Phir Bhi
[By Firaq Gorakhpuri]
Kisi ka yun to hua kaun umr bhar, phir bhi,
Ye husn-o-ishq to dhoka hai sab, magar phir bhi.
Hazaar baar zamaana idhar se guzra hai,
Nayi nayi si hai kuchh teri rahguzar phir bhi.
Teri nigaah se bachne mein umr guzari hai,
Utar gaya rag-e-jaan mein ye neshtar phir bhi.
I'm not aware if any prominent singer other than Jagjit (listen here) has sung this ghazal...though I wish there were more versions.
Raghupati Sahai Firaq (1896-1982) has a distinctive voice in many ways. He often used a mellifluous vernacular style based on the language spoken around his native region, Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The content of his poetry almost always borders on the melancholic, with night and darkness as repetitive metaphors and themes. The first couplet of his poem above reveals a rare cynicism with the more affable themes of ghazals...but it also suggests that he came to accept and live with his own disposition. Is it any surprise that I am drawn to his work...I'll render this into English verse soon...
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On the poetic sensibility, in its many manifestations
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4 comments:
I think you made that correction already- Firaq was from Gorakhpur, not Allahbad.
Firaq unfortunately has not been given his due in India, I have been told that he is more popular in Pakistan than in India!
I believe the reason is that in India Urdu poetry was popularized by the political left and Firaq turned away to romantic poetry quite early (after a brief Left phase). But I admit that I dont know much about his poetry. I know it is very voluminous since I bought a few of his volumes at Delhi Book Fair many years ago.
Even a cursory glance at his ghazals tells how much his mastery of the language was and how he could channelise that to a wonderful effect- even if it were sadness that he was writing about.
And finally, Firaq robs the Indian Right (both Hindu and Muslim) of a major assumption that they make- that Urdu is the language of only the Muslims.
Thanks for sharing so much more about Firaq!
Yes, Firaq had a long association with Allahbad and is remembered much there, but is originally from Gorakhpur.
Interesting how he might have made an important socio-political statement (the openness of language-religion identities) without intending to. (as you put it- he was primarily a romantic poet rather than a revolutionary one).
First two lines are thought-provoking!! Here is another one from him
ye to nahii.n ke Gam nahii.n
haa.N merii aa.Nkh nam nahii.n
tum bhii to tum nahii.n ho aaj
ham bhii to aaj ham nahii.n
ab na Khushii kii hai Khushii
Gam kaa bhii ab to Gam nahii.n
maut agarche maut hai
maut se ziist kam nahii.n
"ye to nahin ke gham nahin..."
What a fine example of Firaq's use of simpler language, at which he excelled, just as well as he excelled at the more persianized forms. Thanks for posting the ghazal.
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