METAPHORS OF YORE A STUDY OF SELECT METAPHORS IN URDU GHAZALS K. TEJASWANI. Department of English, GITAM University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

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1 International Journal of English and Literature (IJEL) ISSN(P): ; ISSN(E): Vol. 6, Issue 2, Apr 2016, TJPRC Pvt. Ltd METAPHORS OF YORE A STUDY OF SELECT METAPHORS IN URDU GHAZALS ABSTRACT K. TEJASWANI Department of English, GITAM University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India The word Ghazal has more than one meaning, but literally it means conversing with women. Ghazals are a very important part of Urdu literature and have roots in Persian literature and Arabic traditional poetry techniques. The normal ghazal is brief and contains one or more ideas. The themes range from love and devotion to God and human beings, praising the might of man, afflictions and greatness of human race. Some ghazals which contain a single theme have been used as songs in Hindi movies. Urdu poets generally adhere to traditional techniques of ghazal. In fact, that is the main reason for the liberal use of conventional and classical metaphors and symbols which were quite widespread in Arabic and Persian poetry. In spite of the interval extending to centuries, those who hold on to their unrequited love, find solace in the couplets of the Urdu poets ranging from Amir Khusrau to Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Unfortunately, changing times leave their impact on people and their lifestyles. What has been taken for granted by the previous generation may be considered as frivolous or ridiculous by the next generation. Invention of articles or gadgets to make the common man s life easier like the light bulb also end up erasing an entire range of memories or identity of previous generations. Many symbols and metaphors used in Urdu Ghazals are based on the relationship of mankind with certain customs in life. For example the lighting of a candle or a diya in the evening, going to the river bank or a lake to fill water, nightingales singing in rose gardens etc. Regrettably, with changing times these commonplace incidents which are used as metaphors with deep philosophical meaning in Ghazals are becoming incomprehensible. The paper briefly explores the system of metaphors in select Urdu ghazals and attempts to study the effect of times on certain metaphors like candle (shama), garden (chaman) and tavern (maikada). Original Article KEYWORDS: Urdu Ghazals, Metaphors in Urdu Ghazals, Symbols in Urdu Ghazals Received: Feb 29, 2016; Accepted: Mar 08, 2016; Published: Mar 15, 2016; Paper Id.: IJELAPR INTRODUCTION Contrary to widespread belief, Ghazals [1] are not restricted to love alone. The themes of ghazals range from love for God, praise for humanity, love between two persons, grief of unrequited love, misery of separation, daily life, etc. Among these ghazals, the ghazals that describe love for another person and the travails they undergo for reciprocation of their love endure forever. Readers who find themselves in similar situation have great affinity towards this type of ghazals. Poets generally wax lyrical about the beauty of their beloved and the suffering they have to undergo to prove that their love is true in these types of ghazals. Urdu poets celebration of the deep wounds caused by unrequited love through immortal verses haunt people in similar situations. The readers end up with memories of their beloved and the bygone days. The exhilarating intoxication that accompanies true love is once again welcomed in their memories [2]. editor@tjprc.org

2 34 K. Tejaswani Ghazal poetry is highly symbolic in nature. From the Persian poetic tradition, ghazals inherited elegance and symbolic art form. Most of the metaphors used in ghazals are intertwined with symbols and this led to the development of an entire system of metaphor symbol system. The symbol 1, chaman or rose garden forms a basis for many other symbols related to it like the gul and bulbul. Again, the gul and bulbul lead to further symbols like gulchin, baghban, qafas, and sayyad. Also, chaman is a symbol for seasons or mausam which again leads to bahaar, barsat, and khizan. One of the frequently used symbolic pairs is the gul and bulbul or the rose and the nightingale. The rose garden is the abode in which they reside and it is a symbol for heaven or the residence of the beloved. The nightingale with all its mundane problems and efforts represents the worldly life. The bond between the gul and bulbul is used as a metaphor to portray affiliations like the love between the loyal ashiq (nightingale) and the unpredictable mashooq (rose flower) and the bond between the devotee and the Almighty. Metaphorsymbol system related to mehfil (gathering) and maikhada (tavern) are also frequently used in Urdu ghazals. Systematic development of symbols used in Urdu poetry - Example Chaman Figure 1 Table 1 S. No. Characters Characteristics 1.1 Gul (rose) Khilna (bloom), murjhana (wither), rang-o-bu (color and fragrance), khamosh guftagu (communication in the form of silence), bebasi (helplessness) and bechargi (misery) 1.2 Bulbul (nightingale) Gul ka deewana (lover of the rose), aamad-e- mausam-e-gul (arrival of spring), naghma sarai (singing melodies), ruksathe-mausam-e-gul (departure of spring), aah-o-zaari (cry out in pain) 1.3 Sayyaad (hunter) Cruelty, tyranny, hunting of nightingale, imprison nightingale, cutting of the wings 1.4 Gulchin (rose picker) Cruelty towards roses 1.5 Baghbaan (gardener) Protects the garden and the roses 1 The author acknowledges the constant support and encouragement received from Prof. Khalid Saeed (retd.) Department of Urdu, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. Impact Factor (JCC): Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

