Art and Us

Over the last few years, I have come to dread the social media in the aftermath of a violent attack. This fear has eclipsed the fear of the violent attack itself. While violence erupts, and in some cases is caused to erupt, almost everywhere in the world, my social media circles tend to go into overdrive in one of two cases. First is the violence that happens in Pakistan. This violence is very encompassing- it could be a bomb attack, a political fistfight, an armed student militia encounter or anything else. However, even within such an inclusive category, there are exclusions. The violence against sub-nationalists groups is, for the large part, often ignored by the social media. This has, of course, changed in the last few years. Second is the violence that happens elsewhere in the world but is linked to Islam. This is violence under the cover, and through the use of, religion. This can also be violence where all the involved parties claim membership to one sect or the other of Islam, as well as violence where only one side makes such a claim. Even though these are broad categories that I have constructed based on the manifestation of violence, I think that a rigorous elucidation of categories of violence must focus not on the manifestation of violence but on the motivation behind it. The reason that I only focus on the manifestation here is because it allows me to succinctly provide the casual reader with a general idea of a topic that is mentioned frequently in this piece. In what follows, I will focus on the reactions to the first type of violence that I have identified above- that in Pakistan.

The unfortunate death of Amjad Sabri serves as a recent example for such analysis. Amjad Sabri was a popular singer of devotional music and a recognizable face for a large number of Pakistanis. His father was one of the two Sabri brothers who, together, form a duet that is undoubtedly one of the best to have ever come out of Pakistan. While it would be hard for anyone to live up to such a prestigious status, whether Amjad would have done so will now forever remain a matter of debate. Death came for him, as it does for everyone else, with little regard for his family, his career, his art or anything else. The unfairness with which death comes begs the age old question of how could a fair god be so unfair to its creatures? As news filtered through of Amjad’s assassination, social media gradually started responding in a manner that we have all become so accustomed to.

Amjad Sabri was first claimed by the Twelver Shi’ites, even though he himself does not come from such a family. Posts and images began to circulate in these spheres that highlighted Amjad’s affection for historical figures that the Twelver Shi’ite cosmology revolves around. These posts highlighted Amjad’s devotion to these figures. It was significantly above the regular veneration that an average Sunni would be expected to hold. This, of course, was endearing to the Twelver Shi’ites since their religion is predicated on a perennial struggle for recognition of (what they claim to be) a historical wrong done fourteen hundred years ago. If Amjad, as a member of the same Other that the Twelver Shi’ites define themselves in opposition to, could have affection for the dearly beloved of the Twelver Shi’ite imagination, then it serves, for the Twelver Shi’ite, to reinforce their own truth claims. These posts also claimed that Amjad was killed for his pro-Shi’ite leanings, especially because such veneration invites the scorn of religious fundamentalists like the Taliban etc. So, in claiming Amjad as one of their own, the Twelver Shi’ites were not just validating, through the Other, their own understanding of themselves and their history, but also highlighting the ever-present persecution and targeting that continues in present day Pakistan.

Of course, such a claim by the Twelver Shi’ites could not possibly go unchallenged by the Sunni majority. In what I would wager was a direct response to the actions of the Twelver Shi’ite activities on social media, posts began emerging that highlighted Amjad’s contributions to the genre of Qawwali (this, I think, ought to have been the popular Qawwali that I have talked about elsewhere) and the pluralism that the Qawwali represented. These posts claimed that the attack on Amjad was an attack on the pluralism intrinsic to Pakistan and/or Islam and was done by fundamentalists who do not wish to let this pluralism flourish. Thus, these types of posts promoted a distinct conception of society and religion and one that is under threat. In adhering to a principle of pluralism, however, such a conception does not so much as ignore, but rather whitewash completely, the claims of the persecuted minorities present in the same society. So, it responds to the allegations of violence against minorities not by saying that the violence is wrong, but by saying that the violence is not what this society does and that it comes from elements external to the society. Such a response, in turn, is criticized by the minorities as being inaccurate to the facts on the ground. This eventually turns into a back and forth with parties talking past each other rather than with each other.

