Firaq ke watan mein Urdu! Aur Iqbal?

Urdu:  Firaq ke watan mein!

 

In one my posts, I reproduced these moving lines for Urdu language:

 

Apne hi watan mein hoon magar aaj akeli…..

Consider this:

Let alone others, even most Muslims, and let alone elsewhere in India, right in the heart of its birthplace, in UP, butcher the language today with atrocious pronunciation.

 

Hindi speaking people listen to (and sing) film songs without knowing the meaning of many oft-used "filmy" Urdu words

A wonderful language, our own, is reduced to an occasional medium for flirtatious pretension of class and sophistication

Alas ! wither the daughter of India!

Be that as it may, let’s take time out to remember Firaq, a Hindu shair. It is said that he is one of the all time greats but has not been given his due because he was a Hindu. I am sure about that but I do find his name missing is many Urdu chronicles. To my rather untrained mind, his is one of the most musical poetry ever. I am prompted by the topicality to recall two wonderful shers .......enjoy!!

Simple but beautiful.

Ishq-e-tanha se  hui aabad  kitni manzilein,
Ik musafir karwan-dar-karwan banata gaya

And what a tribute to our country...

Sarzameen-e-hind* par aqawam-e-aalam** ke Firaq,
Qaafiley  basate  gaye,      Hindostan  banata  gaya

* the land of Hind
** races of the world

   It’s so annoying when I people talk of Urdu as a language of Muslims, particularly in 
   U.P. and Delhi, where it evolved into a sweet language. As Firaq said:

Meri  ghutti  mein  pari  thee  ho ke  hal   Urdu zaban,

   Jo bhee main kehta gaya husn-e-bayaan banta  gaya

Today, let’s just go through some gems from Iqbal and read it with something similar from Firaq, without trying any comparison, just reveling in some glorious resemblances.

Let’s start with these immortal lines from Allama iqbal:

Kabhi  ai   haqeeqat-e-muntazir   nazar   aa    libaas-e-majaaz      mein
ke hazaaron sajde tadap rahe hain teri jabeen-e-niyaaz mein

Translation:

O the awaited Eternal Truth, please appear sometime in a discernible vestige,
As thousands of prostrations reside impatient in my forehead in all humility

And is the matla from Firaq any less beautiful?

Kabhi ai nigah-e-karam teri, mujhe le le daman-e-naaz mein,
Bari aafiyat*  hai ter i qasam, tere lutf-e-banda- navaaz mein

* peace

Iqbal again:

Tarab     aashanaa-e-kharosh   ho   tu   nava   hai   maharam-e-gosh   ho
vo  surur  kyaa  ke  chhaya hua ho  sukut-e-parda-o-saaz mein

Tu    bacha  bacha    ke  na   rakh   ise   tera     aainaa    hai   vo       aainaa
ke    shikasta    ho to    aziiz tar hai  nigaah-e-aainaa- saaz mein

 

Translation:

Roll up for a tumultuous musical meet, you are a sound (song), be music to all ears
What price the pleasure which is hidden in the silence of the veiled instrument?

Do not protect your mirror so carefully as indeed this mirror
is such as would be more valuable in the eyes of the maker if broken.

    And Firaq says, in a different mood:

Mere sher aaina-khane mein, teri beshumar adaaon ke,
Magar aisi bhi hai koi ada, jo rahegi seena-e-raaz mein

Na     kahin   jahan    mein    aman milee   jo aman    milii to    kahaan      milee
Mere jurm-e-KhaanaaKharaab  ko tere   azo-e-bandaa- navaaz mein

Translation: 

I could not get shelter anywhere in the world and where did I get it after all,
For all my self-destructing sins in your gracious forgiveness

and now drink in these gems from Firaq:

Mujhe har nasheb-o-faraaz* ka, usi jaan-e-jaan mein pata mila,
Vo  mujhe mila to kahan mila,  na nasheb mein na faraaz mein

Mujhe    zindagi      mein  pare pare,    vo mil gaya,   jo na mil saka,
Na  rukuv** mein,  na sujud mein, na azaan mein, na namaaz mein 

* descent and flight
**  from rukva, the bowing of head with hands upon the knees during prayer

    *** from sijda, similarly 

Another one from the same ghazal of Iqbal: 

Na     vo   ishq   mein   rahiin   garmiyaan   na vo  husn   mein rahin shokhiyaan
na vo  Gazanavii  mein tadap  rahii na vo Kham hai zulf-e-ayaaz mein

 

Translation: 

Love has no warmth now, and beauty is not playful any more,
Gone are that impatience of Ghaznavi and the bends in the hair locks of Ayaz 

I now I can only say, Firaq sir, kya baat hai... 

Vo    rachao  hai   na   banao   hai,  kisi   ahle-naaz-o-niyaaz    mein,

    Na ishq mein hai vo baankpan, na vo kham hai zulf-e-daraaz* mein

* long lcoks

And this maqta from iqbal has a million fans:

Jo main  sar-ba-sajdaa kabhii huaa  to  zamin se aane lagii sadaa
teraa dil to hai  sanam-aashana tujhe  kya  milegaa  namaaz mein

Translation:

Whenever I tried to go into prostration, a voice called out from the ground,
Your heart is full with earthly love, what do you expect to gain from namaaz?

And lastly, Firaq’s classic worth a crore,

Jinhein mazilon ki na fikr thi, jinhein chalte rehane se kaam tha,

    Mile  aise  bhi  kai   qaafiley,   tere gham  ki  raah-e-daraaz  mein

Sit back, go through them again and wonder. Nothing more to add.