ZUBAIR RIZVI AND HIS MAGAZINE ZEHENE JADEED ( MODERN MIND )

                                           

( Gabriel Garcia Marquez issue )

               ( Special Issue on Artist  G R Santosh )

                                                

               ( Art, Theatre, Music and Dance issue )

ZEHEN E JADEED ( MODERN  MIND )  AND  ZUBAIR RIZVI ( 1935- 2016)

"Apnī zaat ke saare ḳhufiya raste uss par khol diye,

jaane kis aalam mein uss ne haal hamaara poochha tha." ...... Zubair Rizvi 

("I revealed all the hidden paths leading  to my innermost self, my soul,

So much was I moved,  when he sought to know my welfare  ")

Born at Amroha in the UP State, Zubair Rizvi ( 1935 -2016  ) was the    finest amongst Modern Urdu poets of the country. He served All India Radio for more than 30 years . In his professional career, Zubair had interviewed celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Lata Mangeshkar, and Dilip Kumar. He also served Radio Kashmir, Srinagar for some years . He also served as secretary of Delhi Urdu Academy for about  two years. 

In verse, he mainly tried his hand at three genres: Ghazal, Nazm, and Geet. He has over 17 books to his name, some of the more important ones among these include, Lahar Lahar Nadiya Gahri (Collection of Poems), Khisht-e-Deewar, Musafat-e-Shab, Purani Baat Hai, Dhoop Ka Saibaan, Ungliyaan Figaar Apni, etc. Further, there have also been 2 books written on him and 24 books compiled by him. 

I happened to know him in person initially through the bank and later through his  affable mannerisms , friendly demeanour and grand literary  aptitude  during the days he was posted in Kashmir. I vividly remember him coming on 1st or 2nd of every month in 1980 and making a telegraphic transfer of eight hundred rupees to his wife Jamshed Jahan who maintained her account with Asaf Ali Road branch of our bank . It was Zubair  Rizvi who introduced me to  Virginia Wolf by gifting me her novel ," To The Lighthouse". 

In 1990 ,Zubair  started an innovative and experimental publication ," Zehen e Jadeed" , first of its kind amongst  Urdu magazines published in the country. . I also read some wonderful  issues of Zehen e Jadeed ( Modern  Mind ) that he edited.  The canvas of Zubair 's study was wide and it included ; western literature, theatre, art , films and music. This got beautifully reflected in his magazine," Zehen e Jadeed " which  published  many topics that were relatively unfamiliar in Urdu literature. In Zehen e Jadeed, apart from Urdu poetry , Zubair also published  informative write-ups on fine arts, theatre, film, music, painting, art and culture. It also  published  translations of foreign literature . Jamshed Jahan , wife of Zubair Rizvi was co-editor of Zehen Jadeed.  A well read and gracious lady, Jamshed Jahan was a popular  broadcaster  and announcer in the Urdu Service of All India Radio (AIR) Delhi for almost 20 years. She was also involved in various social work activities .  She died sometime in 2021. While Mrs Jamshed Jahan skillfully raised the three children in Delhi, Zubair Razvi moved to different places in India during  his service.He dedicated a  ghazal he to his wife  during his stay in Kashmir. This ghazal , sung by Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain is as follows:-

Tootay huve rishton ka har zakhm hara likhna

Jab bhi usse khat likhna adaab mera likhna..

Woh jisnay meri aksar lotaayi hain saughatay, 

Uss jaan-e- taghaful ko koyi na bura likhna..

There is another ghazal that he wrote in Kashmir and dedicated to his wife Jamshed Jahan . It has been sung by Suman Devgun. I quote opening lines :- 

"Usse milne ke zamaane aaye

Khwaab ankhon mein suhaane  aaye"

I remain an admirer of  the  canvas of Modernism in Zubair 's  poetry . Here are two  poems of Zubair :-

(1)

(Zindagi Tujh Se Mil kar Zamaana hua)

Zindagi tujh se mil kar zamaana huala,

Aa tujhe aaj hum maikade le chalein

Raat ke naam honthon ke saagar likhein

Apani aankhon me kuchh rat-jage le chalein

kyaa haseen log hain

inn ki aaraa_ish-e-Khal-o-Khat ke liye

Apni ankhon ke ham aaine le chalein

Ajanabi chehare me dost banate nahin

rishte-Naaton ki  chaandi barasti nahin

qurbatein sohabatein jin ki yaad aayengi

Aise kuchh doston ke pate le chalein

Un ki aankhon ne jalate sulagate huve

Manzaron ke siva kuchh bhi dekha nahin

phool-o-Khushbu saba zam-zamein le chalein

Zindagi tujh se mil kar zamaana hua..

(Zubair Rizvi)

My English translation is as under:-

(Life! An age passed by when we met last,

Come be my guest at the tavern tonight.

Let these lips celebrate the night with the goblet,

Let our  eyes  carry  night’s awakening.

How beautiful  are the people  around ;

Let us mirror affection through our eyes

To adorn their physical appearance .

They don't make friends in unfamiliar faces,

Relationships don't rain silver,

Intimacies are blessings,

Let's take addresses of such friends,

Whose memories will be cherished.

Those eyes which saw nothing except

blaze  and hell fires,

Let us carry  flowers , fragrance ,morning breeze, and respite for them .)

(2)

(Tabdeeli )

Subah-dam jab bhī dekhā hai mainay kabhī

Nanhe bachchoñ ko schōol jaate huve

raqs karte huve gungunāate huve

apnay bastoñ ko gardan meiñ daalay huve

uñgliyāañ ek kī ek pakday huve ..

subah-dam jab bhī dekhā hai maiñay unheiñ

māmtā un kī rāahoñ meiñ saaya karay

un ke qadmoñ meiñ ḳhushbū bichhaāyā karay

devtaā un ke hāthoñ ko choomā kareiñ

mun hī mun un kī bāatoñ pe jhoomā kareiñ ..

subah-dam jab bhī dekhā hai maiñay unheiñ

merā jī chāahtā hai ki meiñ daud kar

ek nanhe ki uñglī pakad kar kahūuñ

mujh ko bhī apnay schōol letay chalo

tā-ki ye tishna-e-ārzu-e-zindagī

phir se āġhaāz-e-shauq-e-safar kar sakay

( Zubair Rizvi )

My English translation is as under:-

(Change )

(Early in the Morning ,

Whenever I see little children

Going to School,

With bags hung around their necks ,

They dance ,

And as they move holding each other’s hand ,

They sing in soft tones.

Early in the morning ,

Whenever I see them ,

I Wish

“May the maternal love always bring pleasant shade in their journey’s path ,

May It always spread fragrance in every passageway they traverse ,

May gods always come down to kiss their tiny hands ,

May gods take delight in listening to their innocent conversation .”

Early in the morning ,

Whenever I see them ,

I simply wish to join them ,

And holding hand of some innocent child ,

Just say to him ,

“ Take me along ,

Take me to your school “

So that ,this thirst and yearning for life

May be able to start afresh ,

Start with a new wanderlust,

To traverse a new journey .)

One of his famous poems, Yeh Hai Mera Hindustan, which he read with gusto at many a Mushaira, not only gained great popularity among Urdu lovers in India  but was also included in many textbooks. I conclude with a couplet of Zubair:

puraane log dariyaaon mein neki daal aate thay 

hamaare daur ka insaan neki kar ke cheekhega

( Avtar Mota)

.

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