Of course, given that this specific incident happened in Karachi, other political factors also come into play. For some, the responsibility lay squarely on the failure of the rangers that have been stationed in Karachi for just over two decades. For some, the responsibility lay solely on the provincial government that is formed by a party which enshrined into the constitution the non-Muslim status of the Ahmadis. As further news filtered through of the Taliban claiming the responsibility for the attack, many other came forwards and blamed the establishment that gave rise to these factions. As has been the case for much of Pakistan’s history, religion is intrinsic to the politics. Thus, as these political posts increased in number, brief commentaries on the role of religion also tagged along. Do the many incidents like this indicate the necessity of a separation between the religion and the state? Or do these incidents indicate instead a religion that has been twisted by the state and thus needs to be brought back to its original form? Of course, these questions and more, by virtue of their timing are predicated on adrenaline rather than reason. Similarly, the medium of social media that they emerge in is not necessarily conducive to a detailed and structured analysis of the issue on hand. The worst, however, is that the attention span of the social media is too short in duration. So, before one can even take stock of the right questions or figure out how, exactly, to word a question, the conversation has moved on. There is always something new to talk about and those that make the mistake of persisting on an old topic run the risk of being left behind.

Yet, this is not a new topic. Pakistan has been at this juncture- losing a committed individual to violence- before and is likely to be back here many times in the future.  The conversations following such an incident do not change- they remain static and inflexible. It seems that those that engage in these conversations already have fixed notions of what to say- it is just that every new incident is simply a new opportunity to flaunt one’s opinion. This can range from sponsored hyper-nationalism to radical anarchy. It is almost irrelevant who has been targeted where, when, why and how? Indeed, it could be anyone but as long as they are someone half-recognizable, the social media will take the issue up, regurgitate the same old euphemisms and analogies, and then spit it out.

Since yesterday, I have seen the attack on Amjad heralded from an attack on Pakistan’s cultural values (to which I ask the questions that many have before me- have we defined Pakistan already that we can define its cultural values?) to an attack on specific religious point of views to an attack on art that will inevitably end it. Of course, similar proclamations have been made for many decades now. I think that such statements betray a superficial analysis of the situation at hand. Indeed, the latter is disrespectful to both the artist and the art to make such an analogy. Though art lives on because of what the artist has given it, it does not just die when the artist is taken away from it. Further, as crude as it may sound, I do not think that an artist being shot in cold blood amounts to the end of a genre. The real threat to art comes not from the violence that I described in the opening paragraph but from the ideological attitudes to art that have gradually become more prominent in our societal consciousness.

Amjad was an artist who came from an artist family. However, there are not many artists who come from non-artist families. Similarly, there are also many non-artists who leave their artist familial professions. Because of the movement of our society to a capitalistic economy, the type of individuals who pursue arts has been restricted to three. First, there is the socio-economically privileged individual who can afford to pursue arts without the pressure of having to succeed or having to worry about economic survival etc. This type of individual is thus able to focus solely on their art. Second, there is the talented individual who is peerless. This individual can be found across different social classes, including the socio-economically privileged one. The talent of this individual almost makes it irrelevant what class they come from. However, this is a rare type of talent and one that succeeds even in the face of institutional and social barriers. Third, there is the devoted individual. This individual eats and breathes art. This individual can also be found in any class. What distinguishes this individual from everyone else who claims to be devoted to art is that it is willing to be consumed by his passion for art. The commitment is independent of the class this individual hails from. It should be clear that the latter two can types can be found merged into the first one, or with each other, while also being able to stand on their own. But the theoretical refinement is a topic for another time.

