Daagh Dehlvi : His Nous Touched Upon His Poetry
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
25 May 2024
English
critic I A Richards was of the opinion that when a writer or a poet has a
humongous corpus of works, one should cherry-pick a few sublime ones to have an
idea of the writer's craftsmanship. Ruminate over them and then dive into the
ocean of his oeuvre. Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet said the same, albeit in
Turkish, "Gent Wint Key Faan Ej Mon Ember" (Choose the best
one and you'll get the idea).
Daagh Dehlvi was born on May 25
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Daagh
Dehlvi, whose birth anniversary falls on May 25, is one such great classical
Urdu poet whose prolific poetry runs into reams and volumes. So, it's better to
pick a gem from his cornucopia that underscores his poetic genius, beauty and
also wisdom. Here's one in my opinion. You've every right to find some other
from the great poet's repertoire:
Khabar Sun
Kar Mere Marne Ki Voh Bole Raqeebon Se
Khuda Bakhshe,
Bahut-Si Khoobiyaan Theen Marne Wale Mein
(Having got
the news of my demise, she told her suitors/ God bless him, the deceased had
many good qualities)
This
couplet expresses the common human trait. We tend to 'remember' a person only
when he's no more. To quote Nawab Shefta, "Yaad Kiye Jaane Ke Liye/ Shayad
Zaroori Hai Insaan Ka Marna" (To be remembered, death seems to be a
sine qua non). By the way, professor Ralph Russell, who taught Urdu at British
Universities, liked this couplet very much. He'd often say, 'Death often
romanticizes a person but with a tinge of sarcasm.' To quote Qateel, "Jeete
Ji Woh Namurad Tha/ Qaabil Insaan Ban Gaya Marte Hi" (Useless while
alive, the same became a competent person after death). This couplet is also
some sort of a euphemism for 'Good Riddance.' American humorous poet Ogden Nash
put it so succinctly, "When you can't say, good riddance/ You say,
departed one was good in every sense."
Though
Daagh's poetry is in a classical mould, his nous touches and refines many
couplets. For example, "Baat Tak Karni Na Aati Thi Tumhein/ Ye Humare
Saamne Ki Baat Hai" (You couldn't even talk properly/ I was a witness
to your incompetence).
Many upstarts
and neo-rich who think themselves to be very important/ Were non-entities until
yesterday. The young guy in Poona whose Porsche mowed down two youngsters and
who splurged nearly 1 lakh in a couple of hours, cannot even talk coherently.
His father and grandfather are equally unsophisticated and churlish. The family
lacks class, pedigree and history. Just two generations of affluence made the
entire family so damn arrogant and haughtily supercilious. Daagh's couplet
applies to such people.
One of
Daagh's oft-quoted couplets is for those who keep praying like mendicants,
"Hazaar Baar Jo Maanga Karo Toh Kya Haasil/ Dua Wahi Hai Jo Dil Se
Kabhi Nikalti Hai" (A deluge of prayers will yield nothing/ A true
prayer occasionally springs from the recesses of one's heart).
To read
Daagh's chiselled poetry is to understand life in its entirety. Daagh was a
classical poet who went beyond the traditional metaphors, subjects and issues
prevalent in the poetry of his era.
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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://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/daagh-dehlvi-poetry/d/132381