URDU POET RAGHUPATI SAHAI "FIRAQ GORAKHPURI " WAS A LONELY MAN.

                                                                              

FIRAQ WAS A LONELY MAN …

Ye Udaas Udaas Bujhi Bujhi Koyee Zindagi Hai “ Firaq ” Ki ..

Magar Aaj Kisht e Sukhanvari Hai Ussi Ke Dum se chaman chaman

( Firaq )

Firaq was born in 1896 AD and married in 1913 AD to Kishori Devi . As per firaq , it was a marriage by deception. It turned out to be an unsuccessful and unhappy marriage . Two Daughters and a son were born through this marriage . Death of his only son and his elder daughter brought enormous pain in Firaq's life. And Firaq had no one close to him to share this grief .Firaq informs ...

“ Any one in my place would have opted out for a second marriage or succumbed helplessly to the situation. But I did not. As a result , my whole life has been a tale of suffering and loneliness. I have always wished in vain that some one should treat me as his own or that I should have some one to call as my own."

shiv ka vishpaan to suuna hogaa

Mein Bhi Aey dost Pi Gayaa Aanssoo

(You must have heard Shiva's poison drinking feat

I too , O friend, was obliged to gulp down my tears.)

Logon ki samajh Mein Aa Na sakaa Kuchh mujh ko bhi hai Taa’jub sa

Sunn Meri Udaasi Ka Kaaran Aey Humdum Bahut Akela Huun

( People can not understand , I too am amazed

Know then why I am so sad : I am so forlorn ! )

Ek Umar Kat gayee Hai Tere Intezaar mein

Aisay Bhi hain Ki Kat Na saki Jin se eik Raat

( This life I have spent in your waiting

There are some who could not bear even a Night’s waiting )

 Garaz ke kaat Diye Zindagi ke din Aey Dost

Woh teri yeed Mein ho ya tujhe Bhulaane mein

(Somehow , I spent my days dear friend ,

Be it remembering you or trying to forget .)

Firaq iss Gardish e ayyam se kab kaam nikala hai

Sehar honay ko hum bhi raat ka jaana samajhtein hain. .

( When has the wheel of time come to our rescue Firaq

We too think the birth of morning as the end of the night )

Dikhaa To Deitii hai behtar Hayaat ke sapnay

Kharaab ho key bhi yeh zindagi kharaab nahin.

( It can stiil dream the dreams of happier state

This wretched life , after all, is not devoid of hope.)

Dil Jo Maara gayaa Firaq to Kyaa

Zindagi bhar issi ka Maatam ho ?

( If the heart has been mauled in love ,

Should we mourn it all our life ? )

Firaq wrote a long poem “Aadhi Raat ko ” or  “At Mid Night ”. The poem is a wonderful creative work of  the poet. The poem was composed in 1944 . The poem  describes a midnight scene. The silence and a feeling of  some loss all around .Trees standing in silence like a shy Indian  bride.  Flowers drenched in dew.  And the poet’s pain and suffering desiring a change for the better. Poet’s  loneliness   and  the events of world war especially the March of  victorious Russian soldiers towards Berlin is also described in some lines of this poem  . I quote some select lines ..

Siyaah peid hain ab Aap apni Parchhaai

Zameen se ta Mah o Anjum Sukoot ke meenar

Jidhar nigaah karein eik Athhaah Gumshudagi

Falak pe Taaron ko Pehlee Jamaahiyaan Aayeen

Khadaa hai  ous mein Chup-chaap Harsingaar ka peid

Dulhan ho jaisay hayaa ki sugandh se Bojhal

Jagaa Rahaa hai koyee Aadhi Raat ka jaadu

Chhalak Rahi hai Khum o Gaib se Sharaab e Wujood

Yeh Mehv e Khwaab hain Rangeen Machhliyaan Tah e Aab

Ki Hauz e Sehan Mein Ab in ki Chashmakein Bhi Nahin

Yeh sarnigoon hain sar e Shaakh Phool GUDHAL ke

Ke jaisay Be Bujhay Angaaray Thanday Pad Jaayein

Ke jaisay Seena e Shaair mein koyee khwaab palay

Ki Khwaab Jis se puraana Nizam e Gham Badlay

Ke khwaab saanchay mein jis ke nayee hayaat Dalay

Ek aadmi hai ki itnaa Dukhi hai duniyaa mein.

Gulon Ne Chaadar e Shabnam mein Munh Lapeit Liyaa

Labon pe so gayee kaliyon ki muskaraahat bhi

Guzar Rahein hain kayee kaarwaan Dhundhalkay ke

Zameen se Ta Ba Falak Intezaar ka aalam

Hayaat pardaa e Shab mein Badalti Hai Pehloo

Zamaana Kitnaa Ladaayee ka Reh Gaya hogaa

Ab inquilaab mein shaayad Ziyaada deir nahin

Sipaah e Roos hai Ab kitani door *Berlin se………

(*It is pertinent to mention that  in 1944, the Western Allies invaded France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies.)

                                                         

FIRAQ ( 1896-1982 ) WAS A FREEDOM FIGHTER AND A PATRIOT  TOO .

Aanay Waali Naslein Tum par Naaz kareingi Humasron

Jab Inn Ko Yeh Dhyaan Aayegaa tum ne Firaq ko Dekhaa thaa.

( Coming generations shall feel proud of you , O ,People of My time ,

Whenever they come to think that you had seen FIRAQ )

FIRAQ INFORMS US ...

