Naziir Akbaraabaadii
Naseer
You must be wondering when this Naseer character is going to stop
bombarding ALUP with posts in which hardly anybody is interested!
Well, your prayers have been answered. After this (lengthy) post, I
intend to give you poor souls a well deserved break;at least a break
from posts originating from my direction.
I have had to write this post fairly quickly; so please don't be
surprised if the frequency of typos is higher than my average.
Muhammad Sadiq in his "A History of Urdu Literature" devotes Naziir
Akbaraabaadii a whole chapter. Below are first two paragraphs quoted
verbatim.
"Naziir Akbaraabaadii (Valii Muhammad Naziir 1740-1830) was given the
cold shoulder by the earlier critics for being an eccentric who did
not fit into the scheme of traditional poetry. He was an outsider and
suffered the fate of one who did not subscribe to the reigning taste.
With the enfranchisement of poetry from the old conventions, his merit
has been recognised, and it may safely be predicted that his best
work, to which this study is devoted, will live as long as the Urdu
language itself. (*)
Naziir belonged to the generation that succeeded Sauda and Miir, and
was born in Delhi in 1740. About 1749, driven by the chronic disorders
in that city, the family migrated to Agra, where he later made a
living as a schoolmaster. His education, it is said, had been regular
and methodical, but he never allowed his scholarship get the better of
him and he was never a pedant. Naziir was happy-go-lucky and carefree.
A Bohemian by temperament, he did not take kindly to the etiquette and
formalism of courts, and declined to attach himself to the rulers of
the day. He died in Agra on 16th August 1830."
Sadiq goes onto say,
"The sort of poetry he has left can not be written in a closet; it
grows out of the experience gained by a loving and a minute
observation, by one's pursuits and pastimes and the company one keeps.
Naziir has no eye for the serious aspects of life of the day, but he
was fully observant of those that chimed with his sensuous
temperament. All that was rich and gay and intoxicating in the life of
Agra for a man about town---its sensuousness and glamour, its romance
and fun, its frivolity and vulgarity---is faithfully mirrored in his
poetry. Naziir does not write tongue-in-cheek; there are no sniggering
indecencies here; his is unabashed vulgarity of one who led a full
man's life and made no secret of his preferences.
Naziir is keenly alive to sensuous impressions. His poetry is a
picture gallery of the sights and scenes, fairs and festivals,
pastimes and amusements of his day; and an intense delight gives a
lyrical glow and warmth to his descriptions. His poems on Holi,
Diivaalii, Ghanayya Jii kii Raas, Baldev kaa melaa, Shab-e-Baraat, Iid
Gah-e-Akbaraabaad are shot through with local colour. Whatever their
theme, his poems have a family resemblance; there is one important
thread running through them all---the sensuous thread unmixed with any
other strand, intellectual or moral. As we shall see, these latter
elements came to the forefront when he was past the prime of life, but
in his youthful verse there is no trace of them.
Parii kaa Saraapa
mazkuur karuuN kyaa ab yaaro us shoKH ke kyaa kyaa chanchal-pan
kuchh haath hileN, kuchh paaNo hileN, phaRke baazuu, thirke sab tan
gaalii vuh balaa, taalii vuh sitam, unglii kii nichaavaT vaisii hii
yih shoKHii phurttii be-taabii ik aan kabhii ni-chalii nah rahe
chanchal uchpal, maTke chaTke, sar khole DhaaNke haNs haNs ke
qahqahe kii haNsaavaT awr GHazab, ThaThThoN kii aRaavaT vaisii hii
.....................................
Tarbiinii meN ahaa-haa hotii haiN kyaa bahaareN
KHilqat ke ThaTh hazaaroN, pairaak kii qataareN
paireN, nahaaeN, uchhleN, kuudeN, laReN, pukaareN
kite vuh chhiiNT GHote khaa khaa ke haath maareN
jaate haiN un meN kitne paanii meN saaf sote
kitnoN ke haath pinjre, kitnoN ke sar pih tote
kitne patang uRaate, kitne suuii pirote
HuqqoN kaa dam lagaate haNs haNs ke shaad hote
.........................................
awr ek taraf dil lene ko maHbuub bhavayyoN ke laRke
har aaN ghaRii gat bharte haiN kuchh ghaT ghaT ke kuchh baRh baRh ke
kuchh naaz jataaeN laR laR ke kuchh holii gaaeN aR aR ke
kuchh lachle shoKH kamar patlii kuchh haath chale kuchh tan phaRke
"To know what part movement plays in life as seen by Naziir, one must
read all the poems from which these extracts have been taken; but even
these brief extracts are enough to show that his best poetry vibrates
with life....."
