LAHORE: Sarmad Sehbai’s first poetry collection, Neeli Kay Sau Rung, had 25 Urdu Kafis, the poetic form introduced and immortalised by the Punjabi Sufi poets, and many short Qissas, another form embedded in the Punjabi ethos.

In this collection, he invokes Ranjha, Saeen, Sanwal, Madhu, Heer and Sahiban and comes out as a mystic like his namesake saint. He is heard losing himself in the Dhamaal of life through the voice of Pathanay Khan (Jeevan Aik Dhamaal) and sits content after coming across human limitation and inability to know the unknown when Masood Malik sings of echoes of separation in the jungle of life (Tera Sapna Amar Samay Tak).

Robert Frost says that “a poem starts in delight and ends in wisdom” and Sarmad seems to be saying that a poem starts in desire and ends in disillusionment. He brings down love from its ethereal heights and presents it as it is, more earthly and soaked in desire. His love is not just platonic but physical as well; rather the latter aspect overcomes the former, overshadowing its whole existence.

This element starts with his first poetry collection and continues in his second book, Pal Bhar Ka Bahisht, where nakedness is one of the forceful leimotifs of his poetry. This sensual aspect is so strong that this nakedness is seen with the themes which are not related to human physicality, hence there is naked truth, naked fertility, naked waves spread across all the poems.

Sarmad’s passion, which appears more to be an obsession with sensual theme, continues in his third book recently published under the title ‘Maah-i-Uryaan’ (Naked Moon). Images of breasts, virginity, kisses, thighs and lovemaking recur in the poems in all the books. This shows that body is as important as the soul. He is at his best when he treats this theme, soaked in realism, and the poems slip into physicality, evading the so-called spirituality. At this point, the physicality and spirituality appear one and the same and Sarmad finds his way to the spiritual through the physical (Lagan Rus).

Sarmad’s preoccupation with nakedness is so strong that a long ghazal in the new book has got nakedness as its Radeef and its every couplet revolves around it. Through recurrence of the nakedness, he not only wants to lay everything bare open but also conceals a lot as such a glaring appearance is the best way to keep the reality concealed beyond its obvious layers.

The description of lovemaking in a long poem (Kaam Rachna Kay Roop) with all its sado-masochist aspects is unprecedented in Urdu poetry which is always dependent on references and allusions, not directly speaking about the activity of lovemaking during the meeting of lovers. Sarmad comes back to this theme in many of his poems (Shab Khoon, Jismon Ka Pahaad). In another poem, (Zargari Ki Raat) the joy of physical love and ecstasy turns everything into gold and works like alchemy turning the lovers into alchemists.

Disillusionment continues to haunt Sarmad in Maah-i-Uryaan and ambiguities of life appear stronger to snatch him away from the realm of love (Wo Mar Chuka Hay). He says Magar Woh Sunsaan Seedhyon Kay Bhanwar Main Utra/ Keh Bujhtay Sooraj Ka Khoj Paey / Her Aik Saey Ka Bhaid Kholay / Jo Apni Ankhon Main Khahishon Ka Alao Lay Kar / Andharay Jungle Main Chal Raha Tha / Woh Mar Chuka Hay / Who Jis Kay Rastay Peh Baal Kholay / Nagar Ki Sub Larkian Khadi Hain.

This sense of disillusionment is not only limited to love but also with the body and he wants to transcend the naked body (Kahan Lay Challay Gi Mujhay).

Sarmad’s preoccupation with love and sensuality does not narrow down his horizon as a poet. Following the tradition of Urdu poetry he sometimes uses symbols and figurative language to describe what he can easily describe in a daringly explicit way (Band Gali Main Kabootar). He deals with many themes including, age and agelessness, poverty and harshness of the material world (Chan Tara, Portrait and Salgirah Ki Nazm). Nostalgia is another theme that he delves into (Wisaal Kay Raat Din, Mausam).

An interesting point about Sarmad’s poems is he goes beyond his identity as a male when he depicts female characters and their issues including honour killing and female identity and the poems like Pagal Beparwah Larki, Bandooq, Aaina and Larki, Baba Mujh Ko Achha Kar Day and Ziddi Larki are its examples.

The book contains more than 20 ghazals in which Sarmad comes out following more of the classical tradition of the genre. Theme of disillusionment, loss of consciousness and sense of loss continue in the ghazals but their diction and treatment are more of the classical nature.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2014