THREE POEMS OF PARVEEN SHAKIR

                                       

(Advice to a Friend)

Listen, Girl,
These moments are clouds:
You let them Pass and they are gone .
Soak up their moist touch .
Get drenched .
Don’t waste a single drop.
Listen, Downpours don’t remember streets ,
And sunshine Can’t read Road signs..
( Parveen Shakir )

READING .  " MAAH E TAMAAM " ...KULIYAAT E PARVEEN SHAKIR .." ...IN URDU .

I share three mini Poems of Parveen shakir rendered  to simple English by me..

Parveen Shakir ( 1952-1994 )  …Three poems …

(1)
 (Faasle )
Pehle Khat Roz Likha karte  thhay
Doosre Teesre tum Phone kiya karte thhay
Aur Ab Yeh ki tumhaari Khabrein
Sirf akhbaar se mil Paati hain
( Parveen Shakir )

( Distance)
To begin with   ,
 You wrote a letter every day,
Every  second or third  day ,
You conversed on Telephone ,
And Now ,
 I  know your welfare ,
Only through the newspapers.

(2)

 ( Aakhri Dinon ke  Chand Ki Roshini )

Chaand ki Aakhri Taarikein Theen
Kunj e Chaman ki khushboo bhari taariqi mein,
Oss ne diye ki lau ko Onchaa kiya
Aur meri Aankhon mein jhaanka
Phir Hamein kissi Diye ki Zaroorat Nahin Rahi
( Parveen Shakir )

(  Fading Moonlight )

Those were the last days of the fading moon
In the Darkness of the garden’s  Fragrant bower  ,
He raised the lamp’s light
and looked into my eyes  ,
Thereafter,
We felt no need to have a  lamp .

(3)

 (I will Miss you )

Jaane se pehle
Oss ne mere Aanchal se
 Ek Phiqra baandh diya
“ I will Miss You “
Saara Safar
Khushboo Mein Basa Raha
( Parveen Shakir )

( I will Miss you )
Before Departure
He tied a sentence to my scarf
“ I will Miss you “
 Thereafter ,
Entire Journey 
Remained  Fragrant .

Parveen was well read, widely traveled, connoisseur of Art, music,english and French literature.A top Bureaucrat who died in  a tragic car accident like Albert Camus.

Parveen  had done post graduations  in English Literature  , Linguistics and Bank Administration  followed by a doctorate in Business Administration.She brought newer sensibilities to modern urdu poetry. Her poetry resonates with themes of  Romanticism, Beauty, Intimacy, Distrust, and
existential contradictions etc.

In her poetry ,Parveen also  uses Radha and Sri Krishna to convey  Love, longing  and companionship. I quote :

“Yeh Hawa Kaise Uda Le Gayi Aanchal Mera,
Yuun  Sataane Ki to  aadat Mere Ghanshyaam Ki Thi”

Here she refers to Sri Krishna to  convey the mischief of wind .

Parveen  published 5 books of poetry to great acclaim, the first being 'Khushbu' ['Fragrance'] (1976), followed by 'Sad Barg' ['Marsh Marigold'] (1980), 'Khud Kalami' ['Soliloquy'], 'Inkar' ['Denial'] (1990), and 'Kaf e Aina' ['The Mirror's Edge'] besides a collection of her newspaper columns entitled 'Gosha e Chashm' ['The Sight Corner'].

In 2018, i saw a store in jackson Heights ( Queens New york ) selling Devanand and Parveen Shakir T Shirts. Both enjoy enormous popularity among  emigrants from Indian subcontinent who llive in this area .

During the trip to India for attending International Urdu Conference, Parveen Shakir met  a well-known palmist who forewarned her  that she would die young. And he was proved right .

I conclude with her poem "Tumhaari Humraqs ke naam..."...

( For your dancing partner )

While dancing,
the one upon whose shoulders
 you rest your head,
i too was once in his safeguard.
The difference is that i
was abandoned before dark,
and you shall remain consumed in this false sense of security till dawn.
( Translation ..Courtesy Raza Rumi)

( Avtar Mota )



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