"And since we are discussing the sensuous element in Naziir, note his
sheer joy in sound, which is also a kind of movement. Here he gets his
best effects with gutturals and bursting labials that echoe the sense
and impart an unusual vivacity to his pictures. A few examples will
suffice:
gaagaa kii pukaareN kahiiN rangoN kii chhiRak hai
mainaa kii bhabhak awr kahiiN saaGHar kii jhalak hai
tabloN kii sadaaeN kahiiN taanoN kii jhanak hai
taalii kii bahaareN kahiiN Thaliyaa kii khaRak hai
bajtaa hai kahiiN daf, kahiiN marchang zamiiN par
holii ne machaayaa hai 'ajab rang zamiiN par
................................................
koyal papiihe kuukeN awr kuuk kar pukaareN
awr mor mast ho kar juuN koklaa changaareN
baadal havaa ke uupar ho mast chhaa rahe haiN
jhaRiyoN kii mastiyoN se dhuumeN machaa rahe haiN
baadal lagaa TakoreN naubat kii gat lagaaveN
jhiiNgar jhingaar apnii sar-naaiyaaN bajaaveN
kar shor mor bagle jhaRiyoN kaa meNh pilaaveN
pii pii kareN papiihe meNDak malaar gaaveN
"Naziir is no less alive to natural effects; rain, clouds, gardens,
the stormy nights, all fill him with delight. Born of a first-hand
knowledge, his descriptions are accurate. But nature for him is not
the primary thing; it is rather an intensifying medium for human drama
in which he is primarily interested. Very often it is interpenetrated
with humanity as in the following:
kaalii ghaTaaeN aa kar ho mast tul rahii haiN
dastaareN surKh us meN kyaa KHuub khul rahii haiN
ruKHsaaroN par bahaareN hare ek ke dhul rahii haiN
shabnam kii buuNdeN jaise har gul pih tul rahii haiN
saavan kii kaalii raateN awr barq ke ishaare
jugnuu chamakte phirte juuN aasmaaN pih tare
lipTe gale se sote ma'shuuq maah-paare
girtii hai chat kisii kii koii khaRaa pukaare
.......................................................
Jo is havaa meN yaaro daulat meN kuchh baRhe haiN
hai un ke sar pih chhatrii, haathii upar chaRhe haiN
ham se GHariib GHurabaa kiichaR meN gir paRe haiN
haathoN meN juutiyaaN haiN awr paaiNche chaRhe haiN
kiichaR se ho rahii hai jis jaa zamiiN phisalnii
mushkil huii hai vaaN se har ik ko raah chalnii
phislaa jo paaNo pagRii mushkil se phir saNbhalnii
juutii girii jo vaaN hai, kyaa tab phir nikalnii
kitne to kiichaRoN kii daldal meN phaNs rahe haiN
kapRe tamaam gandii daldal meN bas rahe haiN
kitne uThe haiN mar mar kitne uks rahe haiN
vuh dukh meN phaNs rahe haiN awr log haNs rahe haiN
.........................................................
aa kar kahiiN maze kii nannhii phohaar bares
chihroN kaa rang chat kar Husn-o-nikhaar bares (*)
ik taraf oltii kii baa-ham qataar bares
chhajoN umanD ke paanii muusal kii dhaar bares
hark oh kii kamar tak sabzah hai lahlahaataa
bares hai meNh jhaRaa jhaR paanii bahaa hai jaataa
vaHsh-o-tuyuur har ik mil mil ke hai nahaataa
GHoGHaa kareN haiN meNDak jhiiNgar hai GHul machaataa
kaalii ghaTaa se har dam bares haiN meNh kii dhaareN
awr jis meN uR rahii haiN bagloN kii sau qataareN
koyal papiihe kuukeN awr kuuk ar pukaareN
awr mor mast ho kar juuN koklaa chingaareN
It is primarily a townman's poetry of nature; of its remote and wild
aspects he has no knowledge."
