A SMALL TRIBUTE TO POET ALI SARDAR JAFRI ON HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY

                                                                     

 HE WAS FOR PEACE IN THE SUBCONTINENT...

 POET ALI SARDAR JAFRI  LEFT FOR HIS HEAVENLY ABODE ON 01-08-2000..


I am adding select lines from sardar's poem SARHAD ( Border ) to this photo..

Yeh Sarhad, Dilbaron Ki, Aashiqon Ki, Beqaraaon Ki
Yeh Sarhad, Doston Ki, Bhaaiyon Ki, Gham-Gusaaron Ki
Woh Din Aaye, Ke Aansoo Ho Ke Nafrat Dil Se Bah Jaaye
Woh Din Aaye Ye Sarhad Bosaa e Lab Ban Ke Rah Jaaye
Yeh Sarhad, Amn-O-Azaadi Ke Dil -Afroz Khwaabon Ki
Yeh Sarhad, Doobte Taaron Ubhartay Aaftaabon Ki,
Yeh Sarhad, Khoon Mein Lithdey Pyaar Ke Zakhmi Gulabon Ki
…………………………..Mein Is Sarhad Pe Kab se Muntazir Hoon Subhe-E Farda Kaa
( ALI SARDAR JAFRI )


My simple English rendering would be .........



"This Border between us,
A walkway of Sweethearts ,
Lovers and Restless crowds ,
A Passage of Friends ,
Brothers and comforters..
Let such a day arrive ,
When hate drains out
from our hearts like tears ,
When this Border turns to be the
warmhearted kiss of our lips ..
The Border that had to cherish delightful dreams of Peace and Liberty ,
The Border that had to cherish Dreams of settling stars and rising suns,
Alas ! It gave us blood soaked and wounded roses of love.
How Long More ?
Tell me How long More shall I keep standing over here
And wait for Tomorrow’s dawn."

No doubt Poet Ali Sardar jafri believed in Marxism ; yet I have not found this belief becoming an Ideological Enclosure for him. As a matter of fact , he appears more rational and humanistic in his outlook and writing than most of his contemporaries .
All along his life , he remained a lover of Sufi Movement as also a great admirer of the Bhakti Tradition of India . His profound love for Ghalib , Mir , Tagore , Kalidas , Mira , Kabir , Surdas and Buddha is evident in his writings and poetry . 

                                                                       

                                                                           

                     ( Gyanpeeth award being presented by Atal Bihari Vajpayee )

If he was moved by the message of Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH) and Hazrat Imam Ali , he was also moved by the Compassion of Jesus Christ and the Glorious Wisdom of Upnishads and Vedas . He expressed his love for Sri krishna and his Message . He Praised the poetry of Vidyapati .

A man who was a friend of Pablo Neruda ( Chilean Poet ) , Nazim Hikmat Ran ( Turkish Poet ) and Paul Robson ( American, singer , actor and Civil rights leader ), sardar had a vision for humanity at large .

I conclude this post with a Quatrain ( Qitta ) from the poet ....

“Zindagaani ne diya hai ye mujhe hukm ki Tu
“ shab e Tareeq ke daaman mein sitaare bhar De
Phoonk de Jamaa hai Jitnaa Khas o khashak e Nifaaq
Qalb e Insaan mein Mohabbat Ke sharaare bhar De"

( Ali sardar jafri )

My simple English rendering would be ……
.................................................

" Life has decreed upon me
That I should ,
Decorate the hem of the dark night with shining stars ,
Blow away all that lies heaped with us
As rubbish of Disagreement and Hate;
And then ,
Fill every human heart
With bright sparks of Love "

( Autar Mota )

 
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\.