The Evolution of Urdu Literature in the 20th Century

SameerJB #44 Good idea. Why publish on books though? Why not on the internet? Maybe chowk would consider hosting and sponsoring this effort?

Attn: Chowk Editors, this is your historic chance to establish chowk, among other things, as the preservers of Panjabi literature (and later other ethnic literature from South Asia) in the information age.

Dear Nasah:

When I read your first request, I had thought I would pass. After reading your second request, I had to respond otherwise it is bad manners, at least in my book. I`m old timer; I belong to the older generation. I still cherish the old values. Sometime I think, may be, I do not belong to the chat group at Chowk. I do not appear there so often. But then there is not much there which interests me.

You`re making me a bigra sha`aer but what the heck. I`ll bite the bait and take a plunge.Some body amy already have done a better job of translating this beautiful poem. Here is my effort.

THE BYGONE LOVE

Do not ask for the bygone love from me, my love

I had imagined that my life glows when you`re with me

So long as I pine for you, there is nothing else for me to worry about

Spring owes its permanence in the universe to your beloved being

What else of worth is there in the world but for your beautiful eyes

Even the fate would bow to me had I gotten you

Alas, tis was not meant to be so, only my wishful illusion it was

There are things to worry about in the world other than love

There are pleasures other than the pleasure of union in love

Dark and tyrannical magic web of the countless centuries

Dressed in atlas and kamkhwab

Bodies for sale in alleys and bazaars

Smeared in dust and drenched in blood

Bodies emerging from the diseased enclosures

Diseased fluids oozing from the seeping ulcers

The eye perforce gets deflected in that direction too

Your beauty is ever so attractive but what can I do

There are things to worry about in the world other than love

There are pleasures other than the pleasure of union in love

Do not ask for the bygone love from me, my love

Sameerji;

Once again I am your humble pupil. You are absolutely right about how any effort vis a vis romanized Panjabi will have to come from the bottom up, from individuals and not from institutions where there is little political will at present. Such an effort will have at its core diasporic Panjabis who have the fluourishing of the language in mind. Panjabi culture and music is riding the crest of a wave at the moment in terms of popularity, outside of its borders, and the time is ripe for a serious attempt to take Panjabi out of its scriptual ``ghetto`s``.

I will return to this later,

take care

Harpreet

Just one more point.
What about Manto?

Ras

This is by far the most ill informed essay on Urdu literature I have come across. I don’t think you are familiar with Ratan Nath Sarshar or with anyone from Fort William College.

And this is the first time I have heard someone call Krishn Chandar a romanticist or a naturalist... Socialism my friend, read his work in chronological order up to Maha laxmi ka pul.

``The race for resources and capital gave birth to new disciplines like economics, while the changes in human life due to this race made psychology``... I am speechless.

Spend some time in the library.

Dil mere sehra naward-i- peer dil!

....freethinker:

And do it verse by verse.

Thanks

Harpreet #26: There are many more innovative ways to popularize Roman script for our language. Instead of perspirational approach to popularize it through internet interaction and using personal connections, innovative volunteer method is perhaps more rewarding. Since we do not expect our respective governments and elite backing it anytime soon, an ingeneous strategy would be to form a small association with the understanding of every member chipping in, say 100 dollars or more. It will only take only few hundred contributing members or 200,000 dollars to get about 1000 copies of GGS and Heer Waris Shah (two of the most well-known books) published cheaply, but with fine paper and binding, from Singapore, Hong Kong or China. It will take only few days for 10 volunteers to write those two books on word processor in Roman lexicon. These books should then be presented as gift to 1000 well known institutions, organizations and personalities by simply mailing them with a request to get their thoughts about using Roman alphabets. I bet many people, university and college professors, institution heads and literati will discuss it in other forums than few internet sites. The discussion at their level will be more influential and fruitful.

At the same time, if the input is positive, next project might include Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Shah Hussain, Bulley Shah, some concise History of Punjab, posters and pamphlets dealing with general healthcare (how to get clean drinking water, family planning, etc) education, farming, etc. Influence of diaspora can be magnified by backing it with small amount of money.

Just a thought!!!

Regards,

Sameer

Dear freethinker:

great job -- beautiful translation -- kept the spirit and lyricism of Faiz poetry. You should do it more often.

Try your hand on that classic poem of Faiz:

Aur bhi ghum haiN zamaane meiN muhubbut ke sewa

rahuteiN aur bhi hain wusl ki raahut ke sewa.

