Is silsila ka ek aur post. Aaj ka unwaan hain ‘Nakaami’ aur ‘Namuraadi’, do aise jazbaat jin ke saath mein phir ittefaq kar sakta hoon aur bahut qareebi se jaanta aur pahchanta hoon. Berhaal…

Aghaz ‘naakami’ par kuch mukhtalif asha’ar se…..

Hazrat Hakim Momin Khan Momin se jaanib se

Nakaamion se kaam raha umr bhar hame
Peeri mein yaas hai jo hawas thi shabab mein

Is ke baad Dil Shahjahanpuri. Aise khayalat jo koi Dabistan-e-Lakhnau ya sarzameen-e-Awadh se jiski nisbat ho, hi izhar kar sakta hain. Lekin aap aapne liye dekh len.

Nakaamion ke baad bhi chootha na haath se
Kya jaane kis khayal se damaan-e-arzoo

Is ke baad Dabistan-e-Lakhnau par hi aa jate hain. Suniye Jafar Ali Khan Asr Lakhnavi kya kehte hain. Mujhe yeh to apni zindagi se jurha hua lagta hai…. Khair jaane dijiye

Bayaan main kya karun ab is se aage apni nakaami
Tere yeh tevar aur mujh ko tujhi se kaam rahta hai

Is ke baad aate hai Asi Uldani. Yeh bhi Hasrat Mohani sahab ke raah mein the. Asli naam inka Maulana Abdul Bari Asi tha, lekin tafteesh inki bhi kam nahi thi, jaise is asha’ar se pata chalta hain. Kabhi mujhe lagta hain ke us zamaane ke sab Maulana ek hi tarah ke the – ya to unki jawaani khub rangeen thi ya unka tasavvur aasman ko par karne ki quwwat rakhta tha. Berhaal..

Ham se pehle bhi mohabbat ka yehi anjaam tha
‘Qais’ bhi nashaad tha, ‘Farhad’ bhi nakaam tha

Aur akhir mein Janaab Chiraagh Hasan Hasrat.

Nakaam-e-tamanna dil is soch mein rahta hai
Yun hota to kya hota, yun hota to kya hota

Ab chand asha’ar ‘Namuradi’ par. Aghaaz Dabistan-e-Lakhnau ke ek naami shair se…. Janaab Riaz Khairabadi

Muddat hui rasaayi-e-qismat ko ro chuke
Vo sang-e-dar kahan yeh hamaari jabeen kahan

Asr Sehbai ke lafzon mein:

Ab tamanna to koi dil mein nahi
Magar ek iztiraab baaqi hai

Aur aakhir mein Qamar ul-Jafri sahab. Itna hi kahunga ke isse behtarin bayan koi nahi kar sakta.

Yeh daur-e-namuraadi yun mehsoos hota hai
Main apne qabr par khud parh raha hoon fateha jaise

Tamam shud!

This was supposed to be a regular series, as I promised in its first post a few days back. But the great vissectitudes of life - a overwhelming flurry of momentous developments, some expected and a greater lot unexpected, kept me from following through on my committment. However, excuses and explanations can go on and on but it will be more apt to return to the point. I will just say that from now on, I will make a determined and resolute effort to be regular in posts – not only on this series but the others too. 

Anyway, Berhaal, mudda par laut te hai. Is silsila ka doosra jo unwan main ne chuna hain, woh hai “Tanhai-o-bekasi”. Is unwan par kuch jaane-mane shairon (jis mein ek na-maalum bhi shaamil hain) ke asha’ar aapke nazar. Aghaz Hakim Momin Khan ‘Momin’ se. Tawajju chahunga.

