Tarqash, a collection of poems by Javed Akhtar was highly recommended to me. It featured in the "Next in my reading list" for quite some time before I was able to find a copy. After searching for it in the few local bookstores, I managed to get a copy a few days back. I also found a collection of ghazals, titled "Saye mein dhoop" by Dushyant Kumar the same day. [Was it my lucky day? ;-) ]
The first part of the book is a brief autobiography. It is great to read about the life and struggle of the famous poet and lyricist. But what I admire is the very casual language and tone it is written in. It is the language one would use in conversation, interspersed with humour - and not a monotonous prose one would expect from a literary genius. Really worth reading.
Next comes the preface - an introduction of the poet, and of the poems in the collection, written by Qurtul En Haidar. This is what I call heavy prose. The style, and use of rather tough urdu words [even though the meaning was given at the bottom of the page] made it difficult to read. I felt that the tough urdu words, and some english words written in devanagri script, rather broke the flow.
The collection includes 24 poems and 23 ghazals and some 'ashaar'.
I liked the poems, though I did not appreciate them too much, because I prefer poem with a rhythm and rhyme. And in some cases, I felt that the poem was too long for the central idea conveyed in it. But most of them presented a very stark image of the struggles of an individual - and it does not appear to be an outsider's view - but a narration from a person who had gone through it, who has felt the pain.
I like ghazals, primarliy because of the rhythm :-) My observation about ghazals in this collection is that the statements made are more generic - a commentary on the society in general.
Here are a few excerpts from some poems ....
[The translation, as usual, is mine :-)]
***
Gin gin ke sikke haath mera khurdura hua
Jaati rahi woh lams ki narmi bura hua
Counting the coins, my hands have become rough
It is unfortunate that the softness of touch is lost
***
[Banjara]
Tum ne mujhko choDa tha jis shahar mei.n aake
Waqt ka ab woh shahar bhi mujhse choot raha hai
...
Woh saare din
Jinke kandhe par soti hai
Ab bhi tumhari julf ki khushboo
[Nomad]
In the city where you had separated from me
Now I have to leave that city of time too
...
All those days
On whose shoulders still sleep
The fragrance of your tresses
***
[Ek mohre ka safar]
Yu.n woh ik roz baDa mohra bana
Ab woh mehfooz hai ik khane mei.n
Itna mehfooz ki dushman to alah
Dost bhi paas nahi.n aa sakte
[The journey of a chess piece]
An thus, he became a mightier chesspiece
And now he is safe in his square
So very safe, that not only his foes
Even his friends can no longer reach him
***
The first part of the book is a brief autobiography. It is great to read about the life and struggle of the famous poet and lyricist. But what I admire is the very casual language and tone it is written in. It is the language one would use in conversation, interspersed with humour - and not a monotonous prose one would expect from a literary genius. Really worth reading.
Next comes the preface - an introduction of the poet, and of the poems in the collection, written by Qurtul En Haidar. This is what I call heavy prose. The style, and use of rather tough urdu words [even though the meaning was given at the bottom of the page] made it difficult to read. I felt that the tough urdu words, and some english words written in devanagri script, rather broke the flow.
The collection includes 24 poems and 23 ghazals and some 'ashaar'.
I liked the poems, though I did not appreciate them too much, because I prefer poem with a rhythm and rhyme. And in some cases, I felt that the poem was too long for the central idea conveyed in it. But most of them presented a very stark image of the struggles of an individual - and it does not appear to be an outsider's view - but a narration from a person who had gone through it, who has felt the pain.
I like ghazals, primarliy because of the rhythm :-) My observation about ghazals in this collection is that the statements made are more generic - a commentary on the society in general.
Here are a few excerpts from some poems ....
[The translation, as usual, is mine :-)]
***
Gin gin ke sikke haath mera khurdura hua
Jaati rahi woh lams ki narmi bura hua
Counting the coins, my hands have become rough
It is unfortunate that the softness of touch is lost
***
[Banjara]
Tum ne mujhko choDa tha jis shahar mei.n aake
Waqt ka ab woh shahar bhi mujhse choot raha hai
...
Woh saare din
Jinke kandhe par soti hai
Ab bhi tumhari julf ki khushboo
[Nomad]
In the city where you had separated from me
Now I have to leave that city of time too
...
All those days
On whose shoulders still sleep
The fragrance of your tresses
***
[Ek mohre ka safar]
Yu.n woh ik roz baDa mohra bana
Ab woh mehfooz hai ik khane mei.n
Itna mehfooz ki dushman to alah
Dost bhi paas nahi.n aa sakte
[The journey of a chess piece]
An thus, he became a mightier chesspiece
And now he is safe in his square
So very safe, that not only his foes
Even his friends can no longer reach him
***
7 comments:
So finally we get the review....!
I liked the excerpts which you have posted....I liked the first one...materialism...!
Hey can we have some more excerpts please...!
@BTR: Of course!! I will posts some of the ashaar [from different ghazals] that I liked best. :-)
I have also heard about Tarqash but miles to go before I read...lol..
I'll read that here on your blog. :P
Yes yes some more pls. :D
My Fav Sher from the book:
'Lo dekh lo, yeh ishq hai, yeh vasl hai, yeh Hijr,
Ab laut chale aao, bahut kaam padaa hai'!
there is one more but I have forgotten the first line.(Second line says 'Kuch log mere hisse ka suraj bhi kha gaye!')
Now, my experience with nazms:
While reading, I too generally prefer Ghazals, primarily because of the form. I have started on nazms very late in life but the thing with them is that one needs to flow with it! Also, the expression isn't always tight and refined(because of the liberal form) and hence it may be difficult for a ghazal afficionado to adore nazms! It has taken me a lot of patience and reading to really develop a mindset to enjoy nazms!However, I have also realised that while a Ghazal doesn't need to revolve around a central idea and the ashaar can be 'disjointed', Nazm is generally around one idea, one theme. One can pretty much write a powerful short-story in a nazm!
@LeziB: The sher you have mentioned goes like this:
Unchi imaarato.n se makaan mera ghir gaya
Kuch log mere hisse ka sooraj bhi kha gaye
Yes, you have explained the difference between ghazal and nazm very precisely and nicely. A nazm mein not be bound by strict rules [ a nazm is nothing but a poem which does not fit the criteria for any other stricter form of poetry :-)], but the flow, and very often the rhyme, lends it a beauty. But since I have had a keen interest in hindi poetry for as long as I can remember, I love nazms too!! :P
BTR asked me once to write a post on different forms of poetry, but I think I am not qualified enough :-) Now that we have this discussion again, would request noth of you to take a look at this link -
http://www.urdupoetry.com/novicenook/poetryforms.html
Hey, thanks for both- the sher and the link!
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