The People's Poet

``Like Faiz, Faraz wanted peace between India and Pakistan. He is as popular in India (if not more) as in Pakistan.``

Faraz has always stood for peace... just like Faiz...

But Faraz was very despondent at this current bonhomie... when asked why on a TV show by our own satirist drag queen Begum Nawazish Ali ... he said ``I am for friendship and not rolling over and playing dead.``

This is very important. Like Faiz... Faraz is first and foremost a patriot.

Faraz Saheb was my Urdu professor for a while at university. There was always a bevy of girl students hanging around him, and at least one always accompanied him (somewhere) in his car after school. Quite a guy.

However, by his own admission, Faraz Saheb is not one of those poets `jo key shear kehtey haen`. He is one of those ones `jo key shaer ghartey hain`. He always called himself a `theatrical` shaier.

Jiss tarah sookhey huey phool etc etc is a good example of that.

Thanks for introducing his work. Very nice ghazals.

Mehdi Hasan is my favourite ghazal singer.When I think of Mehdi, I almost invariably think of Ranjishhee sahee. There were years I used to hear this song on the cassette every day. Once on a public platform I rendered it (I sang it). I was very good with the tune but did not clearly know the taal (whether dadra or kehrwa or what). After a little while the tablchi stopped and only the harmonium man went along with me!

V.S.Gopalakrishnan

re: Mohammad Gill

The poetry of Faiz and Faraz under Zia`s rule was the battle cry of the oppresssed and the down trodden. The words were given a life by singers like Mehdi Hassan and Iqbal Bano and Farida Khanum, because they too, as artists, felt the suffocation by the censor of their art. The verses of Faraz and Faiz written and uttered in those dark days of fear and silent sufferings were the embodiment of a nation`s muted cries and the expression of its most vocal cry for freedom.

The words and the songs of that era had a special message and they were appreciated because the words to the songs reflected the real pain, which was quite evident in the Pakistan of those days.

Ciao

Gill great piece on our current poet Laureat Ahmed Faraz --

some of the interactors remind me of an anecdote about Faiz Sahib -- there was a noisy crowd around someone in one of the campuses in London -- one of the by passing by students told his friend to go and check what`s happening -- the student came back and said oh nothing there is a bugger who obviously can`t sing is trying to sing Mehdi Hasan`s Ghazals without the Harmonium and the stupid crowed is saying wah wah.....

it`s interesting that both gems of Urdu poetry suffered the same fate at the hands of that donkey`s army......the illiterate army of illiterate asses

Dear Mohammad Gill...It is nice to see Faraz presented and discussed on chowk I always

felt that in spite of his popularity he did not receive as much serious attention as he

deserved. I met him on a number of occasions in Peshawar when I was a student in

medical college and when he visited Toronto for mushairas. He was very affectionate

towards us as students. When I was in fourth year medical school we wanted to have a

mushaira. At that time in 1973 we found out that poets had a fee to present their poetry.

Faraz was 1000 rupees for the evening, Qasmi 500 rupees and Mohsin Ehsan 200 rupees.

I was quite surprised by the hierarchy. We went to Faraz and told him that we would love to

invite him but as students we did not have too much money. He smiled and promised to

come and did not charge us a cent. We were thrilled. I never forget his act of generosirty.

When I asked him about the verse you quoted

nafraton kay ye saheefay umr bhar dekhay ka kaun

(I am not sure if your first line is fully correct)

he stated that he was going to his house and he saw students putting fire to the books

and clothes of a professor who they thought was a Ahmedi. Faraz tried to stop them but

they did not listen to him and said ``Do not worry we are not putting fire to your house.``

He said ``He is your teacher. You need to respect him.``

That teacher used to teach us in medical school. He was a secular person but was from

Ahmedi family. After students burned his house he mysteriously disappeared with his

family. It was sad and a great loss for us. We lost a wonderful professor because of

religious fanaticism. When Faraz read that sheyr he was a Director of Arts Council.

He was later on asked to leave. Faraz has paid many prices for his outspoken poetry.

