S N Pandit
Before the present attempt, Mr Ushaq Kishtawari has published Mutah Soz-o-Nishat,” “Mutah Soz-o-Godaz” a collections of his poems followed by small booklets namely “Rodad-i-Kashmir,””Lahad Se Mahad Tak,””Zat-i-Barhaq” and” Paikar-i-Khaki,” for the lovers of Urdu Poetry. The present book entitled, “Nawa-yi-Shauq,” is his anthology of Urdu Poetry which contains 115 verses (Nazams) 47 Ghazals and more than 67 Qitaz which take us back to the realms of Ghalib,Iqbal, Cha k bast Zoaq, and Mir.
At the outset of the Ghazals, the poet pays his benedictions to God Almighty and immediately he starts his emotional imaginations and his poetic compositions and bursts out:
Iq But ka taqadus hai baitha hun Shivaalai main
Ushaq main kya janoon andaz-i-Musalmaani
Then he starts revealing his own story in the form of remnants and laments for the absence of poets like Ghalib and names his poetry as a mixture of many languages, as Rekhta: even though being of high literary value:
Terey Firaq-o-Vasal Main ai Rekhta meri : Ashkoon se nam hain mere goshe rumal ke
Proceeding further he confirms that he is not satisfied with the current poets and their poetry. He asks the parents why they don’t send their wards for the Urdu classes to keep the torch of the Urdu language lighted so that that every home becomes a centre for Urdu learning.
Sav Hasratoon ki aik hi hasrat jigar main hai
Phir se ho yahaan Lacknowai kirdaar ka manzar
He narrates the qualities of a poet, who must be soft tempered and there should be the flow of Mir in his recitations. At the same time he sighs that the Urudu literature is not of that standard presently He makes a comparison of his poetry and that of Prof. Azad and records his obedience to Mr Azad, he is the poet who, instructed him to gain all these heights in the art of Urdu lyrics.
He is full of praise for the holey month of Ramadan and impresses all to welcome it. He is profounder of Monotheism and absolutely believes in Him alone. According to him the body structure of every creature is His workmanship.
The poet has discussed the human being among the list of His creation. At the birth of a man the poet exclaims;
Jab huwa hogaa zameen par nasl-e-Adam kaa zahoor Tab Fjzaye Khushk-o-Tar yeh kahaa hogaa Zaroor:
Rob-e-Aali yah sarasar fitnagar hogaa zaroor.
This is followed with the process of his struggle at every stage that includes plunder, killing;
At this juncture the poet becomes an adviser lamenting for the betterment of the man. He advises the man to remain unattached towards the happenings of life. He should consider it a glimpse of changing scene from a big drama. Otherwise the life itself is an act of a big plot that a man has to bear as a sentence from Him for the wrong doings known as our Karma. He advises man to leave the anxieties of the world not like a Faquir, who denounces the world but remains attached to it to horded wealth. He sermons man, “Here no body is attached to either you or me, “All around us are the flesh eaters with a margin provided the luck favors us at that particular moment.
Soon the Rainy Season starts and the poet feels solace from the hot spell for some tine. He travels through meadows and forests during the rains. He is fascinated by Chinab Valley and the Pir Panchal Range of mountains and reaching Banihal, he enters the Kashmir valley; The serene beauty of the valley and the landscape of the Mughal Gardens fascinates the poet but the present mind set of some people pinches the poet and he laments: His mind is disturbed with the dangers, conflicts and sufferings of the masses. He is live to the political conditions that prevailed in the valley of Kashmir on the Death of Kh Mufti Mohammad Sayyed ,Ex Chief Minister On taking reigns of Government by his daughter Moht. Mahbooba Mufti, the poet wishes : “May God bestow the daughter of the late Mufti with vigour and ability to hold the Inkstand of politics of the State.”. He laments:
Kya souchkar Aaye they is shehr-e-Khas Main Bezaar Mujh se hai Mera Qartaas-o-Qualam Bhi.
With a heavy heart he leave the valley remembering the repercussions of the war but at the same time he feels for, the “:Land of Devas and a garden of the Rishis, Whose worshippers are not less blessed here.” He again is surprised how such things mattered in the land where:
Yahan Naaqos bajte hain Azaan panj waqt hoti hai Fazay-e-Aman ka zaamin yahaan Chishti ka derah hai
He consoles his own self with a simple riddle, Amal Se Zindagi Bantee ….”For an answer to his question he takes a short rest with the intoxicants, approaches to a number of his youth time old-poets who sharpened his thoughts on their touch-stones and who has now attained the ripe age and can well be placed as Guru of his friend circle. His all poems make us to understand that the poet is not satisfies with the present social setup of not only of the State but of the whole Sub-continent: Describing Delhi he is pinched to note.
“Kisi mazloom Man ko tum Ghaseeto Aam raahoon par Tawajooh: zalimo karlo Aman kuchh is ke Aahoon par”
He wishes there may appear the same old Spring on my busy Chowgan and for this purposes he approaches to his young companions through his selected Qita’s:
Zamine zihan ki ab to tanaben todiye Sahab : Aman ab husn-i-sukhan ,matlah majn kuchh jodiye saahab
Tera traz-i- sukhan Hazrat hamain Achha nahi lagta Khayal-o-fikra kaa apne zara mukh modiye Sahaba
The rest of these four-lined shot verses are mostly in the praise of God, his motherland, about the days gone, Occasionally he leaves a sermon or two for his old a new friends or for the people who have owned a wrong way;. With the advancement of age he speaks of his limbs, eyes, ears and voice,etc., started the signs of old age. In this amusement he gives went to his poems like: Yalgar Gadhoon Kkee”- Attach by a flee of Ass ,”Shayir Ko Neem Khawanda Hona Chahiye”, “Ik Chirag ki Nishani hoon Main.”
“Kis Jurum ki paadaash main Maula yeh saza Di “Here the poet doesn’t miss to ask God his crime in having punished him as in the poem, in clear words:
Lekin Jo Mujhe Azal se hai zoke-e- Shayiri : Us ki nigah main hai Faqt yeh Kar-e- Sahiri.
He feels solace in having reached back to his favorite town Jammu and starts the story of his hometown:
June ta December Main ghar main raha Jab talak wahan raha dard-e-sar main raha
After a few days rest he gets out of the slumber and starts praising the area of his home town:
Masaajid main agar Shor-e-Analhaq ho to Achha hai: Wahee Mandir se Ishwar ka ShahiPaigaam ho jari.
Kyah millan mumkin dubarah Aap se ho fir Kabhi : Kyah patah kitnee hai baqui zindagani dosto
After a few remnants of the gone year the Ghazl portion of 47 verses starts in the anthology that has been concluded with a few Qitaz and a final verse by the poet on Kashmir which :ends with these lines:
Zulmat-e-shab ka hai Manzar Wadi-ye- gulposh main : Phir Bhi Azuman Ki hai Jaree Chhapa Khani Dekhiye:
The above couplet highlights the horror and distress created by the terror to the people of the whole valley since last 30 years and as contained in the poem but still it gives a glimpse that how the resourceful men keep the rails of their professions on track while the poor people face starvation.
The anthology of poetry published by Ushaq Kishtwari (alias Jagdesh Raj Rana), is in simple vernacular and each Urdu reader shall cherish the grandeur and wit of the Poet without help of any lexicon.. The anthology comprises 272 pages and some of its poems (Nazams) and (Ghazals)are quite promising. The book does not bear any Index of the lyrics for various genres used by the poet in the anthology.
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