Gulistan-e-Sharaf: The life and work of a forgotten poet
Through the freshness and tenderness of his work, as well as the variety of subjects he covered, Sharf single-handedly changed Urdu poetry from a formal language of his compatriots to a diverse vehicle of expression
Poetry is a language which can carry numerous meanings and perspectives. It lends itself to many interpretations and can be relatable to many experiences. Sometimes, the point of poetry is to move the soul of the reader to introspection.
Every spoken language contains elements of poetry. Interestingly, despite the fact that languages differ substantially in their modes of communication, the nature of poetic expression is universal, implying that poetry is more of a human phenomenon than syntactic expression.
Poetry contains elements of intricacy and spontaneity, and influenced by the poet's surroundings, it can express emotions ranging from love to revolt. Poetry possesses the ability to lead us away from hate and towards love, from violence to mercy and compassion.
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Urdu poetry flourished when the language overtook Persian as the region's national language in the 18th century. Syed Muhmmad Abul Fatah Sharfuddin Sharaf Al Hussaini, my favourite poet and great grandfather, was born during the same period. He was a prominent Urdu poet of Dacca in British India, now Bangladesh. He resided in Begum Bazar, which is now part of Old Dhaka and located near Hakim Habibur Rahman Road. In the neighbourhood, poet Sharful Hussain was known as "Suba Mian"
Urdu language has always been a career of a diverse culture and heterogeneous heritage. It was never a language of kings and courts (although a surprising number of kings patronised in Urdu poetry), nor did it have any religious origins.
In order to understand Urdu poetry, one needs to familiarise themselves with a few terminologies from the poetry world. Few are mentioned below.
Musaddas: A kind of Urdu poetry where each unit is made up of six lines (sestain).
Qasida: In Urdu poetry, a qasida is a public speech or penned verse offered in great praise of a person or object, sometimes as satire, and sometimes as a response to a significant event. It is usually lengthier than a ghazal, although it follows the same rhyming scheme.
Ruba'i: A four-lined Urdu poem with two 'Sehr' lines (Stanza). The first and second lines of a Ruba'i should rhyme (for example, as beheld and cold), the third without rhyme, and the fourth line (misra) must have lofty, powerful, complete, and profound meanings that must be connected to the first three lines.
Ghazal: An amatory poem or ode that has its origins in Arabic poetry. A ghazal is a lyrical depiction of the anguish of loss or separation, as well as the elegance of love in the face of such pain.
Nauha: An elegy about the tragedy of Husayn ibn Ali in the Battle of Karbala.
Sharaf's first anthology, "Gulistan-e-Sharaf" was released in Kolkata in 1937 by Sitara-e-Hind Press. Gulistan-e-Sharaf is made up of 120 pages with 87 Ghazals, six Qasidas, one Mussadas, three Musnaya, six Sehra, two Rubai, five Nauha, six Salams, five articles/Qata and various Nazams. His Persian poetry, "Sair-e-Kolkata," is also included.
Na tatbiro se kuch hasil na kuch resha dawani se
Na ban sakta hain koi kaam apni jaa fishani se
Tawassul mujhko hasil ho tawakkul mere shamil ho
Toh sab milta hain ghar beithe Khuda ki meherbani se
[Nothing is to be achieved by planning or by finagle
Even by diligence and hard work nothing ought to be achieved,
May I have his nearness and complete faith in his plans,
All will be reconciled by the grace of Allah while I sit at home.]
Here, my great grandfather, Sharf, is trying to express the inevitability of one's fate through this shayri. The universe has a peculiar way of showering you with blessings and is aware of you. It provides you with everything you require. Only when you're ready.
Sharf's poetry was a reflection of his own life. To emphasise the significance of inspiration in a poet's vocation, the sound of the reed pen, which is used as a metaphor for poetry, is compared to the voice of an angel. The grating sound of a reed pen scratching on paper alludes to the creative process's meticulous efforts.
The couplet is lyrical, rich, polysemous, philosophical, and filled with universal substance, as is typical of Sharf. Sharf penned a large number of Urdu couplets like these, in which the sheer microcosmic intensity of his ashar captivates the mind and heart of the reader. He owes his success to his distinctive creativity and command of the Urdu language.
I have grown up reading and implementing my great grandfather's poetry in my personal life to cope up with reality. His words have motivated me to keep writing, expressing, and spreading his message about spirituality, life, and death, not just because they have touched me, but because they have touched so many others I know.
Kya kijiye furqat ki musibat nahi jaati
Shab jati hain tariq-e kismat nahi jaati
Sab kuch to gaya haye ye aafat nahi jaati
Dil se kisi surat teri ulfaat nahi jaati
Hain wisl magar hijr ki ultfaat nahi jaati
In neend bhari akhon ki ghaflat nahin jaati
Hain qataye nazr sari khudai se magar, ahaa
Akhon se teri chaand si suraat nahi jaati
[What ought to be done? The agony of separation isn't over yet.
The night passes on, yet my bad luck continues to haunt me late at night.
Everything else faded away, but the calamity lingered.
The lovingness of you does not erase from heart.
We do meet, the lovingness of the separation does not fade away,
The inattentiveness of these sleepy eyes does not go away,
There is a transversal cut from all the divinity,
These eyes cannot forget your moon-like beauty]
Sharf has depicted the love, tragedy, and anguish that befalls lovers who have been deceived in his poems. The force of Sharf's diction, analogies, images, and similes transform this sorrow into a universal tragedy, and we can all empathise with Sharf's suffering.
He enriched Urdu poetry with images and symbols with broader conceptual appeal, and his best ashar throbbed with sincere and profound sentiments that succeeded in elevating ghazal to a higher level than the frivolous and superficial depiction of love.
Ek din chor ke duniya tujhe jana hoga
Koi sathi na jaha ho, wo thikana hoga
Maar ke bhi qaid e alam se na rehai hogi
Kaun hadi hain tera ye toh batana hoga?
[You shall leave this world behind one day,
A new address with no companion around,
Even in death, there will be no release from the shackles of this world,
You will have to reveal who you have followed]
My father, Late Syed Faizul Hussaini, the grandson of poet Sharfuddin, told me as a child that his poetry was marked by brevity and the use of metaphors. Sharf attempted to emphasise the interconnectedness of life and death in the above-mentioned Shayari. Sharfuddin used to have complete faith in "Allah, Muhammad, Panjatan, and the Imams" as a devout Muslim from the Shia sect. Numerous of his poetries have been written in the glorification of his beliefs.
His forefathers were Hussaini Syeds from Medina. Sharf was very proud of his last name "Hussaini". Hussaini are (nominally) descendants of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through the lineage of his grandson Imam Husain ibn Ali.
Qur'aan se bhi ayi hain mawaddat Hussain ki,
Pyaara Khuda ka hain jo hain payara Hussain ka.
Unko Dua'I deti hain binte Rasul bhi,
Jo dared dil se karte hain charcha Hussain ka,
Zulme wafa mein koyi mitade use Sharaf,
Momin ke dilse gham nahi mitta Hussain ka.
[From the Qur'an, we can learn about Hussain's love
Whoever is Hussain's beloved being God's beloved.
Fatima, prays for the one also,
Whoever mentions Hussain with a broken heart.
With the fidelity of tyranny, Sharf, you can eliminate someone,
A believer's heart, however, can never be freed of Hussain's grief.]
Sharf single-handedly transformed Urdu poetry from a formal language of his compatriots into a diversified tool of expression by the freshness and warmth of his writing, as well as the variety of issues he explored, from politics to philosophy and aesthetics. It has been 61 years since his death, and the poet needs to be celebrated for his contribution to the art of poetry and a spot among the greats.
Syed Faizanul Hussaini is a student, currently studying BBA in Independent University.
