August 26, 2008
Ahmed Faraz dies: poetry loses a voice, people a friend
From Dawn:
Islamabad, Pakistan: A famed and eminent career in Urdu poetry and a life lived richly in the pursuit of progressive ideals has come to an end. Acclaimed, admired and widely sung, his poetry was rich in romance and progressive ideas on the side of the great unwashed and the downtrodden of the earth. His voice was unwelcome in the halls of power. He opposed usurpers and dictators alike. His reward was exile during the regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, who could not tolerate his association with the PPP government when he became the head of the Pakistan Academy of letters. Upon return of democratic rule, he was appointed head of the National Book Foundation. He earned recognition as a poet early with the publication of his first collection of verses. Successive books of poetry added to his stature as a leading poet of the country and the Urdu language.
His name is reckoned with among the great of his contemporaries — Faiz, Rashed, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi. He had a strong bass and a plaintive Sing-song style of his own in which he recited his verse to adulating audiences at mushaeras that made him a household name among lovers of poetry. In the last decade of his life largely during general Musharraf’s regime he had a hard time keeping his job as head of the national book foundation that he ultimately lost. His subdued disclaimers had then no holds left and he came out openly against military dictatorship and returned the national award that had been conferred on him. Since then in all of his public appearances he was strong in his opposition to the unlawful regime. He gave his full support to the lawyers movement for the restoration of judiciary.
Although he will live in the romance and passion of his lyrical poetry, his death will e widely mourned, because in him the weak and the poor of the land have lost a friend.
(Note: Dedicated to my sister Dr. Atiya Khan and brother in law, Dr. Tariq Khan who were Faraz Sahib's dearest friends. The entire Raza clans deeply mourns the loss of this beloved and great personality from our lives).
More here.
Posted by Azra Raza at 05:16 AM | Permalink
Comments
This is truly a loss for our family, for Urdu literature, and for Pakistan.
Faraz came to the airport to see me off when I was last in NYC (he also happened to be there and was staying with my brother Tasnim) and he was as funny and witty as ever. I never imagined it would be the last time that I ever saw him!
Along with so many others, I will miss him. RIP Faraz Sahab!
Thanks for posting this, and the nice photo.
Posted by: AbbasRaza | Aug 26, 2008 6:14:35 AM
Incidentally, Mr. Mushir Anwar seems to have taken much of this article in Dawn straight out of the Wikipedia page for Faraz. Sad that such are the standards of Pakistan's supposedly best English newspaper.
Wikipedia:
Ethnically a pashto-speaking Pashtun, Ahmed Faraz learned and studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University where he taught these subjects later.
Mushir Anwar:
Ethnically a Pashto-speaking Pashtun, Ahmed Faraz learned and studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University where he taught these subjects later.
Wikipedia:
During his college time, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ali Sardar Jafri were the best progressive poets, who impressed him and became his role models. Ahmed Faraz initially worked as a script writer at Radio Pakistan Peshawar and then moved on to teach Urdu at Peshawar University. In 1976 he became the founding Director General (Later Chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters.
Mushir Anwar:
During his college time, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ali Sardar Jafri were the best progressive poets, who impressed him and became his role models. He initially worked as a script writer at radio Pakistan Peshawar and then moved on to teach Urdu at Peshawar University. In 1976 he became the founding Director General (Later Chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters.
ETC.
There is also sloppy writing like:
"He was awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2004, in recognition of his literary achievements. He returned the award in 2006 against Gen Pervez Musharraf’s removal of judges and toeing American policies."
The judges were not removed until late 2007.
Posted by: Abbas Raza | Aug 26, 2008 11:58:51 AM
Azra, thanks for posting this. The greatness of Faraz will live through the ages. He was a great poet and a great person. Our family will miss him and so will the nation. May his soul rest in peace for ever.
Posted by: Amera Raza | Aug 26, 2008 12:19:50 PM
Yesterday we had a family get together and remembered Faraz Sahib with fond memories. My father and sister recited some of Faraz Sahib's ghazals and talked about his life stories. Sister remembers his Ghazal by Mehnaz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agQlNbjzXSk&feature=related
My favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdrV38TopU
Shabbir
Posted by: Shabbir | Aug 26, 2008 12:41:19 PM
Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaane ke liye aa
Aa phir se mujhe chor ke jaane ke liye aa
In Faraz Sahib not only have we lost an excellent ghazal poet but a courageous and honorable man whose consistent stance against Pakistani dictatorships will never be forgotten. He opposed military rule whether it came in the guise of an Islamist like Zia-ul-Haq or a whisky sipping "moderate" like Musharraf. To his credit he saw through veneers and opposed authoritarianism which has been the scourge of the Pakistani state since independence.
