Urdu Poetry Forum

**Abr-e-guraizaN** · #21 08-26-2008, 01:33 PM

MEETING WITH AHMAD FARAZ

Yeh aalam shauq ka dekha na jaaye

What do you say when you meet what many consider the greatest living poetic craftsman of the Urdu language today? When you meet Poet Ahmad Faraz, you can pretty much say whatever you want. You do not need to be intimidatedin his presence as we, who have had a chance to interact with him over the years, still continue to discover. What you see is what you get. Straight from mouth and the heart of this amazing Pathan from Kohat, who started scaling the heights of Urdu poetry and conquered them long before many of his current fans were born. Faraz is over 75 years of age today. Humbled by the years, he still possesses that sharpness of wit and streaks of brilliance that has made him a literary force to contend with. I only wonder if Pakistanis will ever see him win an international prize for literature (as we wanted Faiz Ahmad Faiz to be awarded the Nobel), and haven’t we have already waited for Maulana Sattar Edhi to win the Peace Prize for far too many years?

I saw him last when he visited Sacramento a day after our daughter was born, and I was glad to see that he looked well. At the Mehran Restaurant in Newark, California this time, he did appear a bit slower perhaps and more philosophical (if that was possible), but he remains as controversial as ever. Still secular to the core, but somewhat touched by the beliefs of his people, he was not any gentler in his criticism of his old adversaries in general (pardon the pun), like in the past.

The discussion started with politics and the current judicial crisis in Pakistan. Faraz was quick to criticize “Crore Commanders” (Millionaire Commanders in uniform) whose rule has brought instability and divisions. One need not be reminded that Faraz has been the voice of Democratic forces in Pakistan for several decades now. Many believe that his best work “Mohasara” (Encircled-Siege) written against the regime of General Ziaul Haq is his best political writing. Others will argue that it is a poem that he wrote in his biting criticism of military action in former East Pakistan and now Bangladesh. In either case I asked him whether the passion of the Mohasara period is still living and ignited in the Faraz of today He smiled and said “Yes” since the siege has not lifted neither had his passion. He added that since things don’t change much for the better in Pakistan, the fact is that “My poetry never gets old.” He smiled again (when I defended the progressive outlook of the current regime) and said that the military still needs to go back to the barracks (he used a different terminology in Urdu which would be difficult to translate here). But then local Urdu luminary Annie Akhtar intervened and said that political discussions were getting kind of old and that we should move on.

But politics was not a dead issue yet since we could not move forward without a discussion on Faiz Ahmad Faiz, which local Poet Farooq Taraz initiated. Since Taraz knows full well how many of us feel about having never met the late Faiz, he asked Faraz to tell us something about his experiences with the other great poet from Pakistan. Faraz said that one of the finest qualities Faiz Sahib possessed was that he was able to keep his cool because did not get angry at people in spite of provocations. Giving the example of a poet (to remain unnamed here) who wrote extensively against Faiz Sahib, Faraz reflected on the time when he was entrusted with the task of officially putting together a list of leading scholars that represented the best writers in Pakistan. Faraz said that he shared the list with Faiz Sahib for verification (since he was certainly on it) and the poet asked him why that particular writer (who had written against Faiz) was missing from this list? Faraz said some impolite words about that writer (he was a much younger then), but Faiz himself put that writer’s name on that list with his own hands. Such was the character of Faiz who has on occasion been described by Faraz himself as the greatest Urdu writer since Ghalib and Iqbal.

But on we moved to the subject of ‘Love” which more than anything else has made Faraz a permanent part of language of modern Urdu-Hindi world of romance. Who can forget “Ranjish hi sahi dil hii dukhaane ke liye aa, aa phir se mujhe chor ke jaane ke liye aa” (Come back to make me feel the pain of your leaving, and then leave again if you must, but please come back) immortalized by the voice of Mehdi Hassan? Or a personal favorite sung by Tahira Syed “Yeh aalam shauq ka dekha na jaayay, Woh bout hai yaa Khudaa dekhaa na jaaye” (an English translation would lose the aromatic flavor of the Urdu language here). His “Ab kay hum bichhray to shaayad kabhii Khwaboon mein milen, jis tarah sookhe huway phool kitaabon mein milein”(If we part this time, we may never meet again or if we do it will like dried flowers in the pages of old books).

And while we were on the subject, Ghazal singing great Ghulam Ali walked in to greet Faraz and the rest of us here at this venue. And at almost the same time we were joined by Poetess Noshi Gilani, thus completing the talented circle around Faraz this evening.

I asked him who he had in mind when he wrote “Dekhtay Hain”(Let us Gaze), now a classic of modern romance in South Asia. He said that Indian acting great Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan) had asked him the same question. A line or two of which “Suna hai hashr hain us ki Gazaal si aankhen, Suna hai us ko hiran dasht bhar ke dekhate hain,” (We have heard that she has eyes like those of a Gazelle, We have heard that even the Deer look at her with longing). But still Faraz was not owning up and quoted (from the same poem) “Kahaniyan hi sahi, sab mubaalagae hii sahi agar woh khwaab hai taabir kar kay dekhtay hain” (Maybe they are just stories and exaggerated ones at that, and if they are just dreams, let us bring them into the realistic realm) with a wink and a smile.

One cannot help but feel that writing in English about who many consider the finest Urdu poetry writer alive today remains a difficult task. To the reader all I can add is that the flavor, the smell and the essence of the language is indeed almost impossible to translate but we have to continue to inform the world about the richness of our cultural heritage. Ahmad Faraz is one of the best writers (writing in any language) walking on the planet today. Many may not agree with his political views but there remains an underlying truth to what he says. So let us leave here with his writing “Is se pehlay ke bevafaa ho jaayen, kyon na ai dost hum juda ho jaayen” (Before we become unfaithful, to our cause, why don’t we just part ways, my friend).

(ARTICLE WRITTEN BY Mr.RAS SIDDIQUI, 09 JULY 2007 )

**Abr-e-guraizaN** · #22 08-26-2008, 01:38 PM

AUTOGRAPH GIVEN BY AHMAD FARAZ IN 1932.

**Abr-e-guraizaN** · #23 08-26-2008, 01:52 PM

Ahmad Faraz with Sagheir Ahmad Jafri, Bashir Badr and Others.

Ahmad Faraz reciting his poetry During the Mushayera'a Held in Rampur,India.

Ahmad faraz With Khalid Hasan, Islamabad 1999.

This picture was taken after "Mushaira" held in Islamabad, sitting first from left, Ahmad Faraz with Ustad Agha Mohammad Josh is sitting 4th from left and others.

**Naveed Hassan Joiya** · #24 08-26-2008, 01:52 PM

dukh fasana nahin keh tujh se kahen
dil bhi mana nahin keh tujh se kahen

aaj tak apani bekali ka sabab !!
Khud bhi jana nahin keh tujh se kahen

ek tu harf-e-aashna tha magar
ab zamana nahin keh tujh se kahen

be-tarah dil hai aur tujh se
dostana nahin keh tujh se kahen

ai Khuda dard-e-dil hai bakhshish-e-dost
aab-o-dana nahin keh tujh se kahen

**Naveed Hassan Joiya** · #25 08-26-2008, 01:53 PM

ye tabiyat hai to khud aazaar ban jaayenge ham
charagar royenge aur gham-khvar ban jaayenge ham

ham sar-e-chaak-e-vafa hai.n aur tera dast-e-hunar
jo bana dega hamen ai yaar ban jaayenge ham

kya Khabar thi ai nigar-e-sher tere ishq men
dildaraan-e-shahar ke dildaar ban jaayenge ham

sakht jaan hain par hamari ustavari par na jaa
aise tootenge tera iqaraar ban jaayenge ham

aur kuch din baithane do kuu-e-jaanaan men hamen
raftaa raftaa saya-e-deevar ban jaayenge ham

is qadar aasaan na hogi har kisi se dostii
aashnai men tera mayar ban jaayenge ham

miir-o-Gaalib kyaa ke ban paaye nahii.n faiz-o-firaaq
zam ye thaa ruumii-o-ataar ban jaaye.nge ham

dekhane men shaakh-e-gul lagate hain lekin dekhana
dast-e-gul_cheen ke liye talwar ban jaayenge ham

ham chiraaghon ko to taareeki se larana hai 'Faraz'
gul hue par subah ke aasaar ban jaayenge ham

**Naveed Hassan Joiya** · #26 08-26-2008, 01:54 PM

Dil behlta hai kahan anjam-o-mahtab se bhi
Ab to ham log gaye deeda be khawab se bhi

Ro para hun to koi baat hi aisi hogi
Main keh waqif tha tere hijr ki aadab se bhi

Kuch to us aankh ka shewa hai khafa ho jana
Aur kuch bhool hui hai dil-e-betab se bhi

Ai samandar ki hawa tera karam bhi maloom
Pyas sahil ki to bujhti nahi sailab se bhi

Kuch to us husn ko jane hai zamana sara
Aur kuch baat chali hai mere ahbab se bhi

**Abr-e-guraizaN** · #27 08-26-2008, 02:12 PM

A BEAUTIFUL GHAZAL BY A POET OF LOVE......WE WILL MISS YOU!!!

~Ahmad Faraz

Urdu Poetry Forum

A Tribute To Ahmad faraz.....A Legend Of Urdu Poetry!!!

A Tribute To Ahmad faraz.....A Legend Of Urdu Poetry!!!

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Abr-e-guraizaN For This Useful Post:
Syed (08-26-2008), Bigb (08-27-2008), Naveed Hassan Joiya (08-27-2008), sab_ka_pyara (08-27-2008)

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Abr-e-guraizaN For This Useful Post:
Syed (08-26-2008), Bigb (08-27-2008), sab_ka_pyara (08-27-2008)

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Abr-e-guraizaN For This Useful Post:
Syed (08-26-2008), Bigb (08-27-2008)

The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Naveed Hassan Joiya For This Useful Post:
Syed (08-26-2008), Abr-e-guraizaN (08-26-2008), Bigb (08-27-2008), sab_ka_pyara (08-27-2008)