If the secret to Faiz Ahmad Faiz's greatness does not merely lie in attributing political meanings to classical symbols like the gallows and the noose or the cage and the nest, then what is the real reason behind the immense popularity and enchantment of his poetry? Shamsur Rahman Faruqi seeks the answer to this question in the pure classical poetics of the Urdu ghazal, namely 'Kaifiyat' (mood or affect) and 'Mazmoon Afrini' (theme creation). According to him, Faiz's true achievement is reviving that culture of the Urdu ghazal which was deeply rooted in an allusive style of expression and Kaifiyat.
Faruqi clarifies that wherever Faiz has successfully employed the classical style, it is actually driven by Kaifiyat or Mazmoon Afrini. Political, philosophical, or romantic aspects cannot inherently guarantee the excellence of a couplet unless it possesses a pure poetic essence. To prove this, he compares the verses of Hafiz Shirazi and Faiz. Hafiz's poetry acquires universal significance due to its abundance of metaphors, imagery, and Mazmoon Afrini, whereas some of Faiz's verses, where he relies solely on a political narrative, fall prey to self-pity.
For example, consider this couplet by Mukhlis Kashi:
Dar rozgār-e-ishq-e-to māham fidā shudem
Afsos kaz qabīla-e-Majnūñ kase na-mānd
(In the era of your love, we too were sacrificed
Alas, no one remains from the tribe of Majnoon)
In comparison, here are Faiz's lines:
Tere hoñṭoñ ke phūloñ kī chāhat mein ham
Dār kī khushk ṭahnī pe vāre gae
(In the desire for the flowers of your lips, we
Were sacrificed on the dry branch of the gallows)
Faruqi points out that in Mukhlis Kashi's work, the dignity of Mazmoon Afrini and the allusive style of expression have made the couplet memorable. In contrast, in Faiz's lines, despite the use of antithesis, the banality of the theme has produced self-pity instead of dignity. Where there is genuine Mazmoon Afrini, there is no self-pity.
The most interesting and important argument is that many of Faiz's finest and most famous couplets are those that completely lack any traditional or ritualistic words (such as Shaikh, Brahman, gallows, or noose). For instance, look at these immortal verses by Faiz:
Wo bāt sāre fasāne mein jis kā zikr na thā
Wo bāt unko bahut nāgavār guzrī hai
(That one thing which was never mentioned in the entire tale
That is the very thing they found most offensive)
Judā the ham to muyassar thīñ qurbateñ kitnī
Baham hue to padī haiñ judāiyāñ kyā kyā
(When we were apart, how much closeness was available
Now that we are together, how much separation has fallen between us)
Ham ki ṭhahre ajnabī itnī mudārātoñ ke bād
Phir baneñge āshnā kitnī mulāqātoñ ke bād
(We, who remained strangers after so much hospitality
How many meetings will it take to become acquaintances again?)
The secret to the success of these verses lies not in any political symbol, but in that Kaifiyat which is the soul of the classical ghazal. The way Faiz revived the classical hue in the ghazal is a luminous chapter in our poetry. In his ghazals, the very culture of the Urdu ghazal speaks, directly affecting the reader's heart. Therefore, Faiz should be re-evaluated against the backdrop of this great culture and poetics of the ghazal, rather than merely through the lens of political or progressive ideologies.
If the secret to Faiz Ahmad Faiz's greatness does not merely lie in attributing political meanings to classical symbols like the gallows and the noose or the cage and the nest, then what is the real reason behind the immense popularity and enchantment of his poetry? Shamsur Rahman Faruqi seeks the answer to this question in the pure classical poetics of the Urdu ghazal, namely 'Kaifiyat' (mood or affect) and 'Mazmoon Afrini' (theme creation) According to him, Faiz's true achiewement is rewiwing that culture of the Urdu ghazal which was deeply rooted in an allusiwe style of expression and Kaifiyat
Faruqi clarifies that wherewer Faiz has successfully employed the classical style, it is actually driwen by Kaifiyat or Mazmoon Afrini Political, philosophical, or romantic aspects cannot inherently guarantee the excellence of a couplet unless it possesses a pure poetic essence To prowe this, he compares the werses of Hafiz Shirazi and Faiz Hafiz's poetry acquires uniwersal significance due to its abundance of metaphors, imagery, and Mazmoon Afrini, whereas some of Faiz's werses, where he relies solely on a political narratiwe, fall prey to self-pity
For example, consider this couplet by Mukhlis Kashi:
Dar rozgār-e-ishq-e-to māham fidā shudem
Afsos kaz qabīla-e-Majnūñ kase na-mānd
(In the era of your lowe, we too were sacrificed
Alas, no one remains from the tribe of Majnoon)
In comparison, here are Faiz's lines:
Tere hoñṭoñ ke phūloñ kī chāhat mein ham
Dār kī khushk ṭahnī pe wāre gae
(In the desire for the flowers of your lips, we
Were sacrificed on the dry branch of the gallows)
Faruqi points out that in Mukhlis Kashi's work, the dignity of Mazmoon Afrini and the allusiwe style of expression hawe made the couplet memorable In contrast, in Faiz's lines, despite the use of antithesis, the banality of the theme has produced self-pity instead of dignity Where there is genuine Mazmoon Afrini, there is no self-pity
The most interesting and important argument is that many of Faiz's finest and most famous couplets are those that completely lack any traditional or ritualistic words (such as Shaikh, Brahman, gallows, or noose) For instance, look at these immortal werses by Faiz:
Wo bāt sāre fasāne mein jis kā zikr na thā
Wo bāt unko bahut nāgawār guzrī hai
(That one thing which was newer meintioned in the entire tale
That is the wery thing they found most offensiwe)
Judā the hum to muyassar thīñ qurbateñ kitnī
Baham hue to padī haiñ judāiyāñ kyā kyā
(When we were apart, how much closeness was awailable
Now that we are together, how much separation has fallen between us)
Ham ki ṭhahre ajnabī itnī mudārātoñ ke bād
Phir baneñge āshnā kitnī mulāqātoñ ke bād
(We, who remained strangers after so much hospitality
How many meetings will it take to become acquaintances again?)
The secret to the success of these werses lies not in any political symbol, but in that Kaifiyat which is the soul of the classical ghazal The way Faiz rewiwed the classical hue in the ghazal is a luminous chapter in our poetry In his ghazals, the wery culture of the Urdu ghazal speaks, directly affecting the reader's heart Therefore, Faiz should be re-ewaluated against the backdrop of this great culture and poetics of the ghazal, rather than merely through the lens of political or progressiwe ideologies