He used to visit Toronto when he was in exile. It is sad to see religious intolerance

increasing in Pakistan. We need more poets who can speak their mind and tell the truth

and bring a message of peace. We need more poets like Habib Jalib who criricized all the

dictators in Pakistan. thank you for your article. sincerely sohail

I also like Faraz`s poetry but I see that a grave error is being committed here by equating quality rendition of ghazals with quality of poetry. These are two different things. A master singer can weave magic out of completely ordinary poetry simply by passionate emoting of voice and lending intensity to it while some very classy poetry are very difficult to put to mausikii.



tuu paas bhii ho to dil beqaraar apanaa hai
ke ham ko teraa nahii.n intazaar apanaa hai

mile ko_ii bhii teraa zikr chhe.D dete hai.n
ke jaise saaraa jahaa.N raaz_daar apanaa hai

vo duur ho to bajaa tark-e-dostii kaa Khayaal
vo saamane ho to kab iKhtiyaar apanaa hai

zamaane bhar ke dukho.n ko lagaa liyaa dil se
is aasare pe ke ik Gam_gusaar apanaa hai

`Faraz` raahat-e-jaa.N bhii vahii hai kyaa kiije
vo jis ke haath se siinaa_fiGaar apanaa hai

Interactors:

Thanks for your interest in the article. A good poet inspires people in many different ways.

drsohail:

Thanks for providing the background to Faraz`s verse with which I started the article. With that kind of intellectual provocation, no wonder that he wrote that verse. Incidentally, I believe the verse is correct as I wrote it; at least that is how I read it in the discussion in Pakistan Times.

I have an Ahmadi friend from our school days. He could have hated me for his religious reasons and I could have done the same for ``my religious`` reasons but we stayed friends for life. He is very religious and tried to convert me. He gave me several books written by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. The more I read of these books the more I felt the hollowness of religion. I am what I am and he is still very religious but we are friends.

nasah:

I understand your point. For many, Mehdi Hassan is Faraz. But Faraz cannot be Mehdi Hassan for obvious reasons. Thanks for your feedback.

Mohammad Gill

Mr Gill, are you a Eurpoean by any chance?
Your last name is also shared by Kelly-Mc-Gills (Top Gun) wale..

Just let me know, so that I know if Ia m interacting with a DESI or Gora person.

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I was once upon a time listener of ghazals. Liked them when I did, but haven`t much time
lately. I heard a few ghazals from Mehdi Hassan. And to be honest can`t figure whats so
great about him. On the contrary, Ghulam Ali is someone to whom you can listen for
hours. On this side of the border, it is Ahmed Hussain and Mohammed Hussain brothers
whom I think one should listen to.
Jagjit Singh has a couple of good compositions - but I dare anyone to listen to the full
album (any). He becomes monotonous (with a capital M) very soon.
Pankaj udhas - I don`t know why he entered the industry.

apart from ``ranjish hi sahi.....``, the other ghazal sung by Mehdi Hassan, which I love to listen to again and again is:

ab ke ham bichha.De to shaayad kabhii Khvaabo.n me.n mile.n
jis tarah suukhe hue phuul kitaabo.n me.n mile.n

Dhuu.NDh uja.De hue logo.n me.n vafaa ke motii
ye Khazaane tujhe mumkin hai Kharaabo.n me.n mile.n


tuu Khudaa hai na meraa ishq farishto.n jaisaa
dono.n insaa.N hai.n to kyo.n itane hijaabo.n me.n mile.n


Gam-e-duniyaa bhii Gam-e-yaar me.n shaamil kar lo
nashaa ba.Dataa hai sharabe.n jo sharaabo.n me.n mile.n

aaj ham daar pe khe.nche gaye jin baato.n par
kyaa ajab kal vo zamaane ko nisaabo.n me.n mile.n

ab na vo mai.n huu.N na tu hai na vo maazii hai `Faraaz`,
jaise do shaKhs tamannaa ke saraabo.n me.m mile.n

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Popularity of Faraz, at least in India, owes a great deal to Mehdi Hassan