KARACHI: Element of pathos in Faiz poetry discussed
KARACHI, March 26: Russian scholar Dr Ludmila Vasilyeva during her short stay in Karachi gave a talk on noted poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, his person and poetry with special reference to the poets stay in Moscow and Beirut in exile. The talk she gave on the “element of pathos” which Faiz’s poetry carried in the last decade of his life was listened by a small gathering of writers and intellectuals at the city club (Kashmir Road) on Friday evening, as there was another function of similar nature being held in the city at the same time. The function at the city club was arranged jointly by Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musaifeen, the Pen for Peace and Karvaan-i-Amn. The learned professor, who had done a PhD work on Altaf Hussain Hali years ago, “had not one but many ‘ishqs’ (love)” when the host introduced her as having much ‘ishq’ for Ghalib as well. But, apart from Ghalib, her passion for Faiz became a lifelong affair as she translated most part of his verses in Russian language. Dr Ludmila had translated selective verses of Faiz in 1983 and one lac copies of the book were sold out within days.
The professor had a passion for translations and was engaged with the institute of languages, while also serving at the Moscow University. Her lecture spread over about an hour was revealing in many ways, as she described the background of his many verses and the moving spirit behind them.
As a visionary poet, Faiz could see the changing mood of Moscow and the events happening behind the scene, she said. Faiz could see through his ‘paighambarana baseerat’ (the prophetic intuition) the events which took place a decade later. Faiz was unhappy with the “bureaucratic ways of those in power”. When asked to write a verse on Lexin, the communist hero, to be included in the volume based on the verses of many Urdu poets on the Soviet hero, Faiz despite persistently asked for, could not write it. He was a genuine poet and would not write on request, she said.
Faiz Ahmad was most loved and admired by the Russian people who proudly acclaimed him as “our poet”. His verses like the one ‘yeh daagh daagh ujala’ actually reflected the emotions of the common people of Russia as well yet. Another poem ‘Tujh ko ab kitna lahu chaheyay ay arz-i-waten (How much blood do you need now, oh my dear country?) translated the emotional experience of Russian people.
Quoting the pieces from many verses, Dr Ludmila’s illuminative talk provided a complete picture of Faiz in his last decade, his poetry full of pathos. The reasons behind it were many –- the death of Sajjad Zaheer, his very close friend, the loss of East Pakistan, the war gestures of the then Indian government and the imperialists’ moves in South Asia.
The learned professor, who could speak for hours on Faiz and his poetry, revealed that had the rulers in Russia learnt Urdu and read Faiz, the traumatic fall which happened a decade later could have been averted. At that time, the professor said, nobody could think of such a change, but Faiz could feel it having the vision that most great poets carried with them. “Russian people would always remember Faiz as our own poet,” Dr Ludmila said.
About the teaching of Urdu, she said, it was taught at St Petersburg University. The translation work from Urdu to Russian language and vica versa was going on albeit with slow pace, as the zeal seen during the ‘Soviet’ age was not there. Young people in Russia were less interested in the learning of classics, detective stories being their first preference. “However, we are trying to bring back, the years lost during the decades,” Dr Ludmila said.
Muslim Shamim introduced the guest and Saeed Pervaiz did the compering. Hajra Masroor was in the chair. Dr Manzoor Ahmad, Zohra Nigah and Ahmad Ali Khan were among the guests.—-HA