KHair-andesh,
Naseer
Afzal A. Khan
> Dear ALUPers,
>
> You must be wondering when this Naseer character is going to stop
> bombarding ALUP with posts in which hardly anybody is interested!
> Well, your prayers have been answered. After this (lengthy) post, I
> intend to give you poor souls a well deserved break;at least a break
> from posts originating from my direction.
> Naseer
I was growing apprehensive that Prof. Sadiq's heirs might sue you
for copyright infringement !
Afzal
Naseer
> I was growing apprehensive that Prof. Sadiq's heirs might sue you
> for copyright infringement !
>
> Afzal
janaab-i-Afzal Sahib, aadaab 'arz hai,
This thought had occurred. However, in British law at least, there is
such a concept as "aiding and abetting". Do you think the following
would constitute such an offence?
"You are doing a great job in using this book as a source for poems
that would otherwise lie hidden and forgotten for ages.By quoting the
writer verbatim, you are also providing an opportunity to ALUPers to
furnish their input about his comments. {At least one ALUPer has so
far availed of this opportunity !!}
KHair-andesh,
Naseer
Afzal A. Khan
Naseer Saheb,
Aap ka kehna sar~aaNkhoN par, lekin phir bhi kuchh 'arz karne
ki jasaarat kar raha hooN :
1. It is moot whether British laws can be made applicable here
in the U.S.A.
2. There is the small matter of the "cause of action". And, I
feel, that arose on the 6th May when you copy-pasted/posted
Prof. Sadiq's views on Faani Badayuni. At that time, I was
nowhere on the scene, so the question of any abetment or aid
does not arise.
3. You are interpreting my laudatory words ("you are doing a
great job.....etc.") as "aiding and abetting". May I submit
that these words were specifically restricted to reproducing
poems from the said book ? As far as the original poems are
concerned, I don't think even Prof. Sadiq could have claimed
any "copyright". After all, he too had copied them from other
sources.
4. I don't think I ever encouraged you to keep on QUOTING
VERBATIM Prof. Sadiq's views on different poets. The latter
part of my own quote furnished by you is merely a statement of
fact --- you do provide an opportunity to others to offer
their comments.
{ Not to be taken all too seriously }
Afzal
Naseer
> On Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:43:10 -0500, "Afzal A. Khan" <me_af...@invalid.invalid>
> |
> | I was growing apprehensive that Prof. Sadiq's heirs might sue you
> | for copyright infringement !
> |
> |
> | Afzal
>
> Afzal Sahib:
>
> Your comment is not very encouraging to a poster who works hard to keep this NG
> alive with interesting topics. He also has the distinction of responding to
> every post where he is requested to respond/help. Unlike some people who
> regularly ignore when ALUPERs request him/them (just out of respect and
> admiration) to help understand something or expand on some topics. Nor does he
> appear to have an agenda like selling a book of his own.
>
> If you were genuinely concerned about this issue, you could have advised him of
> your opinion in a personal email.
>
> Khair Andesh
Dear Concerned Reader, aadaab 'arz hai,
I am sorry I could not address you by your name as you have decided to
stay anonymous.
I appreciate very much your concerns but I do believe you have
misunderstood Afzal Sahib's comments.
In post number two, Afzal Sahib has jokingly hinted about copyright
issues. I then replied to him in a light hearted manner quoting an
earlier post of his. He then (and again obviously in a jovial manner)
replies to me by arguing his points from a legal perspective. The fact
that his comments were not to be taken seriously is indicated in his
remarks in brackets.
I have tremendous respect for Afzal Sahib (and indeed for all
Alupers). For Afzal Sahib, perhaps more than anyone else, because of
his knowledge and vast experience in the field of Urdu and English
literature and his great ability to relate events to us as if they
happened yesterday. I also respect him for his seniority and the
dignity he brings to the group.
So, once again, I thank you for your comments but on this occasion,
they were, I believe, misplaced.
KHair-Khvaah,
Naseer