REMEMBERING AGHA SHAHID ALI

     
Photographs by autar Mota 

 (Photo No 1 is Agha shahid's family House  at Raj Bagh srinagar ,No 2 is the spacious lawn maintained by his father and scholar Agha Ashraf Ali , No 3 shows Agha Sahib standing , No 4 shows Agha Ashraf Ali in his study room ,No 5 shows Agha sahib with Autar Mota and media man  Ajaz Rashid the remaining three photographs were clicked at jammu on 08.12.2011. Photographs from 1 to 5  were clicked at Agha Sahib's residence at Raj Bagh Srinagar on 04.07.201.)          

 TENTH DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF POET AGHA SHAHID ALI  


Kashmir born  Poet Agha shahid Ali needs no introduction in American literary circles . So does he need no introduction in UK. But yes he remains  unknown in his own state and more specifically in Kashmir . Do we forget our ICONS ?
  A function was organized at Press Club jammu On 08.12.2011 by Civil society for Arts and literature  , family friends  of the late poet and other Literary personalities of the state  . The function was meant to commemorate   Agha Shahid Ali ‘s (Kashmir born English poet) 10^th death anniversary  . Agha Ashraf Ali  ( Father of late poet ) was on dais with  Prof A N Dhar ( Ex HOD English university of Kashmir ),  Noted kashmiri  poet Farooq Nazki and   Ved Bhasin Editor Kashmir Times Group. Others who joined included  Poet and scientist   A R Nazki ,  short story writer Khalid Hussain , Gojri Scholar  Javid Raahi ,Writer Dr. Ramesh Taimiri ,Theatre personality Ravindra kaul,   Photographer Ajaz Rashid and many more from the field of art and literature . Memorable evening . Poems and literary talks . Father ( Agha Ashraf Ali ) remembering childhood days of his brilliant son . Prof A N Dhar  remembering meeting Shahid  in kashmir university.  Some speaker  recites Faiz .  Another pays his poetic tribute to Shahid 's memory  My thoughts too  shift. I am reminded of    Agha shahid Ali ’s poem  on satyajit Ray's movie   “Pather Pancheli “. Shahid has condensed  the entire   labour of the genius director  Satyajit  Ray  to an 8 line poetic composition  . Here goes the poem.

Durga dies in the rains,

her tongue bitter with stolen

fruit. Beyond the field, trains

escape a boy’s dreams, run

into the air. A necklace chains

him to the water’s bones, turns

his reflection sour. Wherever

Apu goes, to the temple or the river,

he carries Durga’s smile to the depths of the air.

( Agha Shahid Ali )

The  memorable scene of this great movie wherein Durga and Appu move through the fields to have a glimpse of the train has been beautifully captured in this poem by Shahid .

My mind also goes to his superb translation of faiz.  Loneliness  has many colours and contours. Faiz is a master in expressing human loneliness . I can not help loving his poem “Tanhaayi ” and the superb and simple translation of Shahid  appearing in the Book “ The Rebel’s Silhouette: Selected Poems, by Faiz Ahmed Faiz  ”translated by Agha Shahid Ali ..Intense loneliness expressed by faiz and superbly conveyed in English by agha shahid Ali's translation 

(Tanhaayi)

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

phir ko’ii aayaa, dil-e-zaar! nahiin, ko’ii nahiin;

raah-rau hogaa, kahiin aur chalaa jaaegaa.

dhal chukii raat, bikharne lagaa taaron kaa ghubaar,

larkharaane lage aiwaanon mein khwaabiida charaagh,

so ga’ii raasta tak takke har ek rah guzaar;

ajnabi khaak ne dhundlaa diye qadmon ke suraagh.

gul karo shamiin, barhaa do mai-o-miinaa-o-ayaagh,

apne be khwaab kivaaron ko muqaffal kar lo;

ab yahaan ko’ii nahiin, ko’ii nahiin aayega!

Solitude

Someone, finally, is here! No, unhappy heart, no one -

just a passerby on his way.

The night has surrendered

to clouds of scattered stars.

The lamps in the hall waver.

Having listened with longing for steps,

the roads too are fast asleep.

A strange dust has buried every footprint.

Blow out the lamps, break the glasses, erase

all memory of wine. Heart,

bolt forever your sleepless doors,

tell every dream that knocks to go away.

No one, now no one will ever return……………………….

(Translated by  Agha Shahid Ali.)

My friend and poet Farooq Nazki has also composed a  kashmiri poem "Akh Berang chith - Agha Shahid-ni nawaa "as a tribute to the poet. The wonderful English  translation to this poem is by his talented daughter Roohi Nazki . Here goes the poem.................

