Growing Up Red

re: 74 ``Faiz should have received the Noble Prize just like Tagore``

yes!

people often talk about iqbal as someone who should have been given the nobel prize - but iqbal, although brilliant, brought nothing new to urdu potery in terms of the language - and in terms of subject matter, quite a bit is borrowed from western philosophy - e.g., iqbal`s mard-i-momin seems like nietzsche`s ubermensch in shalwar kameez.

faiz on the other hand was a true innovator - he used the language in a way that was inconcievable before - new expressions - new metaphors, new similies - and all of it crafted in a stunningly beautiful manner - the man was a true genius.

nobel prize in literature has sometimes been quite political - imagine they give it to that moron, naipaul - solzhenitsyn got one but they ignored nabakov.

ana:
siyana sahib has put up an offer. siyana sahib: could you post ashkabad ki aik shaam (it shouldnot be more than 8 lines), if you still feel like it. i cannot possibly request sheeshoan ka maseeha koi nahin, it is huge! unfortunately, i dont have his Nuskha with me and the library i have access to has three collections of his poems But all translations.

i just remember one stanza from that poem, off the top of my head.. here it goes..

Kyun Nahuqq Tukrray Chunn Chunn Ke, Daaman Main Chhupayay Baithay Ho
SheeshoaN Ka Masseha Koi NahiN , Kyaa Aaass LagaYay Baithay Ho


Ras:
Nobel Prize for Faiz? that seems like a bit of a stretch to me. :-)

peace.

As someone who has been ``Gulabi`` but not ``Red`` all his life I just wanted to add that

Faiz Sahib`s poetic documentation of the miseries and romances of my often voiceless

people and culture during the last century are a treasure that has to be passed on.

Even his jealous enemies could not help but appreciate his penned truths.

Faiz should have received the Noble Prize just like Tagore. But his continued

expression of these many truths that he witnessed including the plight of the Palestinian

people did not win him too many friends amidst the powers that be in this world.

The literary legacy of Faiz Ahmed Faiz is the crown jewel of Pakistani Culture and Indians

are welcome to claim it as theirs too since he was born before Partition.

In gratitude we should collectively remember him. His religious beliefs are

not important. His mastery of Urdu and his ability to feel for his people should put

him permanently in our prayers.

Ras H. Siddiqui

Ali strange as it seems this seemed like a letter from a long lost family member.
You see the root cause of my own `problems` is that I grew up with a heavy dose of of Iqbal and Faiz, not to mention my own `dehria` father. May Allah forgive all their sins.
Faiz is part of my own memories in an entirely different way in the sense that Mrs. Faiz was a regular visitor to PECHS school and Mrs Majeed Malik a great admirer and friend of his.
We celebrated his silver or golden jubilee in 1973 or 1975 at the school. Where we were immersed in his poetery. I did not, at that time, realize `Phir Barq Faroozan hai sari wadi-e-Sina`` had any connections with his being in Beirut with PLO. One day however, Mr. Faiz came to see the rehearsal. I was standing right behind him. I drew myself closer to his chair, so that I could have touched him and preserved the memory of the moment in my mind. To tell my grandchildren about. My grandchildren, unfortunately, may or may not ever know who Faiz was, but now I have told the whole world.

hashimi ji - thanks for sharing - your nana is not just pakistan`s national treasure - he belongs to all humanity - his ideals are the very essence of all that is decent and he had the gift to express them in such a magical way.

maqam faiz rah may koi jacha hi nahin
jo ku-i-yar say niklay to su-i-dar chalay

Re: # 51
just a correction. faiz and alys did not meet in london. they met in india where alys was visiting her sister who was by then married to dr taseer.

The first time I learnt that Faiz was a ``Pakistani,` I was quite taken aback. Such was the connection some members of my family felt with the man.

Dear Friends

I feel Islam has inherent issues with the intlectual query.

First thing the Muslim invaders did in India or for that reason in other places was kill the intlectuals. Then it becomes very easy to convert/control/terrorise a man in street.

That is exaclty what happened in Pakistan after 1947. The country appropriated in the name of Islam found it self in conflict with intelectuals of the time.

For exampl Qurra-Tulain Haider( I don`t know how to spell her name), the author of Aag Ka Dariya had to leave Pakistan and settle in India.

Sahir Ludhianvi migrated to Pakistan but had to leave and settle back in India.

What happened to Manto?

Faiz had to face the same mind set.

Faiz a man of beautiful poetry, a man of delicate sensibilities was not fit for the land for pures.

I can think of one stanza of his poem

Aaj phir husan-e-dil-aran ki vahi dhaj hogi
Vahi khwabeeda si ankhen, vahi kajal ki lakeer
rang-e-rukhsaar pe vo halak sa gazay ka gubaar
...... ( My memory is failing me).

Ali
Faiz has been praised by many many people. He was a poet of people, who felt their mysries at heart, and wrote beautifully about injustice, exploiatation, and ZULM in the society. That is the beauty of poetry that his describes an extremely undesirable situation, yet it brings a joy when one reads it.
Your essay imply that he was treated bad by authorities. I agree to that. But he earned more respect and recognition from people more than any of his contemporary intellectuals.
Authorities represent very small number of people, while common people represent majority. I disagree with you that he was treated bad in his lifetime, and now treated like a saint. Look at Habib Jalib;s life. He was much more poor than Faiz, and as passionate as Faiz about social injustices. I dont think this would have been an issue with Faiz that authorties treated him bad. I am very sure that his vision is broad enough that it would have been minor issue for him. I think focal point of his poetry is people, and not himself.
Such people are aware of consequences of raising the flag of freedom, justice, and yet chose to walk on the path of righteousness. Some have been recognized, and others die without any recognition. Even that would be a non-issue to learned people. Their purpose is to see a just society and how human conditions can be improved for exploitive poor people, who represent a large majority of our population. I think that was the romance of his poetry.
As for as about picking on you, tell me how many are not picked on? After reading your essay, you remind me the term mummy-daddi. No offense please.

Regards and take care.

I have ``Nuskha hai wafa`` with me. I can type some of the requests up in Roman urdu if you would like.
You can also find faiz at most of the urdu poetry websites on the web. Its available in both Nastaliq as well as Roman script.
Some websites:

urdupoetry.com
urdulove.com
http://www.ebazm.com/mushaira.htm
http://www.urdumanzil.com
http://www.urdulife.com
http://www.urdustan.com/

kachchi miTTi:

do you have ashkabad ki ek shaam with you? or better yet, what do you have of faiz? i have none of my poetry books to comfort me unfortunately. kuch mangwaanay paRenge. i don`t think i`ve come across sheeshaon ka maseeha yet. if you do have ashkabad ki ek shaam could you please post it either or that other place a.k.a unplugged?

meh`rbaani hogi. . .

can someone have the urdu copy of sheeshoan ka maseeha koi nahin by any wild chance and like to post it here?


thanks.

Excellent article. I suspected you to be related to Faiz even before this writing.
Faiz is no doubt in the same league of Urdu poets as Ghalib and Iqbal. One of my favorite piece of poetry is his nazm ``yeh dhoop kinara``, sung to perfection by Nayyar Noor.

Thanks for sharing.

Rawalpindi sazish case was an intriguing episode. I think everyone would agree on that :-). I am looking forward to further opinions/hearsays/nalysis/etc. on the case. Thanks in advance to peeps who are taking the time to write about it.

Guys, stop the bullcrap, who cares about the politics of yesteryear, (as if today’s mess is any better). With all due disrespect, Tariq Ali is a wet napkin – an insignificant little Commie and inconsequential in Pakistani political scene. Intellectuals like him come dime a dozen). This is about Ali’s recollect of his Nana, and here’s something from Faiz Ji. Although Faiz Ji wrote this on the passing of his brother, but it certainly summarizes how many in Ali’s generation feel:

Mujh ko Shikwa hai Meray Bhai keh Tum Jate Hooay
le gaye sath Meri Umre Guzishta ki Kitaab
Is mein tau Meri bohut Keemati Tusweerien Thein
Is mein Buchpun tha mera, aur mera Aihd-e Shabab
.
.
.
Aa ke le jao Tum Apna yeh Damukta hua Phool
Mujh ko lota do Meri Umre Guzishta ki Kitaab

#56

“The Inspector-General of police was not amused to see that his name was fifth on a list of notables to be executed without trial, and even less pleased to discover that the friendly professor he had met at dinner had compiled the list. Jawaharlal Nehru—a family friend of Zaheer—intervened and the latter was released and returned to India. It was quite bold of Musharraf’s mother to claim friendship with two convicted traitors.”

So this is what you are relying on make your claim. Tariq Ali quoting a Police officer about a list compiled by Sajad Zaheer. It shows how stupid you are and how stupid Tariq Ali is.

People who know Tariq Ali also know that he writes things to project himself as somebody who knows but the truth is he did not know a whole lot. Did the list say “execute” these guys without trials or was it a list of people Sajad Zaheer knew?

Just for your benefit during the whole Rawalpindi Sazish case no list was ever presented and why are you so idiot to believe that Sajad Zaheer would compile a list with police officer’s name on it? Try and think from what is left in your spaghetti brain. No police officer in Pakistan was ever so important to be on any list. Even in 1948, 49, 50 or in 51.
There was no list. That was all part of the propaganda that was fed to the media when Liaquat and Ayub tried to destroy opposition both in the army and in civilian politics.


It is well known now that there was no coup attempt by anyone. It was just another case that was created to fix the opposition. Remember the Agartala Sazish case and then the Hyderabad Sazish case. Every one knows who the real Sazishis are.

It may be true that Sajad Zaheer stayed at Mazhar Ali place but I am sure Tariq was in his diapers at that time to know why Sajad was at Mazhar Ali’s place. Though I am surprised at the language Tariq Ali used about Sajad Zaheer and Sibte Hasan (convicted Traitors) Coming from Tariq that is precious!
Tariq left Pakistan after College. He never took part in student politics and never came back to take part in Pakistani politics. He does lots of research but his conclusions are often bogus.

So I am gonna learn from this fazool admi about Tariq ali and his being Trotskyite and their difference with Marxist-Leninist. Get lost and get some other brief from your ISI bosses.