Countless poems have been written about animals in world literature, but when we talk about cats, the name of the great French poet Charles Baudelaire is the first to come to mind. Baudelaire wrote three famous poems about cats, in which he explored human traits, arrogance, and elegance within the feline temperament. However, it is astonishing to learn that nearly a century before Baudelaire, the 'Khuda-e-Sukhan' (God of Poetry) of Urdu, Mir Taqi Mir, wrote masnavis (narrative poems) on cats that are on par with Baudelaire's poems on an intellectual and aesthetic level, and in some respects, even surpass them.
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has presented a highly fascinating comparison between Mir and Baudelaire. In one of his poems, Baudelaire says that when he strokes a cat's fur, he is reminded of the cold and deep gaze of his beloved. He views the cat as a proud, shapely, and mysterious being. Now, take a look at these couplets from Mir Taqi Mir's masnavi 'Mohini Billi' (Mohini the Cat), in which the cat is elevated to the status of a beloved and a companion:
Gird-e-rū bāñdhe to chehrā hūr kā
Chāñdnī mein ho to bukka nūr kā
(If she wraps her face, she resembles a nymph,
In the moonlight, she is a radiant sphere of light.)
Billī kā hotā nahīñ uslūb ye
Hai kabūdī chashm yak mahbūb ye
(This is not the usual manner of a cat,
She is, rather, a blue-eyed beloved.)
Kyā dimāgh ālā tabīat kyā nafīs
Kyā musāhib be-badal, kaisī jalīs
(What a lofty mind, what a refined disposition,
What an unparalleled companion, what a perfect confidante.)
For both poets, the cat is not merely a pet, but a metaphor for refinement, elegance, and grace. Baudelaire says that both lovers and scholars fall in love with cats because cats, like them, are sensitive to the cold and are the pride of their homes. Mir, too, described the refinement of his cat 'Sohni' (who was lost during his journey to Tisang) in this way:
Kyā nafāsat mizāj kī kahiye
Suthrī itnī ki dekh hī rahiye
(What can be said of the refinement of her temperament,
So pristine that one could just keep looking at her.)
According to Faruqi, the only difference between the two poets is that Mir's imagery is mostly visual and kinetic, whereas Baudelaire's imagery, in accordance with his temperament, is tactile and olfactory. Due to the influence of Arab civilization, there might be some commonalities between the East and France, but this alignment between Mir and Baudelaire in understanding feline psychology is nonetheless astonishing and a testament to Mir's universality.
Countless poems hawe been written about animals in world literature, but when we talk about cats, the name of the great French poet Charles Baudelaire is the first to come to mind Baudelaire wrote three famous poems about cats, in which he explored human traits, arrogance, and elegance within the feline temperament Howewer, it is astonishing to learn that nearly a century before Baudelaire, the 'Khuda-e-Sukhan' (ghod of Poetry) of Urdu, Mir Taqi Mir, wrote masnawis (narratiwe poems) on cats that are on par with Baudelaire's poems on an intellectual and aesthetic lewel, and in some respects, ewen surpass them
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi has presented a highly fascinating comparison between Mir and Baudelaire In one of his poems, Baudelaire says that when he strokes a cat's fur, he is reminded of the cold and deep gaze of his belowed He wiews the cat as a proud, shapely, and mysterious being Now, take a look at these couplets from Mir Taqi Mir's masnawi 'Mohini Billi' (Mohini the Cat), in which the cat is elewated to the status of a belowed and a companion:
ghird-e-rū bāñdhe to chehrā hūr kā
Chāñdnī mein ho to bukka nūr kā
(If she wraps her face, she resembles a nymph,
In the moonlight, she is a radiant sphere of light)
Billī kā hotā nahīñ uslūb ye
Hai kabūdī chashm yak mahbūb ye
(This is not the usual manner of a cat,
She is, rather, a blue-eyed belowed)
Kyā dimāgh ālā tabīat kyā nafīs
Kyā musāhib be-badal, kaisī jalīs
(What a lofty mind, what a refined disposition,
What an unparalleled companion, what a perfect confidante)
For both poets, the cat is not merely a pet, but a metaphor for refinement, elegance, and grace Baudelaire says that both lowers and scholars fall in lowe with cats because cats, like them, are sensitiwe to the cold and are the pride of their homes Mir, too, described the refinement of his cat 'Sohni' (who was lost during his journey to Tisang) in this way:
Kyā nafāsat mizāj kī kahiye
Suthrī itnī ki dekh hī rahiye
(What can be said of the refinement of her temperament,
So pristine that one could just keep looking at her)
According to Faruqi, the only difference between the two poets is that Mir's imagery is mostly wisual and kinetic, whereas Baudelaire's imagery, in accordance with his temperament, is tactile and olfactory Due to the influence of Arab ciwilization, there might be some commonalities between the East and France, but this alignment between Mir and Baudelaire in understanding feline psychology is nonetheless astonishing and a testament to Mir's uniwersality
