KARACHI: In the last few years the word ‘viral’ has come to be associated with social media, and not medical science. Anything uploaded on networking websites — videos, images, memes — that is seen by thousands or more people is immediately known to ‘have gone viral’. The coronavirus scare has given it a bit of literal meaning, with the added element that now works of literature that have plagues as subject matter, or references of social distancing in them, are being posted to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with great frequency and urgency.

First, as soon as the horrific news of lockdown and deaths started to come out of China and a little later from Italy, those who are well-versed in world literature summoned the novel The Plague by Franco-Algerian writer Albert Camus. Evidently, a big number of people who hadn’t read the book began asking questions about it (read: googled it). Some revisited its plot.

The story of the novel has a certain Dr Rieux at its centre who senses that a plague has hit Oran and asks the government to take action to stop its spread. As one can guess, the situation affects everyone in the city and they now start to look at life through a narrower lens.

But The Plague was discussed on the internet mostly by those who can read or understand English. The majority, who are not as familiar with the language, found something else to share recently which went more ‘viral’ than the discussion on the French novel. It was the video of a ghazal by Indian poet Dr Bashir Badr, recited in a mushaira by the poet. Dr Badr reads his ghazals in tarannum (he has a decent voice) which makes his material doubly delightful to hear. The kalaam shared by many has, in a manner of speaking, social distancing as its topic. The following are four of the poem’s lines:

Yunhi be sabab na phira karo, koi sham ghar bhi raha karo

Woh ghazal ki sachi kitaab hai usey chupke chupke parha karo

Koi haath bhi na milaey ga jo galey milo gey tapaak se

Yeh naey mizaaj ka shehr hai, zara faasley se mila karo

[Don’t loiter like this, try and stay at home after dusk

She is like a book of ghazals, try and read her (face)

No one will even shake your hand if you embrace them warmly

It’s a new city, keep your distance from everyone]

Prior to it, poet Jaun Elia’s poetry was being profusely quoted in huge boxes, with the suggestion that several of his verses had a premonitory ring to them. The most prominent example being:

Ab nahin koi baat khatrey ki

Ab sabhi ko sabhi se khatra hai

[There’s no need to worry now

Everybody’s afraid of everybody]

If that wasn’t enough, in the midst of all this literary hullaballoo, film buffs on social media dug out 2011 Hollywood movie Contagion directed by Steven Soderbergh to fit into the whole scheme of things. The story of the film revolves around the outbreak of a virus and the efforts to stop it from spreading far and wide.

According to a British newspaper, it has become one of the most watched films online in recent times. Many believe, in a way, it predicted the scenario that we are faced with today.

Well, to be honest, one can spot hints of any subject in any quality work of art because, after all, art reflects life. And in the case of the coronavirus situation, life is pretty much acting like a gloomy work of art … with, God willing, a happy ending.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2020