Bijli:#38

``Yuk nuqtaa naheeN rukh pey tiray..?...bay jaa

iss rukh ko tiray safhaa e QuraaN sooN kahun gaa``

? sorry can`t recall.

wassalaam.

freethinker #36
I heard this sung by a singer Hariharan in a Merchant-Ivory movie called Muhafiz.
Thanks very much! Its great to get the nuances, your translation is beautiful...

Reply #: 34

Binifer..hamidB:

((It is a sin to touch a non Muslim man.))

He`s a hindu and I a Parsi. I`m 19 and he 30.

Now go suk a carrot you lil pervert.``]

Binnifer,i know it doesnt matter whether you are Parsi Hindu or anything else .I think u should tell Hamid b you r in Karachi & Eklavia in Ohio.

But to tell you what a man feels when he touches a 16 to 19 yr. virgin is incomprehensible for you .Its 440 volts current ,just as for me as a man to know what ticked you off.

Is male sexuality as much denied as female sexuality in Pakistan.

I bet you wish you were a Mumai parsi where there were no Pervert like Hamidb ,actually not a pervert but a muslim which you should be sensitive to living in muslim majority country just as indian muslims have to be sensitive to Hindus ideology of idolatory & dowry & hindian rituals customs whims of ganesh chaturvathi ,enter home bare feet.

Reply #: 31

HamidB

P.S: Give him a big huggie from me.

Binifer

It is a sin to touch a non Muslim man.

Actually ,i hate to correct you ,but you dont know your own religion.

IT IS WRONG TO TOUCH GAIR MAHRAM,i.e. outside of your immediate father ,brother ,cousins ,nephews etc.

Reply #: 24

FARANGI_KUSH

Bijli:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Quran haatho.n me.n leke naabiinaa ek namaazii

labo.n pe rakhataa thaa

dono.n aa.Nkho.n se chuumataa thaa

jhukaake peshaanii yuu.N aqiidat se chhuu rahaa thaa

jo aayat.n pa.D nahii.n sakaa

un ke lams mahasuus kar rahaa ho

mai.n hairaa.N-hairaa.N guzar gayaa thaa

mai.n hairaa.N hairaa.N Thahar gayaa huu.N

tumhaare haatho.n ko chuum kar

chhuu ke apanii aa.Nkho.n se aaj mai.n ne

jo aayate.n pa.D nahii.n sakaa

un ke lams mahasuus kar liye hai.n

Reply #: 34

Binifer..hamidB:

((It is a sin to touch a non Muslim man.))

He`s a hindu and I a Parsi. I`m 19 and he 30.

Now go suk a carrot you lil pervert.``]

Binnifer,i know it doesnt matter whether you are Parsi Hindu or anything else .I think u should tell Hamid b you r in Karachi & Eklavia in Ohio.

But to tell you what a man feels when he touches a 16 to 19 yr. virgin is incomprehensible for you .Its 440 volts current ,just as for me as a man to know what ticked you off.

Is male sexuality as much denied as female sexuality in Pakistan.

I bet you wish you were a Mumai parsi where there were no Pervert like Hamidb ,actually not a pervert but a muslim which you should be sensitive to living in muslim majority country just as indian muslims have to be sensitive to Hindus ideology of idolatory & dowry & hindian rituals customs whims of ganesh chaturvathi ,enter home bare feet.

Sadna:

In response to your request, I’m trying to translate Faiz’s nazm ‘pa be jolaan’. It is kind of free translation. On my own, I would have never tried it because it’s not easy to translate a beautiful urdu poem (or ghazal, for that matter) preserving even a semblance of the original delicate beauty. May be my translation is of some help to you.

Let us walk today in the bazaar with shackled feet

Moistened eye and the agonizing soul wouldn’t do

The accusation of secret love too is not enough

Let us walk today in the bazaar with shackled feet

Let us walk with hands spread - wide, let us walk with intoxicated gait in the City of Love

Let us walk with dust- smeared-heads, let us walk with the bloodied shirts

The whole city of love is staring expectantly

Together with the Provost of the city and the crowd of common folks

Together with the dart of accusation and the stone of abuse

Together with the unhappy city and the failed (unfruitful) day

Who else is there to support them excepting us?

Who else is there unblemished in the city of love?

Who else is there worthy for the hand of the assassin?

Muster the wherewithal of heart, let us go o’ bleeding hearts

Let us go o’ friends and get sacrificed at the hand of the assassin

ATTENTION binifer: Would appreciate an update on how anNy is doing. Thanks.

hamidB:

((It is a sin to touch a non Muslim man.))

He`s a hindu and I a Parsi. I`m 19 and he 30.

Now go suk a carrot you lil pervert.