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.