3 Metaphors of Yore A Study of Select Metaphors in Urdu Ghazals 35 Mehfil Figure 2 Characters and their characteristics associated with Mehfil Table 2 S. No. Characters Characteristics 1.1 Mehfil (gathering) Used as a symbol for world and life 1.2 Shama (candle) Jalna (to light up, to give life, selfless), pigaljana (to melt), roshni (light), sham (evening), subh (morning), andhera (darkness) 1.3 Parwana (moth) Diwana (besotted), jaljana (to sacrifice life for the sake of love) Maikhada Figure 3 Characters and their characteristics associated with maikhada Table 3 S. No. Characters Characteristics 1.1 Sharab (wine) Life sustainer, substance, life, 1.2 Sakhi (woman Life givr, a person who gives solace, who doles out gifts bartender) 1.3 Rind (drunkard) A person who is going through troubles, a person who forgets his duties editor@tjprc.org

4 36 K. Tejaswani The poets creativity can be measured by the skill of crafting apparent and veiled meanings using these metaphors and symbols. Many a times what is unsaid in a ghazal is creatively interpreted in many ways as compared to the surface meaning [2]. Many other symbols could exist for the above examples. Mir Taqi Mir (1810) and Mirza Ghalib (1869) are two prominent poets whose contribution to the Urdu literary canon stands out even in the present day. Their couplets covered a vast range of emotions from pathos to praise or from aah se waah tak. Select couplets of some of these great poets with translation 2 are given here. Couplets (ash-shars) on chaman 1. Patta patta, boota boota, haal hamaaraa jaane hai, Jaane na jaane gul hi na jaane, baagh to saaraa jaane hai Mir [5] Every leaf and every bud is perceptive of my love The entire garden is aware of my love except the rose which is completely oblivious In the above couplet, the poet wonders how it is possible for his beloved to be ignorant of his love when it is known to all and sundry. The implicit meaning is that his beloved is probably pretending to be unmindful of his love. The classic mashooq, the beloved, seems to be hell bent to test the ashiq s love. The language seems contemporary though the couplet was written in the early nineteenth century. The words display a fine balance between the conventional Persian imagery and the language reforms of the times. Mir s consideration for Urdu as an Indian language is revealed by the native Hindi words he uses in this couplet. Mir s superb creativity is responsible for the contemporary quality of his verses even after centuries. 2. Magar diwana tha yeh gul bhi kasu ka Ki pairahan me sau jaagah rafoo tha - Mir [5] But the rose was also in love with someone Which is evidenced by the darning on its leaves. Knowledge of the culture and tradition of the poet is essential to comprehend the explicit and implicit meaning of ghazals. This couplet follows the traditional claim and reason (dava aur daleel) path. The first line gives the claim and the second line gives reasoning. The imagery Mir evokes is unprecedented as he compares the veins of leaves to the darning of torn clothes. Cultural characteristics explain that people go crazy due to love and tear their clothes in despair as the beloved does not reciprocate their love. The couplet says that the appearance of the rose is contrary to the popular belief that the rose is indifferent to love. He supports his argument by pointing out to the veins of the leaves which resemble torn and mended clothes. It also implies that the rose s madness is cured which again establishes the fact that the rose cannot be a true lover as it is impossible to come out of love or madness. Mir establishes the rose s fickleness and hypocrisy is in this couplet. 3. Misaal yeh meri koshish hai ki murghay-easeer Kare kafas mein faraaham khus ashiyaa ke liye Ghalib [5] My efforts resemble the futile attempts of a caged bird which tries to build a nest with twigs. The implicit meaning of the couplet is however much a person is oppressed; his or her natural instinct cannot be suppressed. And though the efforts are commendable it is at the same time pathetic. This couplet can be interpreted as a 2 The translations of the couplets are done by the author herself. Impact Factor (JCC): Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

5 Metaphors of Yore A Study of Select Metaphors in Urdu Ghazals 37 case both for optimism and pessimism as it is difficult to control a person s instinct and also it is meaningless to struggle despite knowing the outcome. Ghalib s flair for innovation and creativity can be deduced by the above couplet. His approach to life is unique and modern and at the same time he articulates emotions and experiences in conventional style. 4. Chaman pe gharath-e-gulchin se jaane kya guzari Qafas se aaj sabaa bekharaar guzri hai Faiz [5] Wonder what happened to the garden due to the flower picker The zephyr breezed restless through the cage. The nightingale wonders what drastic events took place in the residence of his beloved rose as the breeze seemed agitated while passing through his cage. A highly heartbreaking situation is depicted here. The nightingale is caged by the hunter and it still worries about the condition of its beloved. The restive breeze which wafts through the rose garden is a premonition to the nightingale that something drastic might have happened to its beloved due to the flower picker. The lover worries that his beloved is undergoing harrowing ties due to some external reasons based on the evidence. 5.Rang pairaahan ka khushboo zulf lehraane ka naam Mausam-e-gul hai tumhare baam per aane ka naam - Faiz [5] Clothes provide colour and the swaying hair bestows the fragrance Your arrival on the terrace heralds the season of roses. Faiz adopts a casual, conversational tone in the lines of Ghalib. He is also well known for various themes that range from political to social issues. The above couplet speaks about the magical influence of his beloved on him. He compares his beloved to the spring season which is interspersed with colour and fragrance as the roses of various hues are in full bloom. 6. Hami se rang-e-chaman Hami se rang-e-bahaar Hami ko nazm-e-gulisthan pe ikhthiyar nahin Sahir Ludhianvi [5] The garden and also the spring season acquires their color from us Alas! We alone are barred from the administration of the garden. This couplet was written by Sahir Ludhianvi, a great film lyricist. As opposed to his predecessors and contemporaries who praised the Almighty, beloved and wine, he mostly wrote sensitively about the society which was besieged with issues like war, declining moral values, politics and materialism. He wrote about the society s underdog be it the unemployed youth, a prostitute, family which is unable to meet its ends, the love lost because of reality, the soldier fighting somebody s war and dying a pointless death. Blooming roses bring beauty to a garden and herald the arrival of spring season. The poet says that though the rose is the source of beauty, it is denied the control of the garden. One of the salient features of ghazals are they can be quoted in present day contexts. This quote is apt in situations where a person who puts in his efforts in a project is eventually denied access to the very project. Couplets (Ash-Shars) on Mehfil 1. Shama ki manind hum is bazm mein Chasm-e-nam aae the daman-tar chale - Meer Dard [5] Like a candle in a festive gathering We arrive crying and leave after polluting the world editor@tjprc.org

6 38 K. Tejaswani 2. Kuchh na dekhaa phir bajuz ek shoala-e-pur pech-o-taab Sham a tak to ham ne dekhaa thaa ke parvaana gayaa Mir Taqi Mir Nothing was seen except the angry twists of candle flame But, I saw the moth going up to the candle - Mir Taqi Mir [5] 3.Dagh-e-firaq-e-suhbat-e-shab ki jali hui, Ik shama rah gai hai, woh bhi khamosh hai. Mirza Ghalib [5] The impact of the night of separation is evident Only a candle is left, that too extinguished 4. Ghum-e-hasti ka, Asad, kis se ho juz marg ilaj, Shama har rang mein jalti hai sahar hone tak - Mirza Ghalib [5] There is no cure for the sorrows of life except death A candle lights in all colors till the dawn 5.Parwana tujh se karta hai ae shama! Pyar kyun Ye jaan-e-be-qarar hai tujh par nisar kyun Allama Iqbal [5] Why does the moth love you, O light? Why does it give its life for your companionship? 6.Jab bhi jalegi shama to parvana aaega Divana le ke jaan ka nazrana aaega Hakeem Nazir [5] The moth makes an entry whenever the candle is lit This lovelorn moth offers its life as a gift Couplets (Ash-Shars) on Maikada 1.Jam mera toba shikan toba meri jam shikan saamne dher hai tootay hue pemanon ka Riyaz Khairabadi [5] 2. aur baazaar se le aaye agar toot gaya saaghar-e-jam se mera jaam-e-sifaal achcha hai - Ghalib [5] 3. Kyoon gardish-e-mudaam se ghabra na jaaye dil? insaan hoon, pyaala-o-saaghar naheen hoon main - Ghalib [5] 4. Pila de oak se saaqee jo hamse nafrat hai pyaala agar naheen deta na de, sharaab to de Ghalib [5] 5. Kahaan maikhaane ka darwaaza 'Ghalib' aur kahaan waaiz par itana jaante hain kal wo jaata tha ke ham nikle Ghalib [5] 6. Aaj itna bhi mayessar nahin maikhane mein Jitni hum chod diya karte the paimane mein Ghalib [5] Vows were broken and replaced by wine glasses, wineglasses were broken to accommodate vows The numerous broken neglasses stand as evidence You can always buy them from the market if broken My clay cup is better than Badshah Jamshed s cup Why shouldn t the heart be afraid of perpetual misery? I am a human being, not a beer mug or a wine glass. Allow me to drink from the hand, if you hate me Saqi, Be sparing with the wineglass not with the wine What has the cleric got to do with the door of the tavern, Ghalib? But I only know that he was leaving the tavern as I was entering it. Today that much wine is also not available in the tavern As which I would leave in the wineglass The above examples on metaphor systems of yore like chaman, mehfil, and maikhada relate to various symbols like gul, bulbul, sayyad, mehfil, shama, parvana, paimane etc. which were a part of life of common people living in the times before technology evolved. In the present times, we have gardens but our gardens are relegated only for the pleasure of people. We are little concerned with the ecosystem or nurturing the garden for the purpose of garden or the birds that Impact Factor (JCC): Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1

