Love, Poetry & Urdu

By Raza Elahi

Mohabbat mai.n nahii.n hai farq jiine aur marne ka

Usi ko dekh kar jiite hai.n jis kafir pe dam nikle

Mirza Ghalib

(In love, there is no difference between life and death;

The same infidel sustains my life, for whom i pine to die.)

Though poetry of love exists in all languages, yet it gets beautifully complimented in Urdu language about which renowned author Khushwant Singh has said in an equally complimenting style:

Agar aap Urdu seekhnaa chahte hai.n to ishq kar lijiye

Aur agar ishq karna chahte hai.n to Urdu seekh lijiye

Urdu poetry is full of romance as its most popular genre ghazal, an Arabic word, literally means talking to women:

Gulo.n mai.n rang bhare baad-e-nau bahar chale

Chale bhi aao ki gulshan ka karobar chale

Faiz Ahmad Faiz (1911-1984)

(Let the flowers bloom, let the Spring breeze blow;

O! darling, let’s come and rouse the garden from its sleep.)

 Hum arz-e-vafa bhi kar na sake kuchh kah na sake kuchh sun na sake

Yaa.n hum ne zabaan hi kholi thi vaa.n aankh jhuki sharma bhi ga.e

Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz (1911-1955)

(Unable to hear or listen, I couldn’t express myself of being faithful;

I just tried to utter and her glance bent down shyly.)

Poets, generation after generation, through their distinct styles to match their mood and perspective have spoken a lot about mohabbat or ishq (love). Whether it is Wali Mohammed Wali in 17th century saying:

Shaġhl behtar hai ishq-baazi ka

Kya haqiqi o kya majazi ka

(Of all the activities love is the best;

Be it sensuous or sublime.)

Or Akhtar Shirani in 20th century announcing:

Tere vasl ki be-ḳhudi kah rahi hai

Khuda.ii to kya hum ḳhuda ko bhula dai.n

(Union with you is so intoxicating;

Set aside divinity, am ready to forget God.)

Love remains the predominant theme in Urdu poetry.

The greatest Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) captures romanticism perfectly in his verses:

 Muddat hui hai yaar ko mehma.n kiye hue

Josh-e-qadah se bazm charagha.n kiye hue

(It’s been long, since my lover, was a guest of mine;

Nor held a feast ablaze with the glow of wine.)

Ek nau-bahar-e-naz ko taake hai phir nigah

Chehra faroġh-e-mai se gulista.n kiye hue

(For a fresh blooming beauty again craves eyes of mine;

Her face flushed and flowering, all glowing with wine.)

Dashna-e-ghamza jan-sitan navak-e-naz be-panah

Tera hi aks-e-ruḳh sahi samne tere aa.e kyuu.n

(Deadly the daggers of your glance; life-stealing arrow of your beauty;

Even though it be your image; how dare it look into your face?)

Mir Taqi Mir (1723-1810), a poet of love par excellence, has articulately condensed both the beauty of physical nature and human nature. One of his gems is:

Nazuki us ke lab ki kya kahiye

Pankhudi ik gulab ki si hai

(What to say about her exquisite tender lips!

It’s like velvet petals of a rose.)

Romanticism in Urdu poetry has continued its journey even after Mir and Ghalib. Poets of later generations have also evoked the contours of romanticism aesthetically in their verses:

Khoob parda hai ki chilman se lage baithe hai.n

Saaf chupte bhi nahii.n saamne aate bhi nahii.n

Daag Dehlvi (1831-1905)

(An amazing unrest prevails, when you sit next to the curtain;

Neither do you hide completely nor are you visible clearly.)

Tere gesu-e-mo.ambar ko kabhi chheda tha

Mere haatho.n se abhi tak teri ḳhushbu na ga.ii

Akhtar Shirani (1905-48)

(Had teased your tresses fragrant with amber;

The fragrance still refused to depart from my hand)

Kuchh tumhari nigah kafir thi

Kuchh mujhe bhi ḳharaab hona tha

Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz (1911-1955)

(O, sweetheart your gaze had something infidel;

And i agree i too was sinful.)

 Kabhi to sub.h tere kunj-e-lab se ho aaġhaz

Kabhi to shab sar-e-kaakul se mushk-bar chale

Faiz Ahmad Faiz

(Hope someday the sun will rise from corner of your lips;

Hope sometimes, at least, the night should flow from your scented locks.)

 Suna hai aa.ina timsal hai jabii.n us ki

Jo saada dil hai.n use ban-sanvar ke dekhte hai.n

Ahmad Faraz (1931-2008)

(Heard that her forehead resembles mirror;

Which prompt even simplest person to dress-up.)

Like vasl (union), hijr (separation from beloved) is another shade of love. It is said absence does make the heart grow fonder…. the longer they have been parted, the more desirable a man rates his woman. This feel, too, has been eloquently penned by Urdu poets:

 Tum mere paas hote ho goya

Jab koi dusra nahii.n hota

Momin Khan Momin (1800-1852)

(You are close to me in such a manner;

When no one else at all there ever be.)

 Ek muddat se teri yaad bhi aa.i na hamai.n

Aur hum bhuul ga.e ho.n tujhe aisa bhi nahii.n

Firaq Gorakhpuri (1896-1982)

(It’s true I haven’t thought of you for a long time;

But to say that I have completely forgotten you is just untrue.)

Perhaps, it is understood that love is beyond all understanding. There are variant shades of this sublime feeling.

However, before you delve deep into it, I leave you with the two couplets with contrasting sentiments:

 Ye ishq nahii.n aasaan itna hi samajh liije

Ik aag ka dariya hai aur duub ke jaana hai

Jigar Moradabadi (1890-1961)

(This love isn’t easy, you must understand;

Love is a burning river, and you have to swim it across.)

 Ilaaj apna karate phir rahe ho jaane kis kis se

Mohabbat kar ke dekho na mohabbat kyuu.n nahi.in karte

Farhat Ehsas (1952-)

(Love is the ultimate medicine to cure your heartburn;

Don’t be afraid. Just love.)

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(My book, Jazba-e-Mohabbat (Rs 150), is a bilingual (English & Urdu) book. It comprises collection of my poetry and write-ups related to romantic Urdu poetry. Meanings of difficult Urdu words used in the poetry are also listed in the book. The book is available at MR Publications, 10 Metropole market 2724-25, First floor, Kucha Chelan, Daryaganj, New Delhi. It can also be ordered at book.kf@gmail.com (whatsApp: 9870477658)

elahi.raza82@gmail.com