Selected Poems: Gulzar

by Pavan K. Varma

Gulzar, one of India’s finest film-makers and lyricists and has always been a poet at heart. His oeuvre is steeped in a poetic sensibility, marked by a lyricism rare in the world of Hindi cinema. Today, Gulzar is regarded as one of India’s foremost Urdu poets, unparalleled in his exploration of human relationships and the insight and sensitivity with which he addresses the many facets of daily life. The sophistication and cadences of Gulzar’s work come alive in this bilingual edition of some of his best poetry, sensitively translated by Pavan K. Varma.

Genres: Poetry, Indian Literature, Love, India

136 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2012

About the author

Pavan K. Varma is a former Indian Foreign Service officer and was an adviser to the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, with cabinet rank. With effect from June, 2014 he was a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) until July 2016. He is currently the National General Secretary and National Spokesman of the Janata Dal (United).

Varma is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi where he studied History (Honours) and received the first position. He was President of the St. Stephen’s College Debating Society as well as the star debater and elocutionist of the University of Delhi. He also won the Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyar Memorial Essay Prize at St. Stephen’s. Subsequently, he acquired a degree in Law from the University of Delhi.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1976. His career as a diplomat has seen him serve in several locations, including New York and Moscow. In New York, he was with India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. His assignments in India include that of Press Secretary to the President of India, Spokesman in the Ministry of External Affairs, Joint Secretary for Africa and Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi.

Reviews

[That dorky lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಪದ್ಯಗಳೆಂದರೆ ನನಗೊಂದಿಷ್ಟು ಹೆಚ್ಚೇ ಹೆದರಿಕೆ. ಕಥೆಯೋ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯೋ ಪ್ರಬಂಧವೋ ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ ಗದ್ಯದ ಕಡೆಗೇ ನನ್ನ ಪೂರಾ ಒಲವು. ಎಷ್ಟೇ ಪುಟ ಸಂಖೆಯದ್ದಾಗಿರಲಿ, ಆಳ, ವಿಸ್ತಾರಗಳೇನೇ ಇರಲಿ ಓದಿದ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಕಾಲದ ನಂತರವೂ cover to cover ಅಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಸಾರಾಂಶವಾದರೂ ನೆನಪಲ್ಲುಳಿಯುತ್ತದಲ್ಲಾ ಅಂತಿರಬಹುದು ನನಗೆ ಗದ್ಯವೇ ಇಷ್ಟ.
ಗದ್ಯದಂತೆ ಒಂದು ಸಾಲಿನ ಸಾರಾಂಶಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಗದೇ, ಎಷ್ಟು ಬಾರಿ ಓದಿದರೂ ಬೇಕೆಂದಾಗ ಬೇಕಾದ ಸಾಲು ನೆನಪಾಗದೇ ಕಾಡಿಸುವ ಪದ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಬೇರೆಯದೇ ಪಕ್ವತೆಯ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದೆ. ಆದರೇನು ಮಾಡಲಿ, 'ಪದ್ಯ ಓದೋದಿಲ್ಲ ಮಾರಾಯ್ರೇ, ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಬೇಡ' ಅಂತ ಅದೇನೇ ಅಲವತ್ತುಕೊಂಡರೂ ಕೇಳದ - ನನಗಿಂತ ಒಂದು ಪಟ್ಟು ಜಾಸ್ತಿಯೇ ಮೊಂಡು ಹುಡುಗಿ; ರೇಖಾ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನ ಉಡುಗೊರೆಯಾಗಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟಾಗ ಗೆಳತಿಯ ಜೊತೆಗೇ ಗುಲ್ಜಾರರ ಮೇಲೂ ಸಿಟ್ಟು ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಸುಳ್ಳಲ್ಲ.
ಬೆಳಗಿನ ಬಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಚಹಾ, ಚೆಂದಗೆ ಮಳೆಯಾದ ಒಂದು ಸಂಜೆ, ಬಿಡುವಿನ ಮದ್ಯಾಹ್ನಗಳ ನಿಶ್ಯಬ್ದ... ಪದ್ಯದ ಓದಿಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಸಂಗಾತ!
ಪದ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುವಾಗ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದಿ ಮುಗಿಸಿದೆ ಎನ್ನಬಹುದೋ ಬಾರದೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.
ಓದಿದ್ದು ಹೌದಾ? - ಹೌದೇಹೌದು.
ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ಏನನ್ನು? - ..................!
ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದಿಡುವಂತೆ ಅನುಭಾವವ ಹಿಡಿಯಲಾದೀತೇ? ಪದ್ಯವೆಂದರೆ ಸೂರ್ಯಾಸ್ತವೊಂದನ್ನು ಕಣ್ತುಂಬಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ, ಮಲಗಿದ ಕಂದನ ಪಾದ ನೇವರಿಸಿದಂತೆ, ಸುರಿಯುವ ಮಳೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಡುಸುಡು ಜೋಳ ಮೆದ್ದಂತೆ... ಬರೆದವರ ಮನದ ಭಾವವೇನೋ ಓದಿದ ನಾವು ಕಂಡದ್ದಿನ್ನೇನೋ... Who knows, ಸಿಕ್ಕಷ್ಟೇ ಸ್ವರ್ಗ.
ಹಿಂದಿಯ ಜೊತೆ ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷಿನ ಅನುವಾದವೂ ಇರೋದರಿಂದ ಓದು, ಅರ್ಥೈಸುವಿಕೆ ಸರಾಗ. ಆದರೆ ಮೂಲಭಾಷೆಯ ಸ್ವಾದ ಅನುವಾದಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ ಎನಿಸಿತು. Good one.
____
दिल ढूँढता है फिर वही फ़ुरसत के रात दिन
बैठे रहे तसव्वुर-ए-जानाँ किये हुए.....

[TANYA GULERIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gulzar's poetry is a profound blend of simplicity and depth, often exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition. His work is marked by its poignant use of everyday language, making complex emotions accessible and relatable. Gulzar's verses frequently incorporate vivid imagery and metaphors, drawing from nature and urban life alike. His poems evoke a sense of nostalgia and introspection, often reflecting on the passage of time and the transient nature of life. The emotional resonance in his poetry is amplified by his ability to capture subtle nuances of feelings and relationships, making his work universally appealing and timeless.

Pawan K. Verma's sensitive translations of the poems ensure that all emotions remain intact and well-preserved.His careful and sensitive approach ensures that the subtleties of feeling and meaning are maintained, highlighting the true art of translation.

[Prateeksha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been keeping an eye on Gulzar books for past couple of years. But I was waiting for the right time to pick. Sometimes I will follow the rule of "A book will choose its reader at the right time".

This book remainds you that there are gems in Indian literature too when it comes especially to poetry. Like I mention in every poetry book review "The smile you get after finishing a poem shows how much the poem creates a impact within you." Gulzar Sahab's words will carry you to a number of rudiments of life. He sewed poems on the titles we didn't know that a beautiful poem can be cultivated from those little things. It also comprised of few serious titles like prostitues, lonliness, friendships, etc.

This is a must read book if you are a lover of poetry genre. Now I'm officially claiming that Gulzar is my go to wirter for this genre. Happy reading.

[Poetic Subtlety · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book from Amazon to read some poems. It has almost 45 poems, I guess. Now, since it is a bilingual book, when I read the left page (written in Hindi), I got that 'mithas' (sweetness), but when these got translated in English, poems fell flat. The poems are good as song but they can't stand strong as solo poem, I feel. Though, some of the poems are really good, like Weaver, Potrait of a poet, Bonfire, and few segments from Triveni. If you want to just read on a leisure day, then this book is okay but if you truly love stream of poetries, then it is not for you. One thing that I love about this book is that it maintains the culture in its words and thoughts. It is truly admirable. It is rare nowadays but it lacks the layers of depth as you can predict the tone of next line very early and there's nothing to dig deep. Probably, I had a little high expectation from this book.

[Sai Kishore Kanagiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

नाम सोचा ही ना था, है कि नहीं 'अमां' कह के बुला लिया इक ने 'ए जी' कह के बुलाया दूजे ने 'अबे ओ' यार लोग कहते हैं जो भी यूं जिस किसी के जी आया उसने वैसे ही बस पुकार लिया

तुमने इक मोड़ पर अचानक जब मुझको 'गुलजार' कह के दी आवाज़ एक सीपी से खुल गया मोती मुझको इक मानी मिल गए जैसे

आह, यह नाम खूबसूरत है फिर मुझे नाम से बुलाओ तो !

[Anu Aggarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry as always!
Gulzar Sahab uses words in such a wonderful way that it leaves the reader wondering that
'alfaazo ko is tarah chuna ja sakta hai
jaise koi moti piro raha ho ik mala mein'

[Vidya K Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of poetry by Gulzar, beautifully complemented by Pavan K. Varma’s apt English translations. Each verse carries a quiet ache, a dull pain that lingers... rendered powerfully through Gulzar's words and delicately preserved in translation. Heart-touching and unforgettable.

[Harsh]

Good

[Swapnil Arora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[siddhant.]

No better way to start the year than reading Gulzar sahab

[Avinash Pathak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm speechless right now!! All the nazm are touching and inspiring <3

[Shivangi Ghosal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite!

Each piece engraved itself deep in my soul.
This is a book I will be coming back to time and again.

[Vaishnavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and selected poems in hindi and english.

[Paras Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a good read.

[Dharm Meena · Rating 4 out of 5]

only few poems are good enough

[ikaalore · Rating 4 out of 5]

These words are the loml.

[Nandani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gulzar work need no review the poems are so good and the translation part is written so well that it gives you an idea about the poems and its meaning.♥️✨️✨️

[Achu · Rating 5 out of 5]

All heart ♥️