Hanste to dekhte hain kisi ko kisi se ham
Munh dekh dekh rote hain kis bekasi se ham

Ab Hazrat ‘Dagh Dehlvi’

Ab dil hai maqam bekasi ka
Yun ghar na tabah ho kisi ka

Dabistan-e-Dehli ke in donon alambardaron ke bad dekhiye ahl-e-Dabistan-e-Lakhnau ka kya khayal hai

Asr Lakhnavi ke lafzon mein

Idhar se aaj vo guzre to munh phere hue guzre
Ab in se bhi hamari bekasi dekhi nahi jaati

Aziz Lakhnavi:

Ab is bekasi se to behtar hai mar ja
Are zindagani basar karne waale

Safi Lakhnavi:

Vo josh-e-tanhai-shab-e-gham voh har taraf bekasi ka aalam
Kati hain aankhon me raat sari tadap tadap kar sehr hui hai

aur Saqib Lakhnavi:

Main ro raha hoon jo dil ko to bekasi ke liye
Digarna maut to duniya mein hain sabhi ke liye

Ab to khayal aa raha hoga kuch danishmand logon ko ke aise unwaan mein Fani Badayuni abhi tak nazil nahi huye. Khair intezaar khatm ho gaya.

Yeh kis qayamat ki bekasi hai! Na main hi apna na yaar mera
Na khatir-e-beqaraar meri, na deedah-e-ashkbaar mera

Is ke baad Raghupati Sahai Firaaq Gorakhpuri… is unwan par unke do asha’ar

Main hoon dil hai tanhai hai
Tum bhi jo hote achcha hota

aur

Is dil ki qismat mein tanhaiyan thi
Kabhi jis ne apna paraya na jaana

Ek namaalum shair:

Yeh kaun aata tanhaiyon mein jaam liye
Jalv mein chandni raatein ka ihtimaam liye

Afsar Meeruti:

Dikhave ki hain sab yeh duniya ke mele
Bhare bazm mein ham rah rahe hai akele

Saghir Aligarhi:

Tanhai firaaq ka aalam na poochiye
Goya kisi ke sog mein aalam khamosh tha

aur aakhir mein Adeeb Malegaonvi. Is ko maine akhir ke liye is liye rakha tha kyunki is khayal se main khaas ittefaq rakhta hoon, aur is saal mehsoos bhi kar chuka hoon. Berhaal…..

Bhari duniya mein koi bhi nazar aata nahi apna
‘Adeeb’! Ek daur aisa bhi guzar jaata hai insan par

 Aaj ke liye itna hi. Silsila jaari rahega…. Shab ba-khair. Khoda nigehbaan

I return to this series but since Majaz has been hijacking most of these posts, I have decided to make it poet-specific, so that some others can also get their day in the sun.

This time, I will begin – and very aptly too– with Inshaallah Khan Insha. As I said earlier, Insha was a multi-facetted genius and an ace partical joker, with an innate ability to draw out rhymes at the drop of a hat… (I have my doubts if this expression is apt for early 19th century Lucknow but I will let it go) … as these two anecdotes show.

Ek roz Jurrat fikr-e-sukhan kar rahe the ke Insha aa gaye. Unhe mahv paya to pocha: “Hazrat kis soch mein hain?” Jurrat ne kaha – “Kuch nahi, bas ek misra hua hai sher mukammal karne ki fikr mein hoon.”
Insha ne arz kiya – “Kuch hamen bhi pata chale.”
Jurrat ne kaha – “Nahi tum girah lagakar misra mere se cheen lo ge.”
Aakhi badhe asrar ke ke bad Jurrat ne bataya. Misra tha:
“Us zulf pe phabti shab-e-daijur ki soojhi”
Insha ne fauran girah lagaayi…
“Andhe ko andhere mein badhi door ki soojhi“
Jurrat sahab nabina the. (For those, who fail to get the point, nabina means blind).

Inshaallah Khan Insha Nawab Saadat Ali, Wali Awadh, ke darbar se wabasta the. Ek din Nawab sahab ne tamaam darbaari shayron ko misra diya: “Ek nazar dekhne se toot na jaate tere haath”. Aur is par misrah sani lagane ka hukum diya. Sab log is be-tuke misre ko sun kar pareshan ho gaye ke is par misra sani kaise lage?
Lekin Insha ne fauran doosra misra keh kar sher mukammal kar diya.
“Ek nazar dekhne se toot na jaate tere haath
Laila, itna to na tha pardah mahmal bhaari”

To round it off, two asha’ars of Insha that speak for themselves. Both are maqtas and unfortunately I have no idea of what ghazals they are from. I really regret the chance I had – years and years ago – to pick up a kulliyat of Insha from Danish Mahal. I wonder it is still available. But as a celebrated literary character once remarked: “We all have neglected opportunities to deplore” (whoever identifies this character will be entitled for a special prize from my side). Anyway, getting back to Insha, mulaiza farmaye!

I can identify with this, in a way…

Ham bhi Hazrat Suleiman ki naukar hain, Saiyyad ‘Insha’
Kyun na ho hamari bhi badshaahi kharch

And yeh bhi…. so I can end one post on a slightly optimistic note.

Mahashar ki tishnagi ka kya khauf Saiyyad ‘Insha’
Kausar ka jaam bhar bhar pilayega Imam mera

aye mehboob, mere siskte hue lab najaane kion aaj hain khamosh
ke ab muyassar naheen mere jabeen ko tera qurbat-e-aagosh

zulmat main katee thee umar ke mera qamar thaa mujhse naawaqif
chutee sharaab us ke aane se ke rehta hoon ab us ke khumaar main madhosh

darta hoon us ko khone se, shab-e-intezaar main ek pal sone se
ke woh dar pe aaye mere aur main rahoon us ke sapnon main behosh

ab haal-e-dil naa poocho mujh se baar baar ke udaas hai buhat
raha na kisi zehr main asar aur naa bazoo-e-qaatil main koi josh

kab us ka dast mere zulfon se khele gaa, yeh naheen janta
us kee suhbat se hue hain juda, us kee yaad se na ho jayen framosh

Bichrah  Hai Jo Ik Bar Tu Miltey Nahin  Dekha

Is Zakhum Ko Hum Nay Kabhi Siltey Nahin Dekha

Ik Bar Jisay Chaat Gai Dhoop Ki Khawahish

Phir Shakh Pe Us Phool Ko Khiltey Nahin Dekha

Ye Lakht Gira Hai Tu Jarain Tak Nikal Ayin

Jis pair ko Andhi Mei Bhi Hiltey Nahin Dekha

Kis Tarah Maree Roh Haree Ker Gaya Akhir

Woh Zehar Har Jisay Jism Mein Khilte Nahin Dekha

What A is in English, Alif is in Urdu.

The start, the beginning, the flow of a human culture and civilization all begins with language and words. The assimilation of thoughts and energies in what words and alphabets mean to us humans is passed on from generations of human species. The accumulation of the embedded powers create a magnificent, bewitching, enriching and spell bounding effect when these alphabets and words are woven with threads of emotions, images and feelings from within the soul and transmitted to the medium of air that carries it on its fragile wings.

These Alphabets become even more enchanting when they are sewn by creative human dimensions into the flowers and buds of sweet, melodious poetry resembling the chirping of the carefree birds at dawn.

a dheek muj he

mein tera Aaina

dhek k mujh mein kitney rang han tyre

kaisay tujh ko pyar mein tyre

kai kai sapnet dhiklata
hon

Aa dhek mujhe

k kia haal howa hai

go k tu  roht gaya hai

jeena b dobahr howa hai

tera dheekhna, mera joog howa hai

M Moeen uddin

(At the onset, I ask the apologies of people of Hyderabad (Dakkan) for their inclusion in this anecdote, in a manner that is not very complementary)

I came across this anecdote involving Majaz, which I feel has to to be featured by itself for more effect. Not only does it focus on the perils of mispronouncing Urdu words, it also displays a typical Lakhnavi response. I do honestly promise I will provide an explanation at the end.

Hyderabad Dakkan mein “Qaf” (Q for English-speakers) ki jagah aam taur par log “Khe” (Kh for them only) bolte hain.
Kisi Hyderabadi ne Majaz ko ek dawat par madu karte hue kaha: “Majaz sahab! Kal meri azizah ki takhreeb (when he hopefully meant (Taqreeb) hai. Ghareeb khane par tashreef layen.”
Majaz ne khauf-zada ho kar jawab diya-
“Nahin sahab. Mujhe se yeh dardnak manzar nahi dekha ja sakega.”

Now, I can hear the clamour for explanations. It is a proverbial mistake to analyse a joke but what can be done. Though the word ‘Takhreeb’ sounds virtually similar to ‘Taqreeb’ as far as pronounciation is concerned, the meanings of the two are vastly divergent as you will appreciate.  ‘Taqreeb’ means a festival or in this case, a celebration. On the other hand, ‘Takhreeb’ means ujarhna  ya barbaadi or plunder or devastation. So then one can understand Majaz’s look of horror and his unwillingness to witness such a gory spectacle…. going by the pronounciation of the ostensibly earnest gentleman of Hyderabad, who thought he had courteously tendered Majaz an invitation to a feast.

Ye kis Khalsh  nay  phir is dil me ashiyana kia

yeh kis khalash nay  phir is dil me ashiyana kia

Phir aj kis ney sakun hum say gaybana kia

Gham jahan ho ruqh  yar ho key dist addad

Salook jis nay kia hum say aishqana kia

Thay khak rah bhi hum log kehr toofan bhi

Saha tu kia na saha aur kia tu kya na kia

Khoska key aaj her ik madhi key lab per hai

Woh raaz jis nay hain zinda zamana kia

Woh heela gir jo wafa jo bhi hai jafa  kho bhi

Kia bhi faiz tu kis  butt say dostana kia

Mohd Shafi Khan Bekal Utsahi ke baare mein maine guzashta din charcha ki thi. Aaj main ki do aur ghazal pesh karna chahte hoon.

The first of this also strikes a key chord in me as I closely identify with the situation he describes – with his characteristic sheer aplomb. It was also one of the verses that came into my mind at the end of this year’s Bde Day. Aap khud dekhen…. In its simplicity, it quite matches the sentiment of a ghazal of Malikzada Mansoor Ahmed I wrote about in a post sometime back.

Ae khuda yeh kisne bheje haadse meri taraf
Chal padhe hain gham ke maare meri taraf

Ek jhatke mein makaan sab patharon ke torh kar
Phaink diye toote hue kuch aaine meri taraf

Yeh bhi sach hai ae Khuda sab dil tere haathon mein hai
Kis liye yeh rakh diye hai masle meri taraf

Tere jaanib sach mohabbat aur wafa ki naimaten
Jhoot, nafrat aur wafa ke mashgale meri taraf

Is tabahi mein khuda hi jaane kis ka haath hai
Aag sulagti us taraf aur ghar jalte hai meri taraf

Meri bad-amlion ki yeh hai maamuli sazaa
Jhoom kar aaye hai ‘Bekal’ zalzale meri taraf

I wrote about Bekal sahab’s metier for elaborate thoughts but in much simpler constructions. This is a good example of the trend. Note the descriptions and metaphors from nature and the contrasts with village life – also the use of an English word which brings in sharp relief the seamy underside of urban life. Maqta par bhi tawajju chahunga…..

Pyasa chehra tapta sawaan kiska hai
Hijr ka mausam bheega daman kiska hai

Phooln tak jab narm kaliyan aa pahunchegi
Zakhm bata denge ye gulshan kiska hai

Zille ilahi nau-ratnon se raat dhale
Pooch rahe hai ab singhasan kiska hai

Mehfil mein sab sache ghungroo tere hai
Tanhai mein jhoota kangan kiska hai

Tere hai sab rang tarang jawaani ke
Foothpathon par bhooka bachpan kiska hai

Unche unche mahlon se yeh pooche kaun
Phus ka chappar kachhe angan kiska hai

Apne andar jhaank ke ‘Bekal’ soch zara
Tu hai sab ka dost to dushman kiska hai

This will be the 75th post here. To commemorate this stage, I will begin a new series, consisting of a collection of asha’ar by various shairs on a single theme. Actually this has been a demand raised by several people I know, but it is only now that I am acceding to it – but with a twist. Most of the first few topics will be those selected by me.

I begin with the first…. no lets do this properly. Is silsila ka ibtidaai unwaan hain ‘Gham’.  

Lets begin with Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib himself.

Meri qismat mein gham gar itna tha
Dil bhi Yaarab kayi diye hote

And continue with Asr Sehbai

Khuda ki dein hai jisko naseeb ho jaye
Har ek dil ko gham javidan nahi milta

Time to mark the presence of ‘Dabistan-e-Lakhnau’. Shair Lakhnavi will do the honours.

Jo gham-e-habeeb se door the woh khud apni aag mein jal gaye
Jo gham-e-habeeb ko pa gaye woh ghamon se hans ke nikal gaye 

And to even the balance with Hakim Momin Khan Momin.

Ahl-e-bazaar-e-mohabbat ka bhi kya sauda hai
Ishrat umr abd qeemat gham dete hain

Ab Natiq Laknavi ki baari….

Sar ankhon par gham-e-duniya o aqba
Magar ab dil mein gunjaish kahan hai

Next is Moeen Ehsan Jazbi.

Dil musalsal hua gar khoon to to gham milta hai
Kitni mushkil se yahan deedah-egham milta hai

And now Shabbir Hassan Khan Josh Malihabadi, with his characteristic simplicity.

Dil ka rona hai dil ka maatam hai
Ab to har saans nohe-gham hai

And how can I forget Maulana Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan Hasrat Mohani. Waise bhi Malihabad aur Mohaani mein ziadah faasla nahi hain….

Shadman tha jo tere ranj tarabkar se dil
Gham duniya se giranbaar na hone paaya

Hadi Macchlishahri ki aab baari

Mujhe ab zindagi bekaar si maloom hoti hai
Qayamat ho gaya hai nasha-e-gham ka utar jana

Raghupati Sahay Firaq Gorakhpuri….

Yun hi ‘Firaq’ ne umr basar ki
Ya gham-e-janan ya gham-e-dauran

Ab sawwal aapke zehn mein yeh aa raha hoga ke aisa jazbaat chuna hai lekin woh shair jiske kalaam mein sab se ziadah maayusi aur gham chalakta hain ka aamad abhi tak nahi hua. To yeh lijiye, hazrat Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni. 

Gham bhi guzashta hai khushi bhi guzashta
Kar gham ko ikhtiyar ke guzre to gham na ho

aur yeh bhi….

Jise jaane ki tohmat kis se uthti kis tarah uthi
Tere gham ne bachayi zindagi ki abru barsaon

Ek nazar Shakeel Ahmed Shakeel Badayuni par….

Meri zindagi pe na muskura mujhe zindagi ka alam nahi
Jaise tere gham se ho vaasta vo khizan bahar se kam nahi

Aur kyunke ibtida Chacha Ghalib se kiya tha maine, to khatam bhi unse hi karunga. It is the best … despite holding no possibility of redemption while one is in this world. All respite shall only come in the world to come…. but let the Chacha say it in his own words….

Qaid-e-hayat o band-o-gham asl mein dono ek hai
Maut se pehle aadmi gham se nijaat paaye kyon

On this positive note, I end this post….

Faiz penned this nazm over six decades ago, as a poetic protest against the subcontinent, not to mention all those who in the ongoing spate of madness, saw the negation of all they had worked and struggled for and many had made considerable sacrifices for. In his words, the desired destination was still far off….

Today, more than six decades in the future, when one sees, albeit on a smaller scale, the same wave of madness, and worse still, the same pettiness and selfishness, it is obvious that the destination is still far beyond… far far beyond and unlike to be reached in our life, or so it seems.

One can only believe the wise man who said: “Be patient and you will have all you wanted in a better world.”

It was as soon as I woke up on Bde Day ‘09, did these familiar lines come into my mind and when I was trudging home, at the end of the day, did they return. Though I expected all that unfolded during the day, I guess I will be lying if I do not confess that I did hope that somehow a different outcome could be expected…. but then it was a forlorn hope indeed. However, as another wise man once said to a tyrant who flaunted his power: “This too shall pass.” We will see and as another wise man (the third for those who lost count) said: Time is a great leveller.

And if nothing else we can delve into in the wise words of Marcus Aurelius and Boethius (fourth and fifth, just in order to keep track). (For those who have no or sparse knowledge of these, I will recommend they consult a good encyclopaedia or pick up a good edition of the Meditations or The Consolations of Philosophy… one which boasts of a good preface and that will be good enough to know about these illustious personages ).

However, lets return to Faiz. Here is the nazm “Subh-e-Azaadi”. As it is the hallmark of a great effort, it easily transcends its title to be much more relevant in wide spectrum of situations. Have a look for yourself.

Yeh daag daag ujaala, ye shab gazida sahar
Woh intezaar tha jis ka, yeh woh sahar to nahi
Yeh wo sahar to nahi jis ki aarzoo lekar
Chale the yaar ke mil jaayegi kahin na kahi

Falak ke dasht mein taaron ki aakhri manzil
Kahin to hoga shab-e-sust mauj kaa saahil
Kahin to ja ke rukega safina-e-gam-e-dil

Jawaan lahu ki pur-asraar shaharahon se
Chale jo yaar to daaman pe kitne haath padhe
Dayaar-e-husn ki be-sabr khwaabgaahon se
Pukarti rahi baahen, badan bulate rahe

Bahut azeez thi lekin rukh-e-sahar ki lagan
Bahut qareen tha haseenan-e-noor ka daaman
Subuk Subuk thi tamanna, dabi dabi thi thakan

Suna hai ho bhi chuka hai firaq-e-zulmat-e-noor
Suna hai ho bhi chuka hai wisaal-e-manzil-o-gaam
Badal chuka hai bahut ahl-e-dard ka dastoor
Nishaat-e-wasl halaal-o-azaab-e-hijr-e-haraam

Jigar ki aag, nazar ki umang, dil ki jalan
Kisi pe chaaraa-e-hijraan ka kuch asar hi nahi
Kahan se aayi nigaar-e-sabaa, kidhar ko gayi
Abhi chiraag-e-sar-e-rah ko kuch khabar hi nahi

Abhi garaani-e-shab mein kami nahi aayi
Najaat-e-deeda-o-dil ki ghadi nahi aayi
Chale chalo ki woh manzil abhi nahi aayi

Chale chalo ki woh manzil abhi nahi aayi………….

Mohd Shafi Khan Bekal Utsahi is an institution in himself. For all those who attend mushairas or otherwise keep abreast with Urdu literature cannot miss that stately man, with a white diagonal channel running down the left side of his beard, as he recites, in his inimitable style, the most elaborate of thoughts couched in the most simple of language.  The ‘ganga-jamuni tehzeeb’ finds one of its best expressions in Bekal sahab’s works, especially his ‘geets’ as he freely uses a melange of Urdu, Hindi as well as Awadhi and Bhojpuri. His ghazals are extremely profound despite the simple style. Here is one of them.

This ws the first ghazal of Bekal Utsahi I ever heard. I think it was some mushairah other than the annual one in the Red Fort, and I was scribbling it down, but to my dissmay, missed the rest of the misra-e-saani of the matla apart from the first word.

There followed an agonising period as nowhere could I find the ghazal, no else had tried to note it or did remember it and efforts to fill it were futile. Thankfully, at the Republic Day mushaira, (held that year (2002) at the Talkatora stadium and coincidentally the last I attended), Bekal sahab was present. We managed to get a chit to him, asking him to recite the ghazal, and he obliged. I did’nt make any mistake this time.

However, there are two variations of this ghazal here. The first is the one I had noted down, and the second one was the one given in a kulliyat of Bekal Utsahi, which I had acquired recently. There are a few differences between the two - some words here and there  a changed misra or two – and you can choose whichever sounds better. It is possible that what he recited then was an early draft, and he subsequently made some amendments, which were reflected in the version given in his kulliyat.

Version #1

Jo mera hai woh tera bhi afsana hua to
Mahaul mohabbat ka begaana hua to

Tum qatl se bachne ka jatan karo ho
Qaatil ka jo lehza shareefana hua to

Nikle to ho sui haram zaade safar lekar
Raaste mein kahi sanamkhana hua to

Is ko bitha dete ho farzaanon ki saaf mein
Gustaakh agar koi deewana hua to

Kamzarf to itni mohabbat na pilao
Labrez zeesht ka paimana hua to

‘Bekal’ ne tujhe dushman-e-jaani bhi kaha hai
Yujh se bhi achanak yaraana hua to

Version#2

Jo mera hai woh tera bhi afsana hua to
Mahaul ka andazah hi begaanah hua to

Tum qatl se bachne ka jatan khub karo ho
Qaatil ka agar lehja shareefana hua to

Saqi to mera jaam sada bharta raha hai
Khaali jo meri zeesht ka paimana hua to

Isko bhi baitha dete ho danaaon ki saaf mein
Gustaakh agar bazm mein deewana hua to

Kaabe ki ziyarat ka safar kar to rahe ho
Raaste mein kahin koi sanamkhana hua to

‘Bekal’ ne tujhe dushman-e-jaani hi to kaha hai
Tujhse jo achanak kahin yaarana hua to

There is something about politicians or ministers which really brings out the venom from poets. I remember reading this little rhyme years ago and would really like to know who the poet was referring too. Unfortunately, the name of the poet too has slipped my mind…

Here with pomp and ridiculous display
The Politician’s corpse was laid away
While all his friends sneered and slanged
I only wept. I’d longed to see him hanged

Another in the same tradition I read years ago was in the OUP History of Urdu Literature by Dr Mohd Sadiq. However, I loaned it to somebody and never saw it again. I tried to find another copy, but is currently out of print.  However, I managed to trace out this poem in an anthology. It is also a well-directed barb at the political class but in a more sophisticated way, using the tools of satire and ridicule.

This is the work of celebrated humourist Abdul Majeed Chohan, who wrote under the name of Namak Lahori, but is popularly known as Majeed Lahori.

Murghion par bhi kar sakta hoon izhar-e-khayal
Aur saandhon par bhi hoon mehfil mein sargaram-e-maqaal

Race ke ghorhon pe bhi taqreer kar sakta hoon main
‘Akbar’ o ‘Iqbal’ ki tafseer kar sakta hoon main

Homeopathic ho ya dandaansazi ka kamaal
Baghbani ho ke ho ‘Rumi’ o raazi ka kamaal

Baat phoolon ki ho ya qaumi taraane ka bayaan
Chaat ho barah masaale ki ke ho Urdu zabaan

Bu Ali Sina ki hikmat baat aalmi Aflatoon ki
Agriculture ho ya shauq ho koi qanoon ki

‘Daagh’ ka deewan ho ya ho atom bomb ka raaz
Mahigiri ho ke rabta-o-zabt-o Mahmud-o-Ayaz

Masail tareekh ka ho ya mubahhas ilm ka
Falsafa gulkand ka ho ya ke qissa film ka

Kashtae tareekh ka ho sarbat-e dinaar ho
Hai zaroori sab pe meri raye ka izhaar ho

Mudda anqa hai apne alam-e-taqreer ka
Shauq hai dil mein magar Quran ki tafseer ka

Jitne bhi shaube hain un sab par hoon main chaya hua
Hoon Minister mustanad hai mera farmaya hua

I can hear the frezied calls for explanation of certain references and wisely anticipating them, explain some of them. ‘Akbar’ and ‘Iqbal’ are of course the celebrated poets Syed Akbar Hussain Rizvi ‘Akbar Allahabadi’ and Sir Mohd Iqbal respectively. Rumi is the famous 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī or Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī,  popularly known as Mowlānā but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi and Bu Ali Sina is a corrupt version of Abū ‘Alī al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sīnā’, known as Abū Alī Sīnā or, more commonly, Ibn Sīnā and commonly known in English by his Latinized name Avicenna (Greek: Aβιτζιανός, Abitzianos)  - a Persian polymath and the foremost physician and philosopher of his time. He was also an astronomer, chemist, geologist, logician, paleontologist, mathematician, physicist, poet, psychologist, scientist and teacher. Aflatoon is the Arab name given to Plato…. I do assume people will know about him.

Daagh is Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlavi. Students of history, especially Indian, will know Mahmud of Mahmud-o-Ayaz as Mahmud of Ghazni. Ayaz was a beautiful? handsome male slave the sultan was enamoured of, and their ‘love’ is an enduring motif. A reference is Iqbal’s Shikwa, but this is hardly the place to discuss it.

I had to write this to obviate a big blunder I have made.

I missed one of the most often-heard shers ever heard… well at least its second misra and that of a leading light of the Dabistan-e-Lakhnau. Though it is my Brigade Raising Day today and some more celebrations remain to be carried out – albeit alone – I will attempt to atone for my lapse before I go…. it is also to prevent being woken up by the ghost of Abdul Halim Sharar Lakhnavi at 3.32 in the night and being roundly admonished.

This is a sher by the incomparable Khwaja Haider Ali Aatish Lakhnavi - the second in a charming ghazal which I will share with you later.

Zameen-e-chaman gul khilati hai kya kya
Badalta hai rang asmaan ka kaise kaise

Asrar ul Hassan Khan Majrooh Sultanpuri is more known for his film lyrics then his poetry.

However, in his film career, Majrooh achieved great heights. Which other lyricist has the privilege of his first lyric in the industry being for the legendary K.L. Saigal himself. “Jab Dil hi toot gaya” from Shahjahan became the definitive song Saigal is identified by, and it was also the one he wanted played on his last journey….. which unfortunately happend too soon.  

However, Majrooh’s credentials had been firmly established – the lyricist who wrote for leading actors of the Indian film industry from Saigal to Shahrukh Khan, and from Nargis to Madhuri Dixit, and when he died in 2000, his lyrics for an Indi-pop album had people the age of hios grandchildren happily singing to it.

However, Majrooh achieved this status at some personal cost. A leading light of the Tariqqi Pasand Tehreek (Progressive Writers Association) , he gave up his political inclinations after the Bombay government, headed by Morarji Desai – who was never known for his sense of humour among other things – put him behind bars for a year as so for reciting an anti-government sher at a mushaira. After that, a chastened Majrooh, whose career as a lyricist was just beginning, firmly stuck to Bollywood and writing about emotions.

His work for the film industry is well known – and here I will concentrate on Majrooh the poet. So follows one of his ghazals and some scattered asha’ar.

Ham ko junoon kya sikhlate ho ham the pareshan tumse zyada
Chak kiye hain hamae azeezon chaar garebaan tumse zyada

Chaak-e-jigar muhataaj-e-rafuu hai aaj to daaman sirf lahu hai
Ek mausam tha ham ko raha hai shauq-e-bahaaran tumse zyada

Jao tum apani baam ki khaatir saari laven shamon ki katar lo
Zakhmon ke mahar-o-maah salaamat jashn-e-chiragan tumse zyada

Ham bhi hamesha qatl huye aur tum ne bhi dekha door se lekin
Ye na samjhe hamko hua hai jaan ka nuksaan tumse zyada

Zanjeer-o-deewaar hi dekhi tumne to ‘Majrooh’ magar ham
Koocha-koocha dekh rahe hai aalam-e-zindaan tumse zyada

And now for some for his shers: I apologise for beginning the selection with a maqta from his ghazals …. no, its fine, I have changed the order.

Main akela hi chala tha janib manzil magar
Log saath aate gaye aur karvan banta gaya

Sawaal unka jawaab uka sukoot unka khitab unka
Ham anjuman mein sar na kham karte to kya karte

Majrooh! Likh rahe hain woh ahl-e-wafa ka naam
Ham bhi khade hue hai gunaahgaar ki tarah

Shab-e-intezar ki kashmakash na pooch kaise sahar hui
Kabhi ek chiraag jala diya kabhi ek chiraag bujha diya

Main hazaar shakl badal chuka chaman-e-jahaan mein sun ae saba
Ke jo phool hai tere haath mein ye mera hi lakht-e-jigar na ho

Taqdeer ka shikwa bemaani jeena hi tujhe manzoor nahi
Aap apna muqaddar ban na sake itna to koi majboor nahi

‘Majrooh’! Qafile ki mere dastaan ye hai
Rahbar ne mil ke loot liya rahbaron ke saath

Tum bhi chori ko yaqeen hai na kahoge achcha
Ab hamen dekh ke aankhen na churana hargiz

Jis taraf bhi chal padhe hain aabla payan-e-shauq
Khar se gul aur gul se gulistan banta gaya

Alag baithe hai phir bhi aankh saaqi ki padhi ham par
Agar hain tishnagi kaamil to paimane bhi aayenge

Shama bhi ujaala bhi main hi apni mahfil ka
Main hi apni manzil ka raahbar bhi raahi bhi

Shab-e-intezar ki kashmakash na pooch kaise sahar hui
Kabhi ek chiraag jala diya kabhi ek chiraag bujha diya

Zabaan hamari na samjha yahaan koi ‘Majrooh’
Ham ajnabi ki tarah apne hi vatan mein rahe