 (To Agha Shahid – From: Dead Letter Office)

 The deepening black of an evening rose,

The fragrance of a thousand blooms

The Prince of the kingdom of sleep

Caressing the eyes with a soothing dream

Rousing the soul to a silent fire

Eyes, laden with the nameless terror, a strange content

Therein glinted a hope for tomorrow

Therein went buried many a dream

Dwelling long in dreams forbidden

Searching hard in shadows forbidden

He saw them there, the demons of the night

Their dance macabre, seared his soul

I still remember

He was so different

A being unique, a heart’s content

As I held him in my gaze, my blood rose in my veins

Away and yet so close to me

The solitary figure in a crowd

Alone

First whiff of the spring

Blazing sun

Blossom of the mustard flower

Cool draught of a spring

A field of saffron

The first shower

A fist of snow

An honest man, shrouded in white

The long night of the ninth moharram

A cry for water of the tenth moharram

The flaming chinar

The generous soul

The sweet breeze of early spring

The moon in a dark wintry night, frozen in the sky

The promise of a ‘sheena sharth’

Long winter

A warm kangdi on a wintry night

Sufiya’pet, her crown, her world

A droplet shimmering on a sprig of leaves

Noble son

The midnight blue of a moths wings

Circling death, courting love

A celebrity incognito

A nameless letter that the pigeon delivers

The bridge of ‘Suraat’over the ‘Bhavsar’ ocean

A boat ride

The shailmar garden

The lilting ardour,

making the blood dance in the veins

Tibet Bakal’s ‘Tilang tarana’

The gentle voice of Shams Faqir

Begum Akhtar’s touching Khayal

The creeper climbing the mud wall

The lone flower gracing a vase

Immense desert

Divine being

A mirage within the mirage of dreams

The bard of my land

A saint, a sufi

So far, yet tuned to be silent lament of my heart

Cradling the vale in his eyes

Words shining like fireflies in the velvety night

His memory synergies my soul,

blazing the frozen blood in my veins.

Shaking the mountains

Spraying flowers

Casting life on trees and plants

A cry of delight

A lyrical thought

The merry wooer, solitary along the bridge of fire

A ray of light dispelling the darkness

Oh universe be a witness to what I say

That harbinger of life

Lal Ded’s dream

The rishi of goodwill

The seeker

He will rise again

Splitting the earth

Green like a field of wheat

He will soar again over the Himalayas

Draped in tulips he will appear, yet again

 ( Farooq Nazki Translated by Roohi  Nazki )

What more can be said about this great poet i do not know . Almost all about him  is available on the net . Amitav Ghosh , his friend and writer ( who wrote  the novel “The Hungry Tide ”  ) has also added a nice page about the life and work of this poet especially covering the period of his illness . To Amitav , Shahid had  said

‎" This dividing of the country , the divisions between the people- Hindu , muslim , Muslim , hindu - Yo can not imagine how much i hate it . It makes me sick.I wish this had not happened . "

"Once shiela Dhar who knows Gazal singer Begum Akhtar very well told me that my teeth and and mouth resemble Begum sahiba " .

“ I just love those moody songs of kishore  kumar  apart from Rogan josh and old Bombay films ”

Shahid shall be remembered for seriously working on the GAZAL format for English poetry . He himself wrote some poems in this format and compiled a book “Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English.

 My experience with Agha Shahid Ali's poems has been like reading Rajtarangini. First reading in a summary way confused me. But Once you understand the reference /context of his poems you start realizing intellectual tallness and clarity of vision of this man . You come to his poems again and again. His poetry breathes the natural fragrance of kashmir . If  kashmir is in pain his poems reflect the pain. If hope and bright dawn is nearby , he is the first to talk about it . Shahid uses a large canvas to convey issues touching him. In this type of literature you do not talk about any victor or vanquished . You can not call it a poetry of cause or poetry of effect . It is poetry of human beings who have a shared history and a shared past . Through some poems ,the poet also envisions a future for them based on a very strong and indestructible cultural commonality and ethos . Such Intellectuals rise taller in any group to say loudly " look folks ! All of you are sufferers ". And We are duty bound to salute these genuine feelings .This is the quality of great literature . A Literature that has no group label. Apply it to universal situations and it fits perfectly....

 Shahid loved Kashmir ,its river , mountains , hills , lakes , birds and seasons . He had special love for srinagar city .I  also Joined  the memorial function on 08.12.2011 and felt privileged to be given an opportunity to speak  for 10 Minutes  on Poetry of Agha Shahid Ali especially his translation of Faiz  Ahmed Faiz. I dedicate a   poem  of mine to  Agha Shahid Ali's memory .  I read this poem  at the memorial function on 08.12.2011..

Hamaara shehar ( our City )

Manzilein Ghumm hain Raastey Sooney

Naa Koyee Yaar Naa Sukhan Naa khuloos

Kab Hansey Thhey hamein to yaad Nahin

Koyee Kaandhaa nahin hai Roney ko

Shaam Se hi Gharon ke Bandh kiwaad

Zindagi Ghutt Gayee hai kamron mein.

Kyaa Khareedeinge inn Bazaaron mein

Jin me Bikatee hai dard o Badh –Haali.

Woh Parindey Woh Pyaar ke Raahi

Shehar Ko Jin Pe Naaz Thaa kal Tak

Aaj Jaane Kahaan Bhataktey hain

Ya issi Shehar mein hain Chupp Bebas

Apne Khwaabon mein rang Bhartein hain.

Khwaab woh Hain Ki Sunaaye Na Baney

Dard Woh hai ki Dikhaaye Na baney

Fir Bhi Har waqt Yeh Dua Woh Karein

" Aey Mere Shehar Tuu Aabaad rahey

Mausamon ki Mehar rahey har saal

Tere Baagon mein Parindey hon sadaa

Teri Jheelon mein Aabshaaron mein

Inn safedon mein in Chinaron mein

Har Choraahey mein basti koochey mein

Zindagi Laut ke har pal Yeh kahey

Pyaar Ka Jashn Manaana Hai Ab

Har Andhere ko Mitaana Hai Ab”"

(Autar Mota )

                                                             

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