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Faiz
Mujhse pehli si mohabbat meri mahbuub n maang (‘My dearest, don’t ask for the love we once had)
This line from Faiz’s first poetry collection deeply touched the public consciousness, and it signalled the arrival of a new kind of poet who not only wrote about agonies of love but at the same time confronted the issues of daily struggles, including poverty, hunger, injustice, and the oppressive colonial regime. He fused his lyrical compositions with the grammar of revolution and resistance that was needed while not giving up on alluring descriptions of the beloved’s tresses and ruby lips. There was the beloved, he said, but there was also the struggle of attaining freedom, and these two things were not separate. He brought these two themes together, and they became one. Jahaan par ham tum khare hain dono sahar ka raushan ufq yahien hai (‘The place where both of us are standing is dawn’s bright horizon’)
As a secular humanist, Faiz was not willing to accept the idea that people should be separated based on their religious identities. All human beings yearn, he emphasized, for peace and harmony. National boundaries can separate people, but they cannot divide the emotional affinity they have for one another. To understand the importance of this cosmic vision, one had to look at the earth from the sky and see the planet as the home for all its inhabitants.
This book traces the evolution of the poet’s work from its early days to the time of its full fruition.
A poet’s life is not different from the words that he writes and that is why
in this book, poetry and biography are meshed in presenting a rich portrait of an exceptional poet
This line from Faiz’s first poetry collection deeply touched the public consciousness, and it signalled the arrival of a new kind of poet who not only wrote about agonies of love but at the same time confronted the issues of daily struggles, including poverty, hunger, injustice, and the oppressive colonial regime. He fused his lyrical compositions with the grammar of revolution and resistance that was needed while not giving up on alluring descriptions of the beloved’s tresses and ruby lips. There was the beloved, he said, but there was also the struggle of attaining freedom, and these two things were not separate. He brought these two themes together, and they became one. Jahaan par ham tum khare hain dono sahar ka raushan ufq yahien hai (‘The place where both of us are standing is dawn’s bright horizon’)
As a secular humanist, Faiz was not willing to accept the idea that people should be separated based on their religious identities. All human beings yearn, he emphasized, for peace and harmony. National boundaries can separate people, but they cannot divide the emotional affinity they have for one another. To understand the importance of this cosmic vision, one had to look at the earth from the sky and see the planet as the home for all its inhabitants.
This book traces the evolution of the poet’s work from its early days to the time of its full fruition.
A poet’s life is not different from the words that he writes and that is why
in this book, poetry and biography are meshed in presenting a rich portrait of an exceptional poet
- GenresPoetry
416 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 2, 2022
I was an undergrad when I first came across Faiz’s song ‘Hum Dekhenge’ and I immediately fell in love with it but I revisited it when Coke Studio Pakistan came out with their own rendition. That one song actually defined Faiz for me but as I started to read more about him, my views about him also expanded. This book exactly aims to do that, the author Surinder Deol has beautifully compiled and translated Faiz’s work into English as well as given us several contexts about the timeframe and the inspiration behind them. He takes through the life of Faiz and the different circumstances that came before him. Incidentally, while reading this book I found some really old photos of my father when he was a child and of other relatives. And I don't why or how, Faiz's words kind of elevated the experience of revisiting my family's past.
But keeping the emotional part of it aside, one of the reasons what makes this book special is the fact that along with the English translation, it also has it in Devnagri script as well. The connection that Faiz has been successful in making through his words is what makes him so special irrespective on which side of the border one resides in. There isn’t much for me to tell here than a simple plea and that is to pick up his book and just let yourself sway away with it. To make my case, I would end with two lines from his last ghazal.
बहुत मिला न मिला ज़िन्दगी से ग़म क्या है
मता-ए-दर्द बहम है तो बेश-ओ-कम क्या है
If life gave me wither more or less, how does it matter?
When there is so much pain to go by- more or less means nothing.
If you would like to see the photos, here's the link to the post
But keeping the emotional part of it aside, one of the reasons what makes this book special is the fact that along with the English translation, it also has it in Devnagri script as well. The connection that Faiz has been successful in making through his words is what makes him so special irrespective on which side of the border one resides in. There isn’t much for me to tell here than a simple plea and that is to pick up his book and just let yourself sway away with it. To make my case, I would end with two lines from his last ghazal.
बहुत मिला न मिला ज़िन्दगी से ग़म क्या है
मता-ए-दर्द बहम है तो बेश-ओ-कम क्या है
If life gave me wither more or less, how does it matter?
When there is so much pain to go by- more or less means nothing.
If you would like to see the photos, here's the link to the post
February 9, 2022
"aur bhi dukh h zamane mein mohabbat ke siva
raahatein aur bhi hain vast ki raahat ke siva
mujh se pehli si mohabbat meri mahbuub n maang"
Translation- "There are miseries other than
the agony of being in love
There are pleasures other than
the rapture of union
My dearest- don't ask for that love again"
.
The above lines from Faiz Ahmed Faiz's is one of the most acclaimed poetry that took him to stardom. Not only the beauty and depth of his poetry is applauded, but also it marked as a transition of his writing from romanticism to patriotism.
.
Faiz was a great Urdu poet with a degree in Arabic and English literature. The first time I came across his name was through my father and since then I admired him for his audacious expressions and marvelous word play.
.
This book by Surinder Deol carries a wide depository of Faiz's works as Poems and Ghazals in a more elaborative way. We could witness the shift of the theme of his poetries from the 'love of beloved' to the 'love of his land' without missing out the mergings. From praising his lady love's features and longing for her to expressing the pain of the common people and partition through his words, Faiz had gathered enough admirers of his writing.
.
The author has done an extensive research on these works and tried to present us with the simplest version of all time. One could now easily absorb and understand Faiz's perspectives, kudos to the author for the English translations and scripts along with the original Hindi one. The writing was flawless as the subject. The introductory part was yet again insightful and demands all the hype. This book will prove promising and delightful for poetry lovers, and esp. the fans of Faiz.
I loved the coverpage and so is the content of the book. With 364 pages, readers are expected to turn every page without rushing so they can take the maximum of it. Indeed a worth reading book.
raahatein aur bhi hain vast ki raahat ke siva
mujh se pehli si mohabbat meri mahbuub n maang"
Translation- "There are miseries other than
the agony of being in love
There are pleasures other than
the rapture of union
My dearest- don't ask for that love again"
.
The above lines from Faiz Ahmed Faiz's is one of the most acclaimed poetry that took him to stardom. Not only the beauty and depth of his poetry is applauded, but also it marked as a transition of his writing from romanticism to patriotism.
.
Faiz was a great Urdu poet with a degree in Arabic and English literature. The first time I came across his name was through my father and since then I admired him for his audacious expressions and marvelous word play.
.
This book by Surinder Deol carries a wide depository of Faiz's works as Poems and Ghazals in a more elaborative way. We could witness the shift of the theme of his poetries from the 'love of beloved' to the 'love of his land' without missing out the mergings. From praising his lady love's features and longing for her to expressing the pain of the common people and partition through his words, Faiz had gathered enough admirers of his writing.
.
The author has done an extensive research on these works and tried to present us with the simplest version of all time. One could now easily absorb and understand Faiz's perspectives, kudos to the author for the English translations and scripts along with the original Hindi one. The writing was flawless as the subject. The introductory part was yet again insightful and demands all the hype. This book will prove promising and delightful for poetry lovers, and esp. the fans of Faiz.
I loved the coverpage and so is the content of the book. With 364 pages, readers are expected to turn every page without rushing so they can take the maximum of it. Indeed a worth reading book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews