Jahane Rumi

The monthly Herald has published my review of Khalid Hasan’s book - “O City of Lights” in its June issue. It is a comprehensive selection with some gems such as translated versions of Faiz’sinterviews and conversations. Khalid Hasan is a well known Pakistani writer and journalist now based in the US. He was a close friend of Faiz and has this particular advantage as a biographer and a translator. He has translated more poetry and this is a welcome step to introduce and popularize Urdu poetry to non-urdu readers.

Here are a few excerpts from the original piece and some selections of poetry that I used:

Translating Urdu poetry is an exacting task and runs the risk of losing the cultural nuances as well as the richness of  the myriad metaphors that Urdu has borrowed from Persian, Arabic and the local Indian languages. And translating Faiz is even more onerous as the beauty of his poetry lies in the infusing of contemporary life into the otherwise passé classical idiom of Urdu Poetry. This is why most translations of Faiz have been quite lifeless except the ones rendered by the inimitable Pakistani English language poet Daud Kamal and a handful of others.

The Oxford University Press and Khalid Hasan teamed up to produce a fascinating collage of Faiz’s poetry in English. This Volume entitled “O City of Lights” is not just a collection of Faiz’s translated verse but also includes accounts of Faiz’s poetry, stature and place in contemporary Pakistani history as well as snippets of Faiz’s life in his own words.

The greatest advantage that Hasan possesses is close association with the poet spanning over decades. That obviously has endowed him with an uncanny understanding of the overall context. Indeed, Hasan’s contribution in putting together this volume is tremendous and perhaps unparalleled. One only feels that accounts of Faiz’s life must also examine some of the contradictions that have been highlighted by a few commentators…  A few aspects that remain under-studied relate to the endemic personal relationships of Faiz with notable members of the Pakistani establishment that flourished overtime; and the ‘stardom’ that overshadowed Faiz, the poet, as detailed by Qurratulain Hyder in her sketch on Faiz. These are areas of literary investigation and hold deep linkages with the sociology of Pakistan. Hopefully, the future biographers will shed some light on this.

For the “English medium” youth- increasing in numbers - this book should be an excellent introduction to the ideas upheld and cherished by Faiz, and of course to the splendours of his poetry. It is hoped that the translations would inspire them to understand and appreciate the original masterpieces. Faiz’s poetry will continue to warm our hearts and tickle our collective conscience. It is a must-read book for all those who love Faiz and his poetry.

And some selections of the translated poetry here –

“In Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia
And Africa time past is time present
And in the past - the past
Which neither man nor history remembers –
There was no time.
Only timelessness.”
*******

In the forest of loneliness, beloved,
Tremble the shadows of your voice,
The mirage of your lips
*******

“What was once your kingdom,
Is now a wasteland;
And on the throne of inequity,
Sit mighty tyrants.
But why are you sleeping so quietly
Upon the dusty earth?
Wake up, son
My obstinate son,
Wake up.”

********

“This stained light, this night bitten dawn –
This is not the dawn we yearned for.”

Here is the full version of the review.