YEMBERZAL FLOWER DECLARES THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING IN KASHMIR

                      

Yemberzali Aavij Zaavij Thuff Dith ,

Tsolmut Chhu Traet Toofaano .
Bomburuss Yemberzal Beyee Samkhaavon ,
Nerunn Prein Armaano ,
Toofaan Shaitaan Neri Zung Fatrith .
Saavon Munz madaano .


Bomburo Bomburo Shaam Rung Bomburo ,
Kyaazi Chhukh Yoot Naalano.
Haal Baav Panunuy Haa Shaam sondharo ,
Ais Karroy Jaan Qurbaano .
( Dina nath Naadim )





O Delicate Narcissus! uptil now , You
Have endured lot of pain and suffering .
We shall make Narcissus meet her love ,
They shall fulfill their desires  .
This Satanic Hurricane visiting our Garden at the moment ,
Shall depart shortly and die down in some open field .
O Bumble Bee (Bhanwara ) !  Bumble Bee ! O Dusky  Bumble Bee  !
Why do thee lament so much  ?.

( So sang Maswal ( Iris ) Gule Laala ( Tulip ) and many other flowers in the Opera Bombur Te Yemberzal of Dina Nath Naadim  depicting romance of Bumble Bee and Narcissus )

Yemberzal or Narcissus ( Botanical name  of  the plant ) is the first flower kashmiris see after the harsh winter .Spring-flowering bulb, Narcissus is the name of a genus which includes flower bulbs like Daffodils, Jonquils, Paperwhites and so forth. Narcissi (plural form of Narcissus) are easily grown from bulbs. The word Narcissus is derived from the Greek word NARKE, meaning numbness or stupor. In kashmir the wild variety of this flower is known as MAZAAR POSH.. Yemberzal  is blooming everywhere these days . It is known as Nargis is urdu . Shortlived, unseen and unlnown to many , this flower is seen as a symbol of vanity in West  but in Asia especially in China  the same flower is seen as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Kashmiris are also fascinated with this flower. Kashmiri  Pandits treat this flower as sacred and keep it in NAVREH  DAY  THAALI alongwith pen , rice , walnut New NeshPatri ( Jantri ) . The flower is considered as a symbol of happiness and good health .

About this flower Allama Iqbal says ,

HAZAARON SAAL NARGIS APNI BENOORI PE ROTEE HAI

BADEE MUSHKIL SE HOTAA HAI CHAMAN ME DEEDAWAR PAIDAA.

[Nargis or Yemberzal  flower has the shape of an eye.So, although it has the shape of an eye, it does not have vision, hence many writers are tempted to call it  Benoor or engulfed in darkness. .But Allama  just means that it really takes a long long time, only after which one Deeda-war ( a real intellectual or a man with vision   ) is born.]

                                                     

Our popular song writers in bollywood have also used this  flower  to symbolise love . I quote

"Aey Nargis e Mastaanaa ! Buss Itanee  Shikaayat Hai ."

When Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru visited Aligarh Muslim University, he enquired  from the students and authorities about their college song or something like it. Having got no concrete answer, he expressed his surprise by saying, "It is very strange that a prestigious university as AMU doesn't have its own  song. " These remarks put a student to unrest and he spent a restless night on this idea. The very next morning, he was ready with a masterpiece which went on to be reckoned as AMU Tarana . What a tribute from a student to his Alma Mater !!! Majaz lakhnavi too used Nargis or Yemberzal  flower in his Aligarh Tarana ( Aligarh Muslim University  )

"Ye meraa chaman hai meraa chaman, mein apne chaman kaa bulbul huun,

sarshaar-e-nigaah-e-nargis huun, paa-bastaa-e-gesuu-sumbul huun."

  In his poem Yemberzal ,Poet Gh Ahmed Mehjoor says ,

"He placed me in a Predicament !
Bewildered , what can a Yemberzal say
to others , Like the spring ,
the morning Breeze and the dew?"

So Narcissus or yemberzal  has declared the arrival of spring in kashmir .

 

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.