There is no point explaining some occurrences because explanation tends to destroy their mystique.
For instance, since yesterday morning a verse from a very popular ghazal (the video above) has been singing itself in my mind, which by itself is nothing unusual for me. I do that all the time. It goes : “Ta hadde nazar ek biyabaan sa kyun hai?” (Why does the wilderness stretch as far as the eye can see?)
The ghazal was “Seeney mein jalan, aankhon mein tufaan sa kyun hai?” by the hugely talented poet Shahryar. In fact, I was planning to put it on Facebook update this morning. What makes it unusual is just before that I discovered that Shahryar had died.
Born Akhlaq Mohammed Khan in 1936, he assumed his poetic name Shahryar in the fine tradition of Urdu poets.
Some verses have a way of escaping from their poetic confines and becoming maxims in themselves. “Ta hadde..” was one such. The line that precedes it and gives it an emotional context reads: “Tanhai ki yeh kaun se manzil hai rafiqon, Ta hadde…” (What destination of loneliness is this, friends? Why does the wilderness stretch as far as the eye can see?)
Other than listening to some of his songs hundreds of times over the years, one did not know much about Shahryar. I knew, of course, that was he was conferred India’s most prestigious literary honors, the Jnanpeeth in 2008, as well as the Sahitya Akademy award for his collection “Khwab ka dar band hai.” (‘The door to dreams is shut’).
While Shahryar remained deeply committed to Urdu literature throughout his life, he wrote for Hindi cinema sparingly because he could not adjust to the peculiar demands of the profession. Among his songs that captured the nation’s imagination, the standout collection is from his friend and collaborator, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Umrao Jaan.”
One definite marker of a great civilization is how easily its inhabitants remember and recite poetry. In many parts of India, it is hard to find someone who might not quote a verse or two in response to a challenging situation. It is poets like Shahryar who ensure that a great civilization does not lose its greatness.
Here is a frequently quoted verse by him.
Wo kaun tha, wo kahan ka tha, kya hua tha usey
Suna hai aaj koi shakhs mar gaya yaaron...
(Who was he, where was he from, what happened to him?
Heard someone died today..)
