KARACHI: Two prominent poets Ahmad Naveed and Anwer Shaoor were invited as guests of honour at Karachi Gymkhana on Friday. They entertained a large number of audience as Mahmood Sham held the chair and Ms Seema Raza conducted the proceedings.

Fatima Hasan briefly introduced Ahmad Naveed and read out a paper she had written for Anwer Shaoor sometime back.

Earlier, Dr Zahid Hasan Ansari, convener Library & Literary Committee, welcomed the guests.

Ms Hasan, at the beginning, recited couplets from Naveed’s Hamd which was, to her, the most difficult part of his poetry and in his masterly composition. The same turned out to be the very source of his eminence.

Later, he enthralled the audience with his ghazals while concluding his rendering with two verses:

Yeh jo saey se lagay baithay hain deewaar se ham

Kisay maaloom ke deewaar uthaey huay hain

Aik wehshat hamain is bazm mein lay aaey hai

Ham ke laey huay hain aur na bulay huay hain

Requests came pouring in for Ahmad Naveed, author of Dar-i-neem waa, Wajood, and Haan aur naheen ke darmian, some of his collections while his kulliyat (collected work) was to appear soon, the compere informed the audience.

Anwer Shaoor, author of two poetry collections Andokhta and Mashq-i-Sukhan portrayed in his poetry a person totally lost in wine, committing all the seven sins, was actually an innocent and truthful soul, plain and simple both in his life and art, as the paper described.

The poets in all times, from Mir to Ghalib, and many others in our times, had portrayed the social conditions and the agonies of the common people which was, at present, being done by Anwer Shaoor, Mahmood Sham said in his presidential discourse which was in itself an entertaining piece of prose with satirical punches.

Anwer Shaoor delivered the following:

Is kharabe me jisay log Iram jante hain

Ham ne jis tarah guzaari hai woh ham jante hain

Log sadmay se mar nahin jaatay

Samney ki misaal meri hai

Mr Iqbal Umer, Gymkhana President, in his brief address thanked the guests and the audience.—HA