Remembering Amjad Islam Amjad
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
12 February
2023
Savaal Ye
Hai Ke Aapas Mein Hum Milein Kaise
Humesha Saath
Toh Chalte Hain Do Kinare Bhi
Amjad Islam Amjad
(The point
is, how can we meet / The banks of a river also traverse simultaneously)
Jahaan Ho
Pyaar Ghalat-Fahmiyan Bhi Hoti Hain
So Baat-Baat
Pe Yoon Dil Bura Nahin Karte
Amjad Islam Amjad
(Love and
misgivings live cheek by jowl / So, don't take umbrage at the drop of a hat)
The name of
Amjad Islam Amjad who breathed his last on Feb 10 in Lahore, shouldn't be alien
to the lovers of Urdu poetry in India as poetry is beyond barriers and
frontiers of countries and continents.
Moreover,
Urdu is the language of the subcontinent. Faiz and Faraz are as appreciated in
India as Firaq and Ali Sardar Jafri in Pakistan. Though acclaimed as a poet of
love and romance, Amjad's poetry had a sense of commitment and was
well-grounded. Despite being a student of Urdu literature, Amjad was alive to
the trends and genres of English poetry and was fascinated by brilliant
handling of blank verse by John Milton in Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.
The
discerning students and scholars of blank verse (Nasri Nazm) know that
it often sounds prosaic. Read Michael Madhusudan Dutt's famous ' Meghnad Vadh '
written in a blank verse. So, when Amjad wrote in blank verse, his blank verse
had rhythm and flow, interspersed with contemporary diction, but without
descending into classicism. In an editorial tribute to Amjad, The Dawn,
Pakistan emphasized that he made a conscious attempt to make Naghmagi (rhythm)
an integral part of his verse. The poet himself used to stress that “my readers
remember my blank verses due to rhythm rather than the thought in them”.
"Yaadein
Yoon Dhundhli Hoti Chali Gayeen, Jyon Doobta Ho Aaftaab Samandar-E-Ufaq Mein" (Memories started fading just like
the sun sinks into the sea of horizon), Amjad wrote this line when he was the
editor of a school magazine. This signaled the arrival of a poet. At a pretty
young age, Amjad wrote, " Us Ne Aahista Se Jab Pukara Mujhe / Jhuk Ke
Takne Laga Har Sitara Mujhe " (When she softly called me/ Stars
started looking at me). "Ek Ehsaas Ka Dariya Bahta Hai Mujh Mein/ Roshnai
Ashk Ban Kar Nikalti Hai Qalam Se " (A river of emotions flows in me /
Ink comes out of my quill like tears).
But like,
Sahir, Amjad also believed that ' Zindagi Sirf Muhabbat Nahin Kuchh Aur Bhi
Hai ' (Life is beyond love as well). A polyglot, he translated modern
Arabic poems of Nizar Qabbani and Mahmoud Darwish. He knew Pashto quite well.
He also translated poems by non-white (precisely, black) poets from across the
world, titled Kalay Logon Ki Roshan Nazmain. Nobel laureate Sir Derek
Walcott appreciated his translations.
"Likhta
Rahoon Aakhri Dam Tak / Zakheera-E-Tasavvur Kabhi Khatm Na Ho " (May I continue to write till my
last breath/ The congeries of my thoughts must remain inexhaustible). He indeed
kept writing till the end. Forever self-effacing Amjad once casually told an
interviewer, " Chand Asha'ar Meri Yaad Dilayenge / Yahi Mera
Haasil-E-Hayaat Hoga " (A few couplets will remind you of me/ That'll
be the achievement of my life). No, sir. You'll be remembered for your entire
oeuvre of superlative poetry. There has never been a dull moment while reading
you. Take a bow, Amjad Saheb.
----
A regular columnist for New Age Islam,
Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to
Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in
several languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/remembering-amjad/d/129084
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