“ I was selected for prestigious ICS ( Indian civil service ) and offered the post of Deputy collector by the British Government .I left the job and joined independence movement under Gandhi Ji’s leadership. I went to prison many times along with Maulana Hasrat Mohani , Moti Lal Nehru , Jawahar Lal Nehru , Rafi Ahmed kidwai .

My father had died so did my younger brother Tripurari saran die of TB. Pandit Jawahar lal Nehru wanted me to take charge of Undersecretary ship of the congress party on a monthly salary of Rs250/. I accepted the offer . The work I was required to do , perhaps none could do though this work did not keep me much busy . I would spend quite good time in the company of Munshi Prem Chand and Poet Majnoon Gorakhpuri .

                                               

            (Firaq being presented Sahitya Academy Award  by  Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1960)

InAgra jail I had met Hazrat Niaz Fatehpuri who was a loveable personality . This company awakened the poetic instinct and a serious drift towards literature within me . I worked with congress party for about five years . From 1922 to 1927  and was frequently imprisoned along with other leaders of the country’s Freedom struggle . 

During this period , I also came to know the mighty personalities of Chitranjan Dass , Gandhi ji and Maulana Azad . Gandhi ji wanted me to join as Professor at Gujrat Vidyapeeth as he had seen my command over written and spoken Urdu , Hindi and English. In 1930 after completing my  MA in English , I joined Allahabad university as a lecturer and wherefrom i retired in 1958. I taught English literature , wrote urdu poetry and read everything that was produced by Hindi writers of my time. ”

Sar Zameen e Hind pe Aqwaame Aalam Ke firaq

Kaafilay Bastay gaye Hindostaan Bantaa gayaa

( Firaq )

( In this land that is India, Groups from many nations of the world kept settling ,

That is how India kept emerging and assembling itself . )

Aagoshe Mulaayam mein Sulaaya Hum ko

Khaamosh awaaz se Jagaaya Hum ko

Kuchh Hum Bhi Banaayein Teray Bigaday Huve kaam

Aey Khaak e wattan Tuunay banaaya hum ko

( Firaq )

You cuddled us to sleep in your soft lap

You broke our deep slumber with soft voice

O Motherland ! let us too lessen your troubles

You just moulded us to the shape we keep ..

Firaq Gorakhpuri  wrote many short stories . Some popular stories that got published  and widely read are

(1)   Safal jeevan

(2)   Sach kahaan hai

(3)    Deep Nirvaan

(4)   Dahi Ka Bartan

(5)   Swarn Hiran

(6)   Santoo

(7)   Rain Basera

 His father  Munshi Gorakh Prasad Ibrat ( Urdu Poet ) was a leading advocate and a scholar of urdu , Arabic ,  Persian and Sanskrit. Firaq also studied all these languages and mastered Persian , Urdu , Sanskrit and  Hindi. A taste for English literature made him to complete his MA in English .During his childhood , Firaq was deeply influenced by Ramayana , Mahabharata , Tulsi , kabir’s Nirguna philosophy and Advaita philosophy . About stories that shaped his childhood , FIRAQ   informs  in his long poem HINDOLA . I quote

“Woh  Nal Daman Ki kathha Sarguzasht e savitri

Shakuntala ki Kahaani Bharat Ki Qurbaani

Woh  Marg e Bheesham Pitamaah Woh Seij Teeron ki

Woh Paanchon Pandavon ke swarg Yatra  ki Kathhaa

Wattan se Rukhsatay Sidhaarthh Ram ka Banwaas

Wafaa ke Baad Bhi Seeta ki Woh Jalaa-wattani

Woh Raaton Raat ko Sri Krishen ko Uthaaye Huve

Balaa Ki Qaid se Vasudev ka Nikal Jaana

Woh Andhakaar Ki Baarish Badi Huyee Yamuna

Gham Aafreen Kahaani Woh Heer Ranjha ki

Shaooray Hind ke bachapan Ki Yaadgaar e Azeem

Innhi Fasaanon Mein Pinhaa Thhay Zindagi Ke Ramooz

Innhii Fasaanon Mein Khultay Thay Raazhaa e Hayaat

Inhi Fasaanon Mein Miltii Thhii Zeest Ki Qadarain”

( Firaq Gorakhpuiri )

                                                      

FIRAQ WROTE DOHAAS( TWO LINERS ) ALSO 

Not many of us know that Raghupati Sahai Firaq Gorakhpuri also wrote short stories and DOHAAS ( Two Liners) . I am  posting  five DOHAAS of Firaq .

(1)

Nirdhan kavi ke Paas Kyaa -Kuchh Peeda Kuchh Preet,

Kuchh Andekhay Sapne hain _ Dard Bharay Kuchh Geet

(2)

Dharti Ko jeeta Magar Zarray se gaye haar

Saagar Eik Chhalaang ka Qatraa Apram-paar

(3)

Piyaa daras Ho jaayega- Suun Meray Do Bol

Sar Ki Aankhein Bandh kar Mun Ki Aankhein Khol

(4)

Bun aseem Vistaar ka Mun Hai Woh Maidaan

Bin Paani Bin Hawaa ke Uthay jahaan Toofaan.

(5)

Aansoo ki woh Boond jo Palak aut Reh Jaaye

Uss-say Kahin Bahumulya hai Jo Aansoo Beh jaaye .

( Autar Mota 29.10.2013 )

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