Beyond these rare ideal-types, however, it is rare to find individuals who pursue arts. Thus, a kid whose talent falls just short of the rare type talent discussed above would never actually pursue arts because of the lack of encouragement (or, indeed, active discouragement) that it receives from those around it. The kid is instead diverted into the more acceptable professions of medicine, finance, law, etc. and forced to spend a life that does not quite do justice to his talents. Thus, the talent that could have been honed and sharpened and transformed into great art instead becomes a slave to the society around it. In doing so, it does not simply conform to and maintain these norms, but through its actions it reproduces them for the future generations. This is the case in not just my immediate and extended family, but also the rest of the Pakistan. My family would like to think it is educated because it can list the following, among many others, as titles that the members occupy- a doctor, a teacher, a corporate banker, an engineer, etc. Yet, what good is education if it is merely instrumental to the goal of breaking free of the class boundary? It is useless and ought not be considered education. Members of my family will die in middle-class mediocrity, having lived unfulfilled lives, and always having been too scared of committing fully and wholly to anything- whether an idea, or a love, or an art. Yet, their consciousness is shaped by the society around them and thus they are not, unfortunately, an isolated example. The entire society can said to be one that discourages breaking free of these structures- including pursuing arts. Thus, even as these members of the society wage an invisible, ideological war on arts by heralding it as being a useless  pursuit, they are the first ones to throw their arms in the air and proclaim an attack on Amjad as an attack on arts. The physical attacks, like those on Amjad, do not have the power to threaten art for art is bigger than the perpetrators of this violence. The extremists will die with time, then rise again, then die again but art is permanent. It does not ebb and flow. It exists despite the attempts to eradicate it. Art will outlive this country, this society, and this religion and its god. Art is the domain of ideas and ideas cannot be fought with physically- they must be combated against on an ideological level alone. So, art can deal with guns and bombs, but it cannot deal with a consciousness that seeks to defeat it. The war against art is not the one waged by the extremists, but the one waged by this society. Every person who forces a child to give up a crayon for a stethoscope, a guitar for a calculator, and a sport for a grade is complicit in this war. It may be convenient now to simply shrug and say that scenarios do not permit us allowing our children to pursue arts, but history will show that it was only because we willingly made ourselves subservient to the scenarios that we ourselves had created.

Yeh he mehkadah yahan rind hain lyrics

(A note: I am transliterating ے as ‘e’ so words like ہے are transliterated as ‘he’, کے as ‘ke’, etc. I am doing this to standardize the lyrics going forward. The next step is to incorporate ‘v’ for و instead of ‘w’…)

 

Badakharon ke darmiyan saqi

Kuch masail ulajh gaye honge

Jab teri zulf khul gayi hogi

Sab yaqeenan sulajh gaye honge

 

Yeh he mehkada yahan rind hain

Yahan sab ka saqi imam he

 

Gham-i zamana bohat ihteram karta he

 

Mehkadah he yahan sukoon se baith

Koi aafat idhar nahi aati

 

Yeh saqi ki karamat he

Ke faiz-i mehparasti he

Ghata ke bhais mein mehkhane pe

Rehmat barasti he

 

Jise pee ke bazm-i rindan sar-i arsh jhoomti he

Woh sharaab aaj saqi tere ghar baras rahi he

 

Aray kayi bar doobe, kayi bar ubhre

Kayi bar tufan main chakkar lagaye

Tumhare takhayul nay aisa duboya

Bohat koshishen magar ubharne na paye

Kayi bar tufan se takrai kashti

Kayi bar takra ke sahil pe aye

Talash-e-talab mein woh lazzat mili he

Dua kar raha hoon ke manzil na aye

Yeh kis ki nigahon ne saghar pilaye

Khudi par meri bekhudi ban ke chaye

Khabardar aye dil, maqam-e-adab he

Kahin bada noshi pe dhabba na aye

 

Kuch is ada se karishme dekhaye jate hain

Ada shanas bhi dhoke mein aye jate hain

Hamara haal toh dekha, hamara zarf bhi dekh

Nigah uthti nahi, gham uthaye jate hain

Yeh mehkada he tera madrasa nahi waiz

Yahan sharaab se insan banaye jate hain

 

Pehle toh shaikh ne zara dekha idhar udhar

Phir sar jhuka ke dakhil-i mehkhana hogaya

 

Kuch soch ke shama pe parwana jala hoga

Shayad isi jalne mein jeene ka maza hoga

Jis waqt yeh meh tu ne botal mein bhari hogi

Saqi tera masti se kiya haal hua hoga

Mehkhane se masjid tak paye gaye naqsh-i pa

Ya shaikh gaya hoga ya rind gaya hoga

 

Are jhoom jhoom ke la, muskara ke la

Phoolon ke rasm-e chaand ki kirnein mila ke la

Kehte hain umr-e rafta kabhi laut ti nahi

Ja mehkade se meri jawani utha ke la

 

Saqi ki har nigah pe bal kha ke peegaya

Maujon se khailta hua lehra ke peegaya

Aur peeta baghair izn yeh kab thi meri majal

Dar pardah chashm-i yaar ki sheh pa ke peegaya

Aye rehmat-i tamam, meri har khata ma’af

Mein inteha-i shauq mein ghabra ke peegaya

 

Tauba ko tor tar ke ghabra ke peegaya

Yeh sab samjhane wale mujhe samjha ke rehgaye

Laikin mein aik aik ko samjha ke peegaya

 

Sheesha bhi bohat wasf o hunar rakhta he

Asraar-i nehufta ki khabar rakhta he

Rindon mein bhi milte hain allah wale

Nasha bhi bari tez nazar rakhta he

 

He mehkade ka khaas maqamat mein shumar

Jo rind bhi mila woh humein parsa mila

 

Khula na hota agar mehkade ka darwaza

Toh roshni ke liye hum kidhar gaye hotay

 

Yeh ghalat he sharaab ki tarif

Is ka zehnon pe raj hota hai

Sirf hiddat sharab deti hai

Are baqi apna mizaj hota hai

 

Har ranj ko khafif tabassum se taal de

Nazil ho koi barq toh saghar uchal de

Tu jam mein sharaab ko mat daal saqiya

Is ko bara-i rast mere dil mein daal de

 

Are bol meethe, nazar nashili he

Mein ne to mehkadon se pee li he

Mein ne thori se paish ki thi magar

Sheikh ne behisab pee li hai

 

Yahan sab ka saqi imam he

 

Jari hein roshni mein do sarmadi lakirein

Aik jaam ja raha he, aik jaam aa raha he

 

Bari haseen he zulfon ki shaam pee lijiye

Hamare haath se do char jam pee lijiye

Aur pilaye jab koi mashooq apne hathon se

Sharab phir nahi rehti haram pee lijiye

 

Aks-i jamal-i yaar bhi kiya tha ke deyr tak

Aine umrion ki tarah bolte rahe

Kal mehkade mein rind tawazun na rakh sake

Khat-i subooh pe kon-o-makan dolte rahe

Hum muttaqi-i shehr-i kharabat raat bhar

Tasbih-i zulf-i seen tana rolte rahe

 

Agarcheh banda nawazi ki tujh mein boo hoja

Kasam khuda ki khudai mein tu hi tu hoja

Agar baghair tere mehkashi karoon saqi

Sharaab jaam mein ate hi bas lahu hoja

Aur wuzoo sharab se kar ke sharaab khane mein

Namaaz jab parhon saqi imam tu hoja

 

Yeh he mehkadah yahan rind hain

Yeh haram nahi aye shaikh ji

Yahan parsai haram he

 

<Persian phrase, cannot make it out>

 

Peena haram he na pilana haram he

Peene ke baad hosh mein ana haram he

Likha hua he pir-i mughan ki dukan par

Kamzarf ko pilana haram he

Jo zara si pee ke behak gaya

Use mehkade se nikal do

Are yahan kamnazar ka guzar nahi

Yahan ahl-e zarf ka kaam he

 

Sharab ka koi apna sarhi rang nahin

Sharab tajziya o ihtesaab karti he

Jo ahl-e dil hain barhati he abru on ki

Jo beshaoor hain unko kharab karti he

 

Yeh janab-i shaikh ka falsafa

Jo samajh mein meri na aa saka

Jo wahan piyo to halal he

Jo yahan piyo to haram he

 

Are patti patti gulab hojati

Har kali mehv-i khawab ho jati

Tum ne dali na mehfashan nazrein

Warna shabnam sharab hojati

 

