Walking along
Heading for the Citizenship Court
Kent Street
I have been here seven years
Yet the same question
Where do you come from?
Cyril Dabydeen, South Asian - North American poet. Goatsong 1977.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Main Sar Jhukae Hue...
Main sar jhukae hue, dard ko chhupae hue,
Palat ke aaya to har raah-guzar andheri thi...
psychic upheavals.
somewhere in south asia.
Palat ke aaya to har raah-guzar andheri thi...
psychic upheavals.
somewhere in south asia.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Life: Ghalib
I really feel I should acknowledge Mirza Ghalib's birth anniversary here after reading this tribute.
Here's a lesser-known couplet that has haunted me for a while. I have realized that one of the special qualities of Ghalib's couplets is that instead of losing their appeal on repeated reading and mulling over, their value is actually enhanced...every time a new door of meanings, insinuations and perspectives opens up on revisiting the same couplet.
Often, such a couplet becomes a prism through which one continues to see everything in life for days and days. Even his lesser-known couplets are packed with such rich poetic flavor:
Umr har chand ki hai barq-e-khiraam
Dil ke khoon karne ki fursat hi sahi.
[By Mirza Ghalib]
Life’s moments are but lightning flashes,
And yet suffice to slay the heart. [1]
[Interpretive translation by Siyaah]
[1] "dil ke khoon karne" literally means to 'turn the heart to blood', but the metaphor is lost on an English audience. I have used the direct meaning of "khoon karna" as ' to slay'.
Here's a lesser-known couplet that has haunted me for a while. I have realized that one of the special qualities of Ghalib's couplets is that instead of losing their appeal on repeated reading and mulling over, their value is actually enhanced...every time a new door of meanings, insinuations and perspectives opens up on revisiting the same couplet.
Often, such a couplet becomes a prism through which one continues to see everything in life for days and days. Even his lesser-known couplets are packed with such rich poetic flavor:
Umr har chand ki hai barq-e-khiraam
Dil ke khoon karne ki fursat hi sahi.
[By Mirza Ghalib]
Life’s moments are but lightning flashes,
And yet suffice to slay the heart. [1]
[Interpretive translation by Siyaah]
[1] "dil ke khoon karne" literally means to 'turn the heart to blood', but the metaphor is lost on an English audience. I have used the direct meaning of "khoon karna" as ' to slay'.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Confession: An interpretation
Confession
[By Majaaz. Interpretive translation from the Urdu by Siyaah]
You come to me now – alas for what?
You are the visage of beauty, I deny not,
Of this garden of time, the very soul,
Dazzling as the sun, O youth of heavens,
Born of the moon, descended from worlds beyond
Yet to meet me now invites blame
My own deeds chastised me, to this end
Those days – of my fury unrestrained
A fury heedless of all but pleasures wild
A fury of love for burning moon embers
Of one-upmanship with the city’s men
My world was but a bed of roses,
A wonderful dream, of colors and beauty
What’s left to hear but wails of my youth, wounded
Pleas of my heart, complaints of my tears
My words drowned in agony deep
And I - a victim of my own cravings
That tender heart, long dead – how can I revive?
That innocent passion – where now can I find?
----
The poet's nom-de-plume, Majaaz, means "Metaphor" and also "Passing through".
[By Majaaz. Interpretive translation from the Urdu by Siyaah]
You come to me now – alas for what?
You are the visage of beauty, I deny not,
Of this garden of time, the very soul,
Dazzling as the sun, O youth of heavens,
Born of the moon, descended from worlds beyond
Yet to meet me now invites blame
My own deeds chastised me, to this end
Those days – of my fury unrestrained
A fury heedless of all but pleasures wild
A fury of love for burning moon embers
Of one-upmanship with the city’s men
My world was but a bed of roses,
A wonderful dream, of colors and beauty
What’s left to hear but wails of my youth, wounded
Pleas of my heart, complaints of my tears
My words drowned in agony deep
And I - a victim of my own cravings
That tender heart, long dead – how can I revive?
That innocent passion – where now can I find?
----
The poet's nom-de-plume, Majaaz, means "Metaphor" and also "Passing through".
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Aitraaf: Confession
Aitraaf: Confession
[By Majaaz]
Ab mere paas tum aayee ho to kya aayi ho
Maine maana ke tum ek paikar-e-raanaai ho
Chaman-e-dahr mein rooh-e-chaman-aaraai ho
Talat-e-mahr ho, firdaus ki barnaayi ho
Bint-e-mahtaab ho, gardoon se utar aayi ho
Mujhse milne mein ab andesha-e-ruswaai hai
Maine khud apne kiye ki ye sazaa paayi hai
Un dinon mujh pe qayamat ka junoon taari tha
Sar pe sarshaari-o-ishrat ka junoon taari tha
Maahpaaron se mohabbat ka junoon taari tha
Shahryaaron se raqaabat ka junoon taari tha
Bistar-e-makhmal-o-sanjaab thi duniya meri
Ek rangeen-o-haseen khwaab thi duniya meri
Kya sunogi meri majrooh jawaani ki pukaar
Meri faryaad-e-jigar-doz, mera naala-e-zaar
Shiddat-e-karb mein doobi hui meri guftaar
Main ke khud apne mazaaq-e-tarab-aageen ka shikaar
Wo gudaaz-e-dil-e-marhoom kahaan se laaun
Ab main wo jazba-e-maasoom kahaan se laaun
Asraar-ul-haq Majaaz (1911-1955) was born in Rudauli, Barabanki, near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. His poetic talent was noticeable even during his school days in Lucknow, where he befriended and was counseled by Jazbi. His college years were spent in Agra and Aligarh. Majaaz's later life is a subject of intrigue...depression and alcoholism played a major role in his premature death. He excelled in beautiful yet poignant expression, often centered around themes of unrequited love.
The above nazm is one of his most well known works...although the entire nazm is longer, I will attempt to translate the above parts. Jagjit has done some justice to it.
[By Majaaz]
Ab mere paas tum aayee ho to kya aayi ho
Maine maana ke tum ek paikar-e-raanaai ho
Chaman-e-dahr mein rooh-e-chaman-aaraai ho
Talat-e-mahr ho, firdaus ki barnaayi ho
Bint-e-mahtaab ho, gardoon se utar aayi ho
Mujhse milne mein ab andesha-e-ruswaai hai
Maine khud apne kiye ki ye sazaa paayi hai
Un dinon mujh pe qayamat ka junoon taari tha
Sar pe sarshaari-o-ishrat ka junoon taari tha
Maahpaaron se mohabbat ka junoon taari tha
Shahryaaron se raqaabat ka junoon taari tha
Bistar-e-makhmal-o-sanjaab thi duniya meri
Ek rangeen-o-haseen khwaab thi duniya meri
Kya sunogi meri majrooh jawaani ki pukaar
Meri faryaad-e-jigar-doz, mera naala-e-zaar
Shiddat-e-karb mein doobi hui meri guftaar
Main ke khud apne mazaaq-e-tarab-aageen ka shikaar
Wo gudaaz-e-dil-e-marhoom kahaan se laaun
Ab main wo jazba-e-maasoom kahaan se laaun
Asraar-ul-haq Majaaz (1911-1955) was born in Rudauli, Barabanki, near Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. His poetic talent was noticeable even during his school days in Lucknow, where he befriended and was counseled by Jazbi. His college years were spent in Agra and Aligarh. Majaaz's later life is a subject of intrigue...depression and alcoholism played a major role in his premature death. He excelled in beautiful yet poignant expression, often centered around themes of unrequited love.
The above nazm is one of his most well known works...although the entire nazm is longer, I will attempt to translate the above parts. Jagjit has done some justice to it.
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