7 Metaphors of Yore A Study of Select Metaphors in Urdu Ghazals 39 visit the flowers. The concept of mehfils or gatherings is completely lost as life became a race of achieving things with the passing time. Leave alone mehfils, in today s fast-paced world, nobody has time to attend poetic gatherings like mushairas. The Urdu language itself is dying a gradual death as it has few takers. Literature has definitely taken a back seat with the advent of technology. Other than the few learned people who are aware of Urdu language and literature, non-urdu learners are unaware of the vast oeuvre of Urdu literature. Going to a tavern and drowning one s sorrows among like-minded friends tempered with the benevolence of the saki and recitation of ashhars that proclaim one s troubles is replaced probably with more dangerous means of self-destructive or anti-social acts. Technology is taking leaps and bounds towards progress and enhancement in the present era. People rely more on technology than on their minds or hearts. Thinking has taken a backseat as people prefer electronic gadgets to do the thinking for them. These electronic gadgets have a short shelf life and are relegated to the past even before considerable number of people can identify the role of these gadgets in their life. Life is a race of keeping up with the Joneses with reference to the latest electronic gadgets. A candle evokes no emotions in the present days as it is only used mostly in shrines or sometimes as scented candles to create an ambience. A candle which evoked emotions like the approaching night which would indicate the arrival of the beloved or memories of times spent with the beloved or hoping for one s beloved to return etc. has no emotional value today as powercuts are seldom experienced as most of the lower middle class and middle class families have power inverters at homes. In the olden days, life seemed free in the late evenings for literary pursuits and interested people would get together. Whereas, in the present, it is necessary to attend to diverse and distinct issues to further one s career or academics, every waking moment of their lives, leaving little time to pursue individual interests. An Ash-Shar of Firaq Gorakhpuri Perhaps Summarises the Longing for these Vanishing Metaphors Hazar baar zamana idhar se gujara hai Nai nai si hai kuchh teri rahgujar phir bhi - [5] The world has journeyed a thousand times through these familiar lanes Yet the novelty of these familiar lanes remain alluring and magical Gorakhpuri s couplet can be quoted for the desire to appreciate the metaphors quoted in this paper. The old always have to give place to the new. Many new metaphors have replaced the previous ones. Yet, it is impossible not to be spellbound by the magic cast by the previous metaphors used creatively by the yesteryears masters of Urdu ghazals. Regrettably, the present generation is unaware of the loss of these metaphors which are emotionally intertwined with people s lives and culture. We are living in times where money is valued more than people and objects are valued more than relationships. Fleeting fancies and momentary gratifications seem to be the norm of the day. The previous generation people seem to have enjoyed the journey as well as the destination whereas we only seem to concentrate on instant and brief self-satisfaction. The existence of this metaphor symbol system for centuries and the usage of these symbols by poets of numerous generations imply the extent to which they were intertwined with the common man s life. Any metaphor-symbol can be used effectively in poetry by poets of successive generations only when common people can relate with that symbol. As Urdu language is slowly disappearing in the present, we find few poets who are still writing in Urdu. People changed with a change in priorities and emotions as well. Modernism has seeped into poetry as well and the previous day symbols even if used lose their meaning in the present days hectic pace. editor@tjprc.org

8 40 K. Tejaswani CONCLUSIONS Today, we are living in times where there is no tolerance for other languages, culture or rights to live. In this vicious atmosphere, we forget that Urdu is our language and end up alienating our own citizens. We are on the brink of losing a beautiful language, rich culture and the concept unity in diversity which was once upon a time the pride of India. If steps are not taken to preserve the languages and cultures that make India a great nation, our literary identity will be relegated to narrow, closed spaces in the literary annals. Efforts should be put in by all to preserve the Urdu language, literature and culture as there is a danger of losing these as well along with the metaphor- symbol system. REFERENCES th September, Tejaswani K. 4 th Jan., nd September, nd October, nd October, Impact Factor (JCC): Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 6.1