Rest in peace Faraz Sahib.
Posted by: Fawad Zakariya | Aug 26, 2008 12:46:25 PM
To remember Faraz Sahib what better way than to listen to the above mentioned "Ranjish hi sahi", beautifully sung by the inimitable Mehdi Hasan Sahib, the virtual creator of modern semi-classical ghazal singing. Unfortunately this video ends somewhat abruptly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgKDqh2ccuU
Ik umr se hooN lazzat-e-girya se bhi mehroom
Aye rahat-e-jaaN mujh ko rulaane ke liye aa
Posted by: Fawad Zakariya | Aug 26, 2008 1:00:05 PM
Azra Aapa that is such sad news. I remember meeting him at your place in Boston two years back and being utterly captivated by how warm, charming and eloquent he was. His magnificent body of work lives on but his death is a great loss and he really will be missed.
Posted by: Ayesha | Aug 26, 2008 6:10:09 PM
A great loss.
After years of reading and listening to his poetry, it was a highlight to have met him last year when he was in the US. He was gracious and charming, and I vividly remember some of the ash'ar that he regaled us with that evening:
"ye soch kar k chand Khariidaar aa gaye
ham Khwaab bechne sar-e-bazaar aa gaye
ham kaj ada charaaGh k jab bhi havaa chalii
taaqoN ko chhoR kar sar-e-diivaar aa gaye
....
"
Faraz Saahab, you will certainly be long remembered with love by our family.
- Vasmi
[For the non-Urdu readers, here's a rough translation, (though it loses much of the beauty of the original)
:
we thought that some buyers had come to the bazaar
so to sell our dreams we came to the bazaar
we were the inexperienced lamps, who
whenever the winds blew
left our sheltered alcoves
and came out atop the walls
..
]
Posted by: Vasmi | Aug 28, 2008 12:53:11 PM
re mr abbas reza's comment on my Dawn story, let me say the wikipedia part was added by the desk for readers information at alate hour.. had he time at his disposal the night sub could have changed the language but was there the need? wikipeadia is for universal use.
mushir anwar
12 sept 2008
Posted by: mushir anwar | Sep 12, 2008 8:53:08 AM
Here's shola tha jal bhuja hoon ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdrV38TopU
Posted by: D | Sep 12, 2008 11:58:28 AM
Dear Mr. Anwar,
I can barely believe that you have the gall to defend yourself by claiming that it is perfectly correct and acceptable for someone to copy verbatim whole paragraphs out of a source such as Wikipedia and put it under your byline without so much as a word of credit to Wikipedia. When something is published under your name, you cannot simply pass the buck to the "night sub" or anyone else.
This was nothing less than shameful plagiarism, and you, sir, need to read a handbook on journalistic ethics. I have a good mind to write to your publisher Hameed Haroon (whom I happen to know) pointing out your theft, and worse still, your pathetic defense of it!
I hope you'll realize your mistake and avoid it in future.
Sincerely,
S. Abbas Raza (not Reza)
Posted by: Abbas Raza | Sep 12, 2008 11:58:53 AM
pl also tell mr hameed haroon that the words used by me in the report were all copied from the oxford dictionary.
mushir anwar
Posted by: mushir anwar | Sep 12, 2008 5:16:35 PM
Mr.Anwar, you should me ashamed of yourself for plagiarizing from a very obvious source and expecting your readers to accept those words as your own. By doing so, you have not only committed the crime of plagiarism, but also you have insulted the intelligence of your readers.
Faraz was an iconic figure in modern Urdu poetry. He deserved better than that. You have not only failed him but also disappointed millions of his admirers. On top of it, instead of apologizing for your sloppy work, you came up with indefensible excuses.
Posted by: s.hussain | Sep 15, 2008 2:47:52 AM
Farewell, immortal poet
Ahmad Faraz was Pakistan’s most celebrated, widely read, defiant and respected poet. His poetry surpassed the ordinary taste of the day. Be it the tragedy of Ojhri Camp or the indifference of one of his sweethearts, he spoke from the core of his heart. There is no one like him in the realms of both the poetry of love and the poetry of resistance. His words will echo till eternity. May his soul rest in peace.
NABEEL ANWAR DHAKKU
Chakwal
Posted by: Nabeel Anwar .............dhakku | Sep 23, 2008 7:54:02 AM
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