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.
It is very hard to select one from Faiz. There might be one ( I doubt ) that I don’t like. All are equal:)
Let me say something that some of you may not like. I apologise already because I do not want to offend.
I read the ashaar in many of the comments and I can see that there is genuine affection for Faiz but also see that the same canned material that you hear in political slogans and songs is being repeated. In some way we may have now reduced Faiz to a naara too. Which is so sad because there is so much more to Faiz than just one of two famous songs and slogans. I do hope the real beauty of his poetry is not being lost in this ‘comercialization’ and ‘politicization’ of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Some comments from the ATP Facebook page:
– “ھم دیکھیں گے ۔۔۔۔ فیض صاحب کے خواب کی تعبیر”
– “اور راج کرے گی خلق خدا ۔۔۔۔ ہم دیکھیں گے”
– “mujhsay pehli c muhabbat mere mehboob na maang,,,,,,”
– “faiz kehtay hain,,,,
JO RUKAY TO KOH E GIRAAN HAIN HM JO CHLAY TO JAAN SAY GUZAR GAEY,,,
REH YAAR HM NAY QADAM QADAM TUJHAY YAAD GAAR BNA DIA,,,,,”
My favorite Faiz Poem. Faiz kay naam.
cha.nd roz aur merii jaan faqat cha.nd hii roz
zulm kii chhaa.Nv me.n dam lene par majabuur hai.n ham
ik zaraa aur sitam sah le.n ta.Dap le.n ro le.n
apane ajdaad kii miiraas hai maazuur hai.n ham
[cha.nd=few; faqat=only; ajdaad=ancestors]
[miiraas=ancestral property; maazuur=helpless]
jism par qaid hai jazbaat pe za.njiire hai
fikr mahabuus hai guftaar pe taaziire.n hai.n
aur apanii himmat hai ki ham phir bhii jiye jaate hai.n
zindagii kyaa kisii muflis kii qabaa hai
jis me.n har gha.Dii dard ke paiba.nd lage jaate hai.n
[fikr=thought; mahabuus=captive; guftaar=speech]
[taaziire.n=punishments; muflis=poor; qabaa=long gown]
lekin ab zulm kii miyaad ke din tho.De hai.n
ik zaraa sabr ki fariyaad ke tho.De hai.n
[miyaad=duration/term; sabr=patience; fariyaad=plea]
arsaa-e-dahar kii jhulasii hu_ii viiraanii me.n
ham ko rahanaa hai par yuu.N hii to nahii.n rahanaa hai
ajanabii haatho.n kaa benaam garaa.N-baar sitam
aaj sahanaa hai hameshaa to nahii.n sahanaa hai
[arsaa-e-dahar=life-time; jhulasii hu_ii=scorched]
[garaa.N-baar=heavy]
ye terii husn se lipaTii hu_ii aalaam kii gard
apanii do rozaa javaanii kii shikasto.n kaa shumaar
chaa.Ndanii raato.n kaa bekaar dahakataa huaa dard
dil kii besuud ta.Dap jism kii maayuus pukaar
[aalaam=sorrow; shikast=defeat; shumaar=inclusion]
cha.nd roz aur merii jaan faqat cha.nd hii roz
Khair ho teri lailaoon ki in sub se kehdo
Aaj ki shab jub diyay jalayain ,Unchi rakhain lau!