Meg Index | July 2001 Index

Date: 03-Jul-2001
Poet: Himayat Ali Shaayar


Anwar Masood sahib gave the mushaira a humourous touch with his 
poems. At the Dallas mushaira he started with the following sher:

bazm me.n baiTh kar daa.Nt na nikaalo 'Anwar'
yuu.N na ho daa.Nt ke maanind nikaale jaao

[daa.Nt = tooth]

However, the atmosphere at the Dallas mushaira took an unexpected 
turn when Anwar Masood sahib ended his recitation with a na'at. 
The poets who followed recited only serious poetry in keeping with 
the sombre note of the mushaira. However, that doesn't mean that 
all the poetry that was recited had religious overtones.

Here is a ghazal by Himayat Ali Shaayar:

mai.n kaun huu.N kyaa huu.N merii tahariir kahegii
Khaamosh huaa to merii tasviir kahegii

[tahariir = writings]

kyuu.N surKh hai.n naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa raah-e-talab me.n 
ko_ii na kahe paaon kii zanjiir kahegii

[surKh = red; naqsh-e-kaf-e-paa = footprints]

ham ko to sadaa niind me.n chalane kaa maraz hai
pahu.Nche.nge kahaa.N Khvaab kii taabiir kahegii

[maraz = illness]