Dr Mod. Ayyub Khan: The poet’s journey towards brilliance. Reviewed by Amar Nath Wadehra

 

Title: Ghazal Darpan

Author: Dr Muhammad Ayyub Khan

Publisher: Brar Sons, Malerkotla

Pages: 112; Price: Rs. 250/-

I have been following Dr Ayyub Khan’s evolution as an Urdu scholar and litterateur of substance.

As is his wont, Dr Khan begins even in his latest book – an anthology of ghazals – with prayers:

Ho raza teri to majhdharon mein bedey paar ho/teri marzi kay bina aab-e-rawaan kuchh bhi nahin. (Ships cross the midwaters with your approval/The flowing water is nothing without your consent).

After his foray into the spiritual, Dr Khan transitions to the contemplation of the temporal. This is a vast field comprising materialism, consumerism etc. But the poet dwells on human relationships, including unrequited love.

Dekha na kabhi usne mujhe apna samajhkar/Dali jo nazar bhi to ehsan ki soorat. (She never looked upon me as her own/If ever she cast a glance it was patronising).

He goes on to lament:

Zuban se kuchh-na-kuchh iqraar bhi ho/Mohabbat hai to phir izhaar bhi ho. (Let there be vocal commitment/If there is love, let it be declared).

He then points out how Time and Mind can be cruel:

Beetey huey lamhon ko guzarne bhi nahin deta/Dil zakhm judaee kay bharney bhi nahin deta. (It doesn’t allow the spent moments to go away/The heart doesn’t allow the wounds of separation to heal).

Ojhal bhi nahin karta merey haal-e-shikasta ko/Ye waqt ka aaina sanwarney bhi nahin deta. (It doesn’t make my misery disappear/The mirror of time doesn’t allow me to spruce up either).

He looks back at his life’s journey:

Gumnaam sahilon pe utarna pada mujhe/Mausam kay saath badalna pada mujhe. (I had to disembark upon unknown shores/I had to change with the change in weather).

Apart from being a gold medallist in MA Urdu and MA in Persian from Punjabi University, he is an M.Phil. in Urdu and PhD in Persian. He is presently working as a Program In-charge with the Haryana Urdu Akademi. He has also taught Urdu and Persian to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

He already has five published books and scores of articles to his credit. His published books include Aag Ka Dariyaa – Tafheem-o-Tajzia, Mausam, Punjab Mein Pharsi Ghazal, Safar-Dar-Safar, Ghazal Darpan, Punjab Mein Farsi Ghazal Ba-hawala Nasir Ali Sirhandi, and Reg-e-Rawaan. Five more books are in the process of getting published. He has already edited more than a dozen books. Dr Khan is quite active in the literary field. He has appeared in over fifty seminars, mushairas, radio and TV programs.

Dr Khan is a much-acclaimed personality. He has been honoured with several awards within and outside the state.

But he is still young and has a lot of potential to exploit. He is maturing with time. I see a brilliant future for him.

 

Fahmida Riaz

I have watched Fahmida Riaz’s poetry sessions on TV as well as on YouTube. She is a reformist who uses satire quite effectively. This poem is a fine example.

Hope my translation is good enough.

तुम बिलकुल हम जैसे निकले/अब तक कहाँ छुपे थे भाई/वो मूर्खता, वो घामड़पन/जिसमे हमने सदी गँवाई/आखिर पहुंची द्वार तुम्हारे/अरे बधाई बहुत बधाई/प्रेत धरम का नाच रहा है/कायम हिन्दू राज करोगे?/सारे उलटे काज करोगे/अपना चमन दराज़ करोगे/तुम भी बैठे करोगे सोचा/पूरी है वैसी तैय्यारी/कौन है हिन्दू कौन नहीं है/तुम भी करोगे फतवे जारी/होगा कठिन यहाँ भी जीना/दांतों आ जायेगा पसीना/जैसी तैसी कटा करेगी/यहाँ भी सबकी सांस घुटेगी/कल दुःख से सोचा करती थी/सोच के बहुत हंसी आज आयी/तुम बिलकुल हम जैसे निकले/हम दो कौम नहीं हैं भाई!/भाड़ में जाये शिक्षा विक्षा/अब जाहिलपन का गुण गाना/आगे गढ्ढा है यह मत देखो/वापस लाओ गया ज़माना/मश्क़ करो तुम आ जाएगा /उलटे पाँव चलते जाना ध्यान न दूजा मन में आए / बस पीछे ही नज़र जमाना/एक जाप सा करते जाओ / बारमबार यही दोहराओ / कैसा वीर महान था भारत / कितना आलीशान था भारत / फिर तुम लोग पहुँच जाओगे / बस परलोक पहुँच जाओगे /हम तो हैं पहले से वहाँ पर / तुम भी समय निकालते रहना /अब जिस नर्क में जाओ / वहाँ से चिट्ठी-विट्ठी डालते रहना

TRANSLATION

You turned out just like us/Friend, where were you hiding until now?/That stupidity, that witlessness/in which we lost a century/has reached your door at last/many congratulations!/The phantasm of religion is dancing/You will establish Hindu Raj?/Will indulge in all things senseless?/Will extend your garden?/You too will sit and brood/ such preparations are on/Who is a Hindu and who isn’t?/ You too will issue fatwas/Here too living will become tough/ Will sweat thru the teeth/Will somehow exist/Here too everybody will be suffocate/Yesterday I used to think with sorrow/Today I think and laugh/ You turned out just like us/ We were never two nations, friend/Let education go to hell/Now sing praises of crude ignorance/Don’t look at the ditch ahead/Bring back the past/If you keep practising it will return/Keep walking rearwards/Let no other thought enter your mind/Just fix your eye on the past/Keep repeating the chant/How brave and great was Bharat!/How splendid was Bharat!/Then you will reach/You will reach the other world/We are already there/You too must keep taking time-out/Whichever hell you go to from there/Keep sending letters

यादों की दौलत The Treasure of Memories

यादों की दौलत

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

दो दिलों की धडकनों का संगीत थमा, सहमी होठों की मुस्कान

वो सपने जो संजोये थे हमने तुमने साथ साथ

क्यों बनते बनते मिट गए हमारी तकदीरों से

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

वो हंसी की फुहार वो मदमस्त छेड़छाड़

वो बेफिक्री का आलम वो आसमानों की ललक

धुंआ बनकर बिखर गई तूफ़ान के थपेड़ो में

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

यादों की दौलत ज़हन के तहखाने में, बेखुदी में लुटा न दूं मैखाने में

लेकिन करूँ क्या, बाँट भी नहीं सकता उसको

न फकीरों में और न ही अमीरों में

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

वो दौर ठहाकों और मजाकों का, खूब चला दोस्तो यारों में

सीख लिया था टेढ़ीमेढ़ी पगडंडियों पर गिरना और संभालना   

फिर भी फँस गए वक्त की हेराफेरियों में

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

वो बारिश की बूंदों को चखना, तूफानों को बाँधने का दम रखना

फिर हवा के इक झोंके ने मचाई तबाही बेहिसाब

हम देखते रह गए बंधे वक्त की जंजीरों में

चुराए हुए वो खुशनुमा पल किस्मत की लकीरों से

न जाने कैसे गुम हो गए दर्द के अंधेरों में

The Treasure of Memories

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain

Symphony of beats of two hearts paused, smile froze on lips

Those dreams we cherished together

Were erased from our destiny supine

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain

That spray of laughter and woozy teasing

That blithe flair and ardour for the skies

All scattered like smoke in a storm alpine

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain

The wealth of memories in mind’s cavern

I daren’t lose it in a tavern

I can’t gift it away to the rich or mystics divine

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain

We fell and recovered on the uneven paths

Still got tangled in the vagaries of time

The spell of laughter and humour among friends was fine

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain

Tasted raindrops and gabbled away, kept storms under our sway

We watched tied in the shackles of time

When a waft of breeze wrought such ruin

Those happy moments stolen from fateline

Don’t know how they were lost in the gloom of pain