Where author pays tribute to the unsung Shayaras –(Women sher-o- shayari writers) of the past and explores technicality of Urdu poetry .
Teri nazm ,
Kisi kaagaz pe likhey lafzon mein ko gayi .
Teri Ghazal ,
Kisi badnaam mehfil ki ronak ho gayi.
Teri awaz ,
Ajj bhee veerano mein goonjati hai.
E shayara , teri rooh
Kisi jane shayar ki Ilhaam ho gayi.
--Clueless (I am proud of this one)
So unknown and lost they are that when I Wikipediad Shayara , the result was:
Did you mean: Shayar ?
This time Google also turned out to be chauvinist. Nope there isn’t’ much on web .
Amongst the Amir Khusros , Mirza Ghalibs , Mehedi Hassans ….. some names like Begum Akhtar, Farida khanum where linked majorly for their ghazal gayaki.I still remember a filling scene in a movie In custody 1993 , where Shabana Azmi is lamentable about her creations not being recognized , while the whole movie revolves around an ageing poet Nur Shahjehanabadi’s work preservation.
They very much existed .Apart from usual , every kothas originally meant for musical -mystic entertainment were also home for such phankars. Female artists including tavayafs were shayari composers .But with their name their voice , creations went confounded and lost.
One truly admires any poet’s work irrespective of the gender behind and nor am i a feminist. But something did provoke me. Even today people don’t take a female poet seriously .That whole kashish in reciting is much appreciated when coming from a man’s mouth . Is it just that people are not used to? Or people just don’t want to ?.
One of the reasons for rareness of Shayars apart from unrecognizable condition of women in Islam and in history, in general , on some digging down actually comes out from what ghazal is or was traditionally about.
Apparently , ghazal not only has a specific form, but traditionally deals with just one subject: Love. And not any kind of love, but specifically, an illicit and unattainable love hence is always written from the point of view of the unrequited lover. Since we all have grown with Devdas(s) continuum on broken heart saga, shayari suited more on them. As if there were no Meerabai(s)? yeah but all that dwelled bhazan’s. Sigh !
That is one of the theories though .
Able to compose a sher or poetry is an instinctive creative prowess, which is nurtured in a person irrespective of prejudice.
However things haven’t changed much .Name one famous female equivalence of Galib or even a budding writer?Yes , they existed and are still blooming in shadows. The art itself dying in this fast paced hip-hop world is another story altogether though.
Urdu poetry is not all about just rhyming words.
Sher is (Couplet). It consists of two lines (misra); first line is called 'misra-e-oola' and the second is called 'misra-e-sani’.
Ghazal is a collection of shers ( Ashaar).
Nazm is an Urdu poetic form that is normally written in rhymed verse.
More gyaan explained by Jagit singh here.
PS1: After a long time , have composed Ashaar .
PS2: Btw, we have moved up in life. Got 2 cots coz of rt g .It feels good to sit on elevated surfaces.
PS2:Hmmmmm, The end.
8 comments:
Wonderfully said, seriously. And I couldn't agree with you more. It is not just women poets but women writers in general have been an invisible lot. This reminds me of the phenomenal work done by Lalita and Susie Tharu in unearthing some of them. It is called Women Writers in India; reading these two volumes you would be surprised by the amount of writing women have done over the years. Sad isn't it, this is such a man's world!
@MiniY: Things seem to have improved a lot when coming to women writers at present .However Shayaras are rare, no not extinct ,still invisible. Be it past or present.
Yeah will check out Women Writers in India. Look at the irony even this book is not so known. Sad indeed.
not a man's world at all.. ghalib wrote beautifully.. but a Lady has been his inspiration.. most shayars draw inspiration from women.. so, its a woman making a man's words beautiful.. the subject is the essence not the fame..
its a woman's world and always has been.. and Thank God for that!
@AM: We also want to inspire than just be inspirations. It's not always about name or fame for that matter, we need the recognition (yes ,the well deserved one only not otherwise ).Women often need to go an extra mile to prove .All we ask for if our work is worth then let it get the much needed acknowledgement right away.
it’s a world of us ALL.
Btw , welcome to my blog :)
@Yamini: yeah after reading your comment i was reminded of susie tharu. I have heard so much about her.
@GD: I somehow agree with Amol as well....Its the 'women' who has been the inspiration in majority of the cases. But ya in a way they are the untold stories...and they do deserve the recognition...well written!!
@Shilpi: Thanku .Wahee for new creation , did u like it (sher)?
"...Its the 'women' who has been the inspiration in majority of the cases. But ya in a way they are the untold stories...and they do deserve....."
I am not talking about women or men or whatever have been “inspiration” of Shayars. All one is questioning is non-existent of independent poetess not just in history but even in present and the trend might pass on to future as well.
There have always been discriminations over the ages based on many factors [cast, religion, gender etc] and all these are being dissolved slowly slowly as we are more towards Education. Things are changing, Lady.
But what is more important is to have faith in you(ie woman), by you, for you, that you are not any weaker to anybody in any damn context.
Past is always History and can not be undone, You can change the Future however. Ask yourself every night before you go to bed that what have you done today to enrich your pride, you have answers of all your questions.
For me, you become un-stoppable when you are really upto something :-). Go get what you want, be it recognition fot that matter :-)
-- Abhinaw
@Abhi-W
“But what is more important is to have faith in you(ie woman), by you, for you, that you are not any weaker…..”.
Yeah discrimination is dissolving , but it all depends on the sample piece u take for such conclusions , the one you have taken –upper middle class and such is small section .
Secondly , hello?, we don’t lack confidence, nor is it a question of pride or weaker /stronger agenda (all that depends on person irrespective of gender and all such classifications , do not generalize on this basis)…..all I meant is….it takes an extra mile …I see this in my day to day life.
"For me, you become un-stoppable when you are really upto something :-)...."
Exactly ,women really really have to be up hard on something, while often the counterpart’s work is eased out when they are just to something.
PS: heh the path of the whole post totally deviated towards man-women thingy .
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