Senior Urdu writer and art critic Shafi Aqil keeps on giving us one quality book after another. His latest book 'Musawwari Mein Qadeem Aur Jadeed Ruhjanat' is the compilation of some important writers on the development of Art, particularly Pakistani Art.
The contributors are Abdul Rahman Chughtai, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Shakir Ali, Quratulain Hyder, Sadequain, Hanif Ramay, M.D Taseer, Faizi Rahiman, Ibne Hanif, Dr Anis Faruqi, Syed Abid Ali Abid, Syed Ali Rizvi, Dr Muhammad Abdullah Chughtai, Zawwar Husain, Amin Rahat Chughtai and a translation of a well known British art historian, Percy Brown.
Shafi Aqil has also written an introductory article under the title 'Kuch Apni Taraf Se.' Shafi Aqil is the only Urdu and Punjabi writer who has exclusively written on Art in Urdu. Author of more than four scores of books on Pakistani Art, 'Musawwari Aur Musawwir' (Bashir Mirza and Ozzir Zuby his books become reference for those interested in Pakistani painters. Besides he is the indispensable folklorist of Pakistan having many books on Pakistan's folk heritage besides those of Japan, German, Chinese and Iranian folklore.
The present book provides articles written by Pakistan's top notchers. It was quite difficult to find these articles in one book. They were scattered in old journals and neither PNCA nor Lok Virsa have paid attention to make these articles available to students of Pakistani Art.
It is difficult to dwell on the individual arguments of these articles and hence I would recommend them to the students and teachers of Art institutions. Isn't a pity that tons of paper are being increasingly consumed on the publication of third rate material in prose, poetry, travel and adventure. Standard books are not found on the shelves of book stalls.
'Zaban-e-Yaar'
Khwaja Rais Hussain Ahmed, a truly meritorious writer and poet - specially of Marsia - is no more. However, it is creditable that his family has provided the general readers of Urdu poetry his translations of some well-known English poem. Khwaja Rais Ahmed was truly very competent translator of English poetry into Urdu and there are many a friend who remember their university days for their craving of Khwaja Rais Ahmed's translations. His friends wondered whether their friends translation were original Urdu composition or translations from English.
Khwaja Rais Ahmed's translations, could safely be placed side by side Nazm 'Tabatabai's Gor-i-Ghariban' (Thomas Greay) An Elegy Written on a Country's Church Yard and Nadir Kakorvi 'Aksar Shab-i-Tanhai Mein' (translation of "Off in a Starry Night" or Sarojni Naidu's 'Noha i Imam Ala Muqam' and Iqbal's translations. I am aware that the comparisons I am making should invite a very critical study of Khwaja Rais Ahmed's translations but the discerning critics have never hesitated to uphold his wonderful competence as a translator. He was a translator who didn't excel at the expense of the original.
Khwaja Rais Ahmed's translations in this book are Sohrab and Rustum, Ode to a Nightingale, To the Cuckoo and Highway man. They were from the mighty pens of Mathew Arnold, John Keats, William Wordsworth, Logan, and an Anonymous poet.
This writer had the privilege to know the translator. He belonged to a well known family of Lucknow. Born in 1940, he migrated to Karachi in 1949. Did his M.A in English from the University of Karachi. Started teaching in a Karachi College and then joined Information Group Civil Service in 1975. He expired in 2004. He has left behind three books 'Kitab-e-Dil,' 'Kar-i-Sad Rafee' and Qalam-i-Fikr' (Salam and Marasi).
His translation of Sohrab and Rustum is in the Musaddas from comprising 105 pages of 'Zikr-i-Yaar,' and is truly a master piece which could represent him and Urdu in any competition of translation.
I expect his family to publish all of his unpublished works because he is a genuine writer who should be taken quite seriously. Any effort devoted to explore him will be a service to Urdu.
Parwin Shakir: A tribute
It fell to Nusrat Zehra, a close friend of Parwin Shakir, to write a biographical as well as an appreciation of Parwin Shakir under the title of 'Para Para'.
This work is easily a moving work which does justice to a young poetess who gave every sign of being a luminary ever since she recited her first poem in 'Bazm-i-Talha'of Radio Pakistan Karachi.
After doing her M.A in English and a brief stint as lecturer, she joined the customs group of CSS officers and rose to be a conscientious officer who never thought that the civil service was her career. She engrossed herself in literature. From her first collection of poetry 'Khushbo to Mah-Tamam' (Kulliyat) she was the only poetess who got her promises as a poetess accepted even on the hardest scale of critical evaluation. She was the only young poetess who enjoyed the halo of a master craftsman.
Nusrat Zehra has studied Parwin Shakir quite lovingly and I think that has done full justice to her as a friend and as a poet.
'Para Para' is unique in one respect. The author has covered every aspect of Parwin Shakir's life. Her family, her childhood, education, life as a teacher and a civil servant, her marriage and literary career.
I known that she didn't enjoy a happy marital life. I don't want to go into reasons because she didn't believe in making her feeling public. Her poetry is, however, an open book and it is true to say that her poetry says it all. Perhaps nature can give every thing but holds back something which may be more valuable than all of one's accomplishments.
This is a book which records the recollection of all that who matter. It is sad that Parwin Shakir Trust which made is presence felt after her tragic death for a number of years is now, almost, dormant but Parwin Shakir has left behind her works, which will keep on inviting the attention of all who would be interested to study her life and poetry.
The last time I met her was in Academy of Letters' conference a few weeks before her tragic death in 1984 and the parting words she uttered were "Siddiqui Sahib, please keep in touch because time is a fleeting category in our life".
So true, it is extremely fleeting but the memories are not fleeting.