Adil Najam
February 13, 2011, marks the 100th birth anniversary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
From the very first post on this blog, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and his poetry has been a muse, a mentor, a monument, and a mirror to our thoughts, our wishes, our hopes and sometimes also our fears. In our posts, and also in the comments from our readers, probably no personality has been evoked more often or more fondly than Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
On this, his centenary birthday, what is the best way to remember Faiz Ahmed Faiz? We can remember his persona and personality, his politics and ideology, his life and times, his music and melody, and so much more. But there can be no greater tribute to a poet than through the power of his own poetry. And that we wish to offer as a tribute today.
Help us write this post today. Help us make this the most moving, the most authentic, and the most vital post of all. Tell us what is (are) your favorite verse(s) from Faiz Ahmed Faiz? And why? What moves you about them? What thoughts do they evoke? What sentiments do they invoke?
Let me get the ball rolling here.
Like many of you, I do not have a single favorite Faiz verse. Different verses play the chords of my sentiments at different times and in different situation. Right now one that is playing constantly in my head, is:
Halqa kee-aye baithay raho iss shammaa ko yaaro
Kuch rooshni baaqi tou hai, har chand kay kumm hai
Do share, dear readers, your favorite Faiz verses. At the very least this can become a special ‘Faiz Edition’ of bait baazi. At best it will become a people’s tribute to a people’s poet.
Barbadi-e-dil jabr nahin Faiz kisi ka
woh dushman-e-jaan hai tou bhula kion nahin daitay
It is not talked about these days because our politics has become so dominant, but Faiz’s “Mujh se pehli si mohabbat meray mahboob na maang” is probably his greatest work and the one that made him the giant we are celebrating.
Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– ” Mere dil mre musafir
hua phr sy hukkm sadir
k waten badr ho hm tum
dn gali gali sadaien
krien rukh nagr nagr ka
k suraag koi paayn
ksi yar e namabar ka
hr ik ajnabi sy puchien
jo pata tha apne ghar ka
sir e kuu e nashanayan
hmien din sy raat krna
kbi iss sy baat krna
kabi uss sy baat krna
tmhien kia kahoun k kia hy
shab e gham buri balaa hy
hmien ye b tha ganimat
jo koi shumaar hota
hmien kia bura tha marna
agr aik baar hota..!”
– “Yehi hai woh jiss ka tum nay naara lagaya hai !!”
– ” Matah e loh o qalm chin gae tou kai ghum hy..
K khoon e dil mn dbo li hn ungliyan mn ny
zaban pe mohr lgi hy tou kai, k rakh di hy
hr aik halqa e zanjir mn zuban mn ny…!”
– “What a beautiful verse… amazing !!!”
– “The ultimate line from Faiz is: BOL, KAY LABB AZAD HAIN TERAY”
– “aa-ee-aye hat uthain hum bhi
hum jinhain rasm i dua yaad nahin”
جو رکے تو کوہ گراں تھے ہم، جو چلے تو جان سے گزر گئے
رہ یار ہم نے قدم قدم تجھے یادگار بنا دیا
merey chara gar ko navid ho, saf-e dushmanan ko khabar karo
jo woh qarz rakhtey they jaan per, woh hisaab aaj chuka diya!