Yeh janab-i shaikh ka falsafa

Jo samajh mein meri na aa saka

Jo wahan piyo to halal he

Jo yahan piyo to haram he

Anonymity in Poetry and the Role of the Critic

Aati hai usi mauj say durya mein rawani

Jis mauj ki taqdeer mein saahil nahi hota

 The river flows only because of the wave

That is not destined to ever reach the ocean

-Khurshidul Islam

Khurshidul Islam was a literary critic and a poet. His couplet above is, in my opinion, one of his best contributions to Urdu poetry. Islam’s understanding of literary history enabled him to see Urdu poetic literature from a lens markedly different than those of his peers (with the exception of an equally brilliant critic, Mohammed Hasan Askari). The couplet is, at the same time, analogous to Islam’s personal political beliefs (he was a staunch Marxist) as well as being a succinct description of the knowledge he held about Urdu poetry. The latter statement needs a bit of a clarification. Two most recognizable names in Urdu poetry are Mir and Ghalib and anyone who has ever had anything to do with Urdu is likely to be aware of these two figures. From here, depending on other factor likes geography, time, subjects and genre, many other poets also make their respective marks. Yet, the history of Urdu poetry is not limited to these few names that are recognizable. It has a vast body of work and a rich poetic history. Though every publication in Urdu poetry contributes towards shaping the language in one way or the other, not every poet is recognized for their impact on the language. In fact, many of the couplets espoused in everyday Pakistan cannot be traced back to their respective authors precisely because it would be the equivalent of trying to find a needle in a haystack. This important insight of Islam is applicable to written literary works. Today, I would like to attempt to elaborate upon it with respect to the appearance of the written literary works in the performances/recitations of Ghazals/Qawwali’s and attempt to answer what the role of the critic should be in regards to this anonymity?

Islam’s couplet recognizes the element of anonymity as integral to the literature. I would build on his argument and add that not only is anonymity integral, but the question of access to written literary works also surfaces. The verses remain anonymous not because there is no interest, but because many of those interested do not have access to the works. Access alone to written literature requires a privileged socio-economic status. Deciphering the literary works requires further socio-cultural capital in addition to the socio-economic access. Indeed, devoting an entire life to study of literature in today’s world is simply not possible without the reliance on adequate resources to sustain a living. This is a pity of our times and one that Islam often lamented. Yet, he also lived and wrote at the onset of the digital age. Audio recordings had started to become common, the radio was widespread and the affluent in South Asia had acquired some bulky televisions. One of the effects of these changes was to take the works and spread them far and wide in spoken form. Many of the verses penned by various poets were picked up by singers and performers and presented to the wider audience through ghazals and qawwalis.

Couplets do not create words- they just rearrange existing words to create new meaning. When singers and qawwals started to take the written poetry and express it in their performances, they often did so by taking bits and parts of a poet’s words and adding it to works by other poets in order to create new meaning. Effectively, then, the same couplet could have different meanings simply because of the different contexts it was used in by both the poet and the singer. If poetry is merely a reorganization of words to express an existing sentiment differently, then one could claim that singers and performers too were simply being poetic in this process.

One good thing to come out of these new renditions of old poetic thought was the access they provided to a wider audience. Whereas one would have had to be able to read and write at a certain level in 18^th century India before being able to dream of understanding poetry and what it implied, such notions were torn apart in the late 20^th century. The works of many poets flooded the public through the avenue of the singers and the public grasped it with both hands, thus shredding the concept of ‘refined taste’ that had previously been espoused as a requisite to appreciate such poetry. In this light, the singers did a service to both the language and the people without perhaps even recognizing what they were doing!

Yet, for all the access they now provided, they also added to, and took away from, the anonymity that Islam had commented upon. Much of the poetry that was breathed into popular society by the singers added to the collective familiarity of the public with literary works. So on that level, it reduced the issue of anonymity by introducing existing poems to an audience that appreciated and welcomed them. However, at the same time, precisely because it was the singers who had introduced this poetry to the public, and not the original poets, many of the verses were wrongly attributed to the singers instead of the poets as the source was not easily traceable.

Students of Urdu would know that the very idea of a takhallus (pen name) is to distinguish one’s work from others. Yet, the takhallus is limited by its own traditional implementation (can only occur once in a work) and therefore the rest of the work can be easily planted from one place to another. Similarly, the very idea of a takhallus went downhill from the introduction of the nazm and almost disappeared with the idea of the azad nazm. Many poets are also distinguishable by style, though that requires an intimate familiarity with both their work and the extended literature in the field. So if there is no way to definitely identify the work of a poet, what is the responsibility of the critic (if any) to ensure that the correct poet is identified?

This issue is complex because singers were not uniform in their use of Urdu poetry. For example, they might occasionally take only a line from a poets work and compose the rest of the lyrics themselves, or they might take chunks of poetry on the same topic from different authors and weave it together. Often, the singers would also leave the original poets’ takhallus but many a times they would replace it with their own.

Consider Aziz Mian’s Aasman say utara gaya which is compilation of the works of Iqbal, Josh, Ghalib, Jigar, Hairat and Zauq. Aziz Mian takes the work of diverse range of poets and pieces together a narrative where he implores a divine being to recognize the greatness of man. The seamlessness of his narrative is so impeccable that one can be forgiven for thinking that it is but the creation of a single mind. This is both a testament to the works of the writer which were indeed steeped so much in the same tradition that they flow from and with each other but also a testament to the mind of Aziz Mian who was able to pick and weave them together.

For a different case altogether, that of the singer removing the takhallus of the poet, consider the below sung by Aziz Mian.

Leh woh najaf ki samt say aanay lagi sada
Ay muthrib e haseen meri anjuman mein aa
Aa,aa, jhoom kar zara naghmat e noh suna
Saaqi mera salaam e adab lay kay mein chala
Maula e kainat aur awaaz deh mujhay
Ay jibrael, taqat e parvaz deh mujhay

Now contrast this with what the original poet Josh Malihabadi wrote

In this case, it is clear that Aziz Mian takes out Josh’s takhallus (the whole first half of the second line) and simply replaces it some words of his own. There are also a couple of other minor changes (only one jhoom in Aziz Mian’s third line contrasted with the two in Josh’s; Aziz Mian uses taqat e parvaz whereas Josh writes quowwat e parvaz). The question in this scenario is this- if this quote is being attributed to Aziz Mian, should the critic make a concentrated effort to ensure this is attributed to Josh? Or should the critic take solace in the verse being available to the public to marvel at, instead of being confined to certain privileged circles? That is the critics’ dilemma.

An example of an instance where Aziz Mian simply uses a couplet with takhallus of a poet is the below from Jigar Muradabadi’s work (couplet at the bottom of the page).

 

Aziz Mian sang exactly what Jigar wrote in the last couplet above-

Numayan hui subah piri Jigar,

Bus, ab dastan mukhtasir hogayi

In such a situation, he very openly credits the poet. So, in this case, where the verse despite being credited is not acknowledged to the original poet, what must the critic do? Should the critic be content with the singer leaving the takhallus as it is? Or should the critic make more of an effort to document such instances?

Or perhaps, as I often argue with myself, the critic should not be concerned with the author to begin with. The critic is a critic of the work of the author, not of the author itself. So knowing who authored it is irrelevant. If a singer is quoting a verse, the critics concern should not be what the verse meant in its original context but what the verse means as it is being used by the singer. A critic is concerned with meaning, and should concentrate on what the meaning is today, not what it was or should have been. Thus, the critic should be concerned with the aesthetic use of words and its implications. Working within such parameters means that the critic has no room, or indeed no use, for either the author or the singer. (This point of view is also reflected by the work of Frances Pritchett and Shamsur Rehman Faruqi)

But, at other times, I find the above point of view extremely narrow and counter intuitive to the work of the critic. A critic is a critic of poetry, but poetry must be produced somewhere. And poetry composed in a society can only reflect what is present in the society (it cannot explain what it does not know). In this interpretive vein, the author or the singer is the crucial link between a poetic work and society. It is the experience of the author or the singer that takes life from the society and gives it to the poetry. Therefore, in this tradition, the author is perhaps more important than the work itself and therefore every effort must be made to identify him. (This point of view is reflected by the work of Khurshidul Islam himself and Ralph Russell)

I started this piece with Islam, a brilliant critic, and his reference to anonymity. I have sought to introduce some ideas to add to his reference and I hope to build on them in the coming few years. Literature and time both are always changing. But I do not believe that any theory of literature ever becomes outdated. Islam is as pertinent today as he was in his prime a few decades ago and I have no doubt that he will continue to be as pertinent in the years to come.

Resisting urbanization in Aziz Mian’s work

Shehr-e-tun mein phool walon ki kali hai zindagi

Aur gardan e afaq mein jhampa kali hai zindagi

Meray Khoon e Arzu Ko

Hum muttaqi e shehr-e-kharabat raat bhar

Tasbeeh e zulf e sheen tana roll tay rahay

Yeh Meh Hai Zara Soch Lay

The two verses cited above are examples of how Aziz Mian constructs what I call the imagined urban of his work. The use of the word shehr with different suffixes does not just serve an aesthetic purpose. It is simultaneously a protest against, and an escape from, the late-capitalist urbanized society that Aziz Mian found himself performing in. I have previously briefly touched upon his work and how it interacts with modernity and in this piece I explore another dimension of his work, namely its resistance to urbanization of society, the imagined urban.

Modernity and urbanization are so interlinked that it is hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. For example, we can argue at length whether the modern city is urban or whether the urban city is modern. What cannot be argued is the hegemonic[1] acceptance that both these phenomena have experienced. The post-colonial Pakistani society, at large, has actively sought to either modernize or urbanize, if not both. However, just like any other phenomenon, these two have also encountered resistance at some level. The resistance has historically come from elements that were then consequently marginalized in society, partly because of their resistance (Manto, celebrated today, often cut a lonely figure while alive). The opposition to this resistance has come from capitalism, the driving force behind the creation of an urban society. Given the prevalence and the pervasive nature of capitalism, this resistance has faced an uphill task in manifesting itself in the present day’s dominant mainstream discourses. Part of this resistance has therefore been subverted into the literary sphere where it presents itself in various form of art. That this art sits in the public eye, often unrecognized, is perhaps an indicator of our unfamiliarity with the notion of resistance itself.

Aziz Mian’s collection of works is also a resistance. It must be remembered that Aziz Mian lived and performed in a post-colonial state and society, both of which were bent on embracing modernity and urbanization. Precisely because modernity and urbanization cannot be explicitly distinguished from each other, a state’s actions can serve as an example of both. As mentioned previously on this blog, the West Pakistan Waqf Properties ordinance of 1959 (superseded in 1961 by Ordinance of same name) and the later Auqaf act of 1976 were attempts of the state to modernize itself by breaking down what it considered to be the irrational Sufi culture prevalent in interior Sindh. However, the same ordinances could also be considered as attempts at urbanization as the state’s dismantling of the economic order at these shrines forced the families, hitherto economically dependent on the shrine for centuries, to relocate elsewhere in search of economic survival. Coupled with the rapid growth of urban areas like Karachi, Lahore and the newly developed Islamabad, it was not a surprise that the rural-urban migration skyrocketed and impacted the urban geography.

Urban geographies, however, are not just physical in nature. They also shape, and are shaped by, a number of other intangible phenomena like space[2]. A key difference is that whereas physical geography can be controlled, spatial geography runs the risk of escaping such control. A neighbourhood can be built, but who dwells in this neighbourhood can often go out of the control of the state. This nature of these two geographies means that resistance is dealt with differently in both scenarios. In the physical terrain, resistance can be removed. For example, painting over the sub-nationalist slogans on the walls, removing political material deemed dangerous, forcibly affecting the elections results of local bodies and so forth. However, in the spatial terrain, no such guarantee of a complete removal of opposing ideas exists. At best, the resistant ideology can only be countered. The outcome of such battles over ideologies could be made more favorable, but never guaranteed. Thus resistance may continue to linger with little to no intensity and little to no impact, but linger nonetheless.

The spatial makeup of this geography is also impacