WHEN we talk about poets who have given Mushairas (poetry sessions) a new flavor from their poetry and sweet voices, Tabish Mehdi’s name at once comes to mind. Tabish is a bright star of classical as well as modern poetry. When he illuminates the stage with his presence, the audience for a moment holds its breath. Professor Zubair Farooqui’s analysis is realistic that Tabish’s poetry reflects “positive ego,” acceptance of “tradition, deep respect for traditional values” and contains “satire of the bitter realities of life.” In his poetry one finds deep experimentation and “keen observations” and his poetry represents the feelings of men who, despite being simple, believe in values.
Author of 23 books, Tabish’s latest collection of poems is unique. We find his soul spread on the pages of “Kankar Bolte Hain (The Pebbles Speak). The title of the book speaks volumes. On the shores of the ocean of life, we ordinary human beings, are like pebbles. The waves of time come and go but they always leave some mark on our minds, hearts and the souls. When these pebbles face a prophet, in the hands of a geologist or a child, they speak. They make a lot of communication with the silence of the ocean on whose bed they once rested. They speak with the earth in whose bosom they were hiding for millions of years.
The wind of pain is blowing so hard that towns and cities are moaning, sobbing and crying. The poet is overwhelmed with a deep sense of sympathy, yet he wonders how he would be able to help suffering humanity. He says that everywhere, everybody is suffering deep pain. His question in these lines is so meaningful:
Basti, basti, qarya, qarya aaho buka ka aalam hai
Kis kis, ki faryad sunoon main kis kis, ki ghumkhwari karoon
This pain is of course overwhelming but the poet has not become incoherent. He is looking for a familiar face in the maddening crowd. The crowd with all its whims, fancies and madness is there but a person who was always wiping tears from the eyes of people and was sharing their sorrows and pain is no longer there. The poet’s soul misses him so much that it cries. The vacuum is filled with a sort of cry when he says:
Raton ko suna karta tha dukh dard jo sabke
Is bhid mein woh shakhs dikhai nahin deta
(The one who used to listen to the sorrowful stories of the people in the night, is no more visible in the crowd)
These lines are characteristic of Tabish’s poetry. These show what he wants. They reflect his innermost feelings. He feels that in the maddening crowd we have forgotten that we and the other people like us are human beings. The heartless materialism gives the poet a lot of pain and in a strange way full of pathos, he asks the people:
Rukh hawa ka jidher ko hota hai
Kyun usi samt tum bhi ho lo ho?
He asks the people why they follow the direction of the wind. He knows that this wind-aided sail is not always helpful. Sometimes it takes the ship to alien spots. He has a firm belief that the people of this mental setup never reach their destination. He thinks that the people who have courage to face stormy weather and who stick to their route despite high tides and fierce storms, succeed in the dangerous journey of life.
He transcends the borders of time and space in love. He says:
Sal, sadi, manzer, pas manzer, be maana
Mere uske beech kuchh aisa rishta hai
The year, the century, the scene and the perspective are all meaningless in his relation with his beloved. The love has become immortal and now it has power to breed poetry, which is free from the clutches of time. This “rishta” (relation) makes human beings different from other beings who although have souls yet lack spark of life. This relation, this human bond becomes humanity, without it the human race will soon cease to exist.
Tabish even in his ecstasy is well ordered. He has madness but it has deep meaning. He says:
Junoon ko pabande daam hum ne nahin kiya hai, nahin kiya hai
Khirad ko bhi be lagaam hum ne nahin kiya hai, nahin kiya hai
Neither have I chained my madness nor have I set free my mind.
This happy blend of the feelings and power of reasoning makes Tabish a beautiful and delicate poet of human values and deep sense of dignity.
Farewai Academy, New Delhi has done a great service to Urdu readers by publishing this valuable collection of Tabish’s poetry.
