English translation is given at the end.
Following ‘azad’ poem is by one of my favourite writers, Shafiq-ur-Rehman and it comes from his book ‘lehreN’. The poem is actually a satire on modern day poets who write ‘azad’ Urdu poem by using all the ‘azadi’ they can get. The poem describes a situation of fighting cats in a garden. I hope it brings a smile to you just like it has been bringing smiles to me for the past 20 years.
Here is my attempt at an approximate translation for our English readers:
Cats are fighting
Oh Cats
Caaaa…
…tsss
May be cats are fighting in garden now
There is the haze of dusk
It is time to rest
to work
to
get rewarded
And cats are fighting
May be they are 4 in number
or may be 3
But this little doubt has made house in my heart
that the cats are 5 in number
and definitely they cannot be 6
and the night is glowing in moonlight
and the moon is shining bright
and the moonlight is ubiquitous
and this moonlight will only last for a little while
and then there is a pitch dark night ahead
What was i saying?
Aah, it just slipped out of my mind
What happened to my memory?
Only God can fix it
Oh Yes, I just remembered!
the cats are fighting
Cats are probably finghting in the garden now!
Photo Credits: Flickr.com
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@ taman khamosh
i do’nt know that exact origin of this poem but reportedly it was presented in some of PTV’s comedy program in which bushra ansari played the part of a an azad shaira. I m too young to clearly remember this program but this is what i have heard from my elder’s because this line “kiya woh sarak hoi tamam, haan woh sarak hoi tamam” is very popular in our family.
And Owais sb thanks a lot for thie great post on Shafiq -ur rehman. Neeli jhel is nostalgic. I am a great fan of shafiq sab and my favorite among his character is “Shaitan” who kept falling for any thing wearing a duppata and insisted on genuineness of his sentiments saying “mujhay mohabat se sakht mohabat aur nafrat se sakht nafrat hoti ja rahi”. Another interesting character was “ainak appa”. Shaitan once got offended with ainak appa and said “shaitn ainak ki is baat per bohat khafa howe aur unhon ne socha key ainak appa ko iss ki baqaida saza di jaye , yani un se mohabat ki jaye”
This reminded me of these few lines.. I don’t remember who said these.. I think it was on fifty fifty or something? no idea, anyhow:
Kiaa voh saRak hu’ie tamaam?
haaN voh saRak hu’ia tamaam.
kiaa voh Tarak guzar ga’ay?
haaN voh Tarak guzar ga’ay.
murGh-o Shutar kay darmi’yaaN
gaa’aeN raheeN nah bakri’yaaN
maeray tamaam chaarah gar
ghar maeN jo thaa voh char ga’ay
Anyone know the origins of the above piece?
Lat night I was reading Shafeeq-ur-rehman’s Himaqatain, and I said to my better half, “Someone should really write a in-depth on essay on him, I know so little about one of the greatest urdu Humorist, who was he, other then that he was a general, doctor and a dil phaik
I guess I was being clairvoyant:)
Shukriya
@ Owais
Shafiq ur Rehman nay kiya khoob kaha hay
“Tasswurat ki neeli jheelain or doosray kinaray Umr bhar insan ka peecha nahi chortay”
Adnan
”neeli jheel” is indeed a chapter that always sends me in another world of fantasy and nostalgia. It has lessons on life philosophy also especially the ones told by a character ‘Rustum’ who was the servant in the household.
This brought back many wonderful memories going as far back as those long endless summers of 6th grade when I first read “neeli jheel” and “hamaaqatein.” I would be a different man if I didn’t read Shafiqurahman’s books. I am also a fan of his serious prose in “insaani tamasha” (a translation), kirnain etc. A few in an other post have mentioned tuzk-e-jahangiri; I suggest they should also read SR’s tuzk-e-naadri.
billi nay deya bach-chay
Allah mian sach-chay
99 not out was one of the first chapers I read from his books. It had mostly to do with Cricket’s love in our family.