Urdu Poetry's Romanticism: Musings On Jaan Nisar Akhtar's Two Exquisite Couplets
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
29 March
2024
Though
poetry, music, cinema and all forms of fine arts are extremely subjective,
there're specific creations which have been objectively hailed as immortal
pieces of creativity.
A professor
friend of mine, who teaches Urdu at a University in Pakistan, recently wrote a
long letter to me on romantic and quasi-erotic poetry in Urdu. Before I discuss
the couplets and Ghazals that he chose to buttress his point, I must say
that Urdu poetry's romanticism is predominantly erotic in nature.
Read
Zameeruddin Ahmed's "Khaatir-e-Maasoom: Urdu Shayari Mein Mahboob Ki
Jinsiyat Ka Mutal'a." The late Urdu critic Shamsur Rahman Farooqi
wrote its introduction. The writer of the book believes that nothing is
actually 'Fasiqana' (immoral) in literature, esp. poetry; poetry of all
languages.
Lord
Byron's 'Don Juan' has a few cantos that are banned at Indian Universities.
Even Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass' has erotic passages and a great
metaphysical poet like John Donne went on to write, " License my roving
hands, and let them go/ Before, behind, between, above, below." Firaq's immortal
(or immoral?) Rubai, "Aa Jaata Hai Husn Mein Salonapan Aur/
Chanchalpan, Baalpan, Aneelapan Aur..........." (please Google for the
complete Rubai) is selectively taught at Indian varsities but is not
banned in Pakistan.
Coming back
to my professor friend's selection of Urdu poetry's most sensual (or sensuous?)
nuggets, he chose couplets from Jaan Nisar Akhtar's oeuvre. By the way, sensual
is sensuous and vice versa. Sensual referred to gratifying carnal, especially
sexual, senses before 1425. Sensuous is believed to have been created by John
Milton in 1641 to mean relating to the senses instead of the intellect without
the sexual connotation. My professor friend zeroed in on: Aur Kya Iss Se
Zyada Koi Narmi Bartoon / Dil Ke Zakhmon Ko Chhua Hai Tere Gaalon Ki Tarah
(How can I be more tender?/ I've caressed the wounds of my heart the way I
caress your cheeks) and 'Zulfein, Seena, Naaf, Kamar/ Ek Nadi Mein Kitne
Bhanvar' (Tresses, bosom, navel and waist/ Many a vortex in one river).
Written in the shortest meter (Mukhtasar Bahar), the second couplet is
considered by many as erotically the most sublime couplet in the annals of Urdu
poetry without degenerating into anatomical vulgarity of feminine beauty and
physique.
Here lies
the unparalleled charm of Urdu poetry. Those who know Persian and Arabic will
agree with me that these two tongues have gone further in delineating
(feminine) beauty in much more explicit language. Even French poetry is at
times, blushingly sensual and full of oomph.
Somewhere,
I believe that Jaan Nisar Akhtar never got the recognition that he deserved.
Ironically, his son Javed Akhtar, who's not even an apology for a poet, is
called a 'legendary' poet by today's readers, listeners and critics whose
knowledge of Urdu poetry and music is quite humdrum. We tend to use words,
superlatives, adjectives and epithets rather nonchalantly.
Lastly,
will anyone explain, why didn't Jaan Nisar Akhtar use the word Azvar in
lieu of Bhanvar ? ' Azvar ' (Ain/Zuad/Waw/Re) is
originally a word from the classical Arabic which means Ripple. Both 'Azvar'
and 'Bhanvar' have the same Vazn (word valuation in prosody or
versification). Ripple is more appropriate than Vortex in this context.
Early poets
of Rekhta like Siraj Aurangabadi (1715-1763) and Wali Mohammad Wali (1667-1707;
also from Aurangabad, Deccan) used the word 'Azvar' to denote a Ripple. Those
knowing Arabic may throw light on it.
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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.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism