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| June 29, 2005 | Wednesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1426 |
Literati reassess Noon Meem Rashed
ISLAMABAD, June 28: Pakistan Academy of Letters has embarked on reassessment of the works of Urdu poet Noon Meem Rashed (1909-1975). A discussion on the poetry of Rashed was held here on Monday by the PAL under the chairmanship of his close friend close friend, poet Zia Jullundhri.
In his remarks Zia Sahab pointed out to the difficulties inherent in the task since a total understanding of Rashed’s works has not been reached yet. Some people still consider his work obscure and say they have to open dictionaries to understand him.
That may be a valid view because Rashed asked stiff questions to which one could not furnish satisfactory answers, Zia Jullundhri commented.
The view would also be correct, he said, since every generation must find the right relevance to works of literature. For instance, Nazeer Akbarabadi has acquired currency now after 200 years whereas Akhtar Sheerani had eclipsed within 50 years.
PAL Chairman Iftikhar asked for a determination whether Rashed should be defined as a contemporary or a serious modernist poet.
There were differences between the two terms. A contemporary poet could be an inert imitator of form and rhymes in which case one would exclude that poet from the list of modernists, said the PAL chief.
Citing from Rashed’s poetical collections Mavara, Iran main ajnabi, La Masavi and Guman ka Mumkin Iftikhar Arif said these books gave a view of rising progression of ideas, hitherto not found in any other poet.
He described Rashed as being most near to T.S. Eliot. Rashed laid the foundations of modern Urdu poetry, and would also be remembered as competent translator in Urdu of two important Persian poets, Neemayou Shaj and Ahmad Shamloo.
Prof Aftab Iqbal Shamim said that he first read Rashed’s poetical collection Mavara as a college student about the same time as Faiz’s poetry in Dast Saba. Whereas Faiz was rhythmic and sweet while Rashed’s was rugged. However both have left deep imprint on the poets who came after them.
Prof Jalil Aali placed Rashed among the intellectually endowed class of poets as was Allama Iqbal. Both rendered yeoman service in forging the dialectics of Urdu language but Rashed failed in pushing forward the civilization question which led Iqbal to develop the system of ‘Self’ in his poetry.
Poet Harris Khalique said Rashed was one of his two favourite poets after Iqbal. He said Rashed broke new grounds in the genre of free verse.
Dr Najeba Arif said Rashed embarked on a journey to discover a new man just as Rumi who was in search of the complete man in all virtues and Iqbal sought a truthful man.
Ms Laeeq Babri read from some letters which Rashed had written to her husband. Apart from commenting on poor standard of journalism in Pakistan newspapers in a letter, Rashed had sent Urdu translations of some of Babri’s poetry.
The discussion assumed a different character after Shabnam Nasir read English translation of Rashed’s long poem Hassan the Potter.
Later, the original Urdu poem was recited by Iftikhar Arif and it produced quite a different resonance. Prof Iqbal Shameem also read from Rashed’s poem Mujhe Vida Kar. The poet’s daughter, Nasreen, described her father as a very loving personality who would grant freedom of choice to his children. Rashed employed a tutor to teach the holy Quran to his children, and that he forbade her from wearing perfumes and from reading the famous book Alf Laila (thousand and one nights), she said.
Which means that with all the talk of Rashed’s post-modernism the two incidents show him a rather conservative father.
Well known intellectual Prof Khwaja Masud told this reporter that he organized a condolence meeting at the Gordon College after Noon Meem Rashed passed away. The condolence meeting was presided over by Dr Abdul Hamed Fani.
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