Monday, September 21, 2009

Id ka ‘chand’ and shayeri

A sort of tempo builds up as Id draws near. But quite often the heavens throw up a pleasant surprise. When everyone is craning his neck out, the moon plays hide-and-seek, giving anxious moments to the "rozadars." The poet mirrors the confusion quite eloquently.

Aap ko Id ki khushiyan ho mubarak laikin

Aap ne chand nahin, aayna dekha hoga

To be in love is to be in a state of perpetual anaesthesia. The lover finds himself on the horns of a dilemma when he sees the moon and glances at his beloved.

Dekhoon hilale Id, ke dekhoon tera jamal

Woh aasman ka chand hai, tu hai zameen ka chand

It may be just a bright object in the sky, but for the lovelorn poet the crescent has a deeper connotation.

Just like the moon, his heartthrob is regal, unattainable, a vestal virgin, a Mona Lisa - out of reach of mere mortals.
Powerful imagery

Unalloyed Mills & Boons stuff. Yes, Urdu poetry is full of "ishq" on the sly. Of stolen moments - bitter, sweet and poignant. Rose and nightingale, moth and candle, saqi-o-jaam.

The imagery is powerful.

If star-crossed Romeos think of their moon-faced Juliets every time they look skywards, why not the man in the street. Urdu poetry comes to the rescue of all those passionate souls who can’t express their love.
Best couplets

It has produced some of the best couplets revolving around the symbol of love, the moon. A large number of verses speak of the lover’s wish to steal a glance of his beloved on the pretext of seeing the "Id ka chand".

As the sun set on Sunday, all eyes were focussed on the evening sky to spot the moon which heralds the Id-ul-Fitr. But the Majnoo fears there will be pell-mell if his Laila also climbs atop the roof to watch the moon.

Mahe nau dekhne tum chath pe na jana hargiz

Shahar mein Id ki tareeqh badal jayegi

Another shayer goes poetical thus:

Chand idhar aur tum udhar nikley

Aagaya humko itebare Idd

source:hindu

No comments:

Post a Comment