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.
An Ever Green Poet and Lovable Poetry !
Not an easy question. And I enjoyed a few verses posted here that I hadn’t read in a while. Faiz wrote two poems with the same title and I am pasting one of them here (I did not type the words myself so please excuse any poor spelling). I think it was T. S. Eliot who had once said that ‘how strange this is that in the end words are so inadequate’ and that ‘true conversations happen when there are no words.’ Faiz rather plays with this thought in both of these poems.
Yaad Ki Rah Guzar Jis Pe Issi Sorat Se
Muddatein Beet Gaye Hain Tumhein Chaltey Chaltey
Khattam Ho Jaye jo Do Char Qadam Aur Chalo
Morr Parta Hai Jahan Dasht-e-faramoshi Ka
Jis Se Agey Na Koi Mein Hoon Na Koi Tum Ho
Saans Thamein Hain Nigahein K Najaney Kis Dum
Tum Palat Aao, Guzar Jao, Ya Murr Ker Dekho
Garcheh Waqif Hain Nigahein K Ye Sab Dhoka Hai
Gar Kahin Tum Se Hum Aghosh Hoi Phir Se Nazar
Phoot Nikley Gi Wahan Aur Koi Rah Guzar
Phir Ussi Tarha Jahan Ho Ga Muqabil Paiham
Saaya-e-Z ulf Ka Aur Jumbish-e-bazoo Ka Safar
Dosri Baat Bhi Jhooti Hai K Dil Jaanta Hai
Yahan Koi MorR, Koi Dasht, Koi Ghaat Nahi
Jis K Pardey Mein Mera Mah-e-raavan Doob Sakey
Tum Se Chalti Rahey Ye Raah Yunhi Acha Hai
Tum Ne Murr Kar Bhi Na Dekha Tou Koi Baat Nahi
What comes to my mind is ‘Phir Barq Faroza’n hai Sir e Wadye Sina.’
phir barq faroozaan hai sar e wadiye sina
phir rang pe hai shola e rukhsar e hakeekat
pegham e ajal dawate deedar e haqeeqat
aye deeda e beena
…
Hear this in his own voice. It is magical:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4536163726 225605310#
Chashm-e-nam, jaan-e-shoreeda kafi nahin
Tohmat-e-ishq-posheeda kafi nahin
aaj bazaar main pa-bajolan chalo
Dast afshan chalo, mast-o-raqsan chalo
Khak bar sar chalo, khoon badaman chalo
Rah takta hai sub shehr-e-janaan chalo
Hakim-e-shehr bhi, majma-e-aam bhi
Teer-e-ilzam bhi, sang-e-dushnam bhi
Subh-e-nashaad bhi, roz-e-naakaam bhi
Unka dum-saaz apnay siwa kaun hai
Shehr-e-janaan main ab baa-sifa kaun hai
Dast-e-qatil kay shayan raha kaun hai
Rakht-e-dil bandh lo, dil figaro chalo
Phir hameen qatl ho aain yaro chalo
Faiz does not get dated, especially in the context of Pakistan. In one of his less quoted and simple poems, he compares the country’s journey since 1947 to a boat setting sails in a turbulent river. The poem is as relevant today as it was when first written. It goes something like this.( I might be missing some lines and words. I don’t have the book with me. I am in Singapore, traveling.):
جب دکھ کی ندیا میں ہم نے، جیون کی ناؤ ڈالی تھی
تھا کس کتنا بل بانہوں میں، لہو میں کتنی لالی تھی
یوں لگتا تھا دو ہاتھ لگے اور ناؤ پورم پار لگی
ایسا نہ ہوا
ہر دھارے میں کچھ ان دیکھی منجدھاریں تھیں
کچھ مانجھی تھے انجان بہت، کچھ بے پرکھی پتواریں تھیں
…
ندیا بھی وہی ہے ناؤ وہی
اب تم ہی کہو کیا کرنا ہے
اور کیسے پار اترنا ہے