naheen hoon main
khaak aisi zindagi par keh patthar naheen hoon main
i am not lying on your doorstep for ever
what use is this life if i am not that stone
now i will enter the world of the ghazal and leave you all to enjoy what you enjoy.
Ye Watan Tumhara Hay
Thursday – 15 Jamadi us Sani 1424 – 23 Sravana 1925 – 14 August 2003
and the final song in the array of patriotic songs
mehdi hasan
yeh watan tumhara hay
tum ho paasbaan is kay
yeh chaman tumhara hay
tum ho naghman khan is kay
yeh watan tumhara hay
tum ho paasbaan is kay
is chaman kay pholon par
rang o aab tum say hay
is zamin ka har zarra
aaftab tum say hay
yeh faza tumhari hay
behr o barr tyumahray hain
kehkashan kay yeh jalay
rehguzar tumharay hain
yeh watan tumhara hay
tum ho paasbaan is kay
is zameen ki mitti main
khoon hay shaheedon ka
arz e pak markaz hay
qaum ki ummedon ka
nazm o zabt ko apna
mir e karvan jaano
waqt kay andheron main
apna aap pehchano
yeh watan tumhara hay
tum ho paasbaan is kay
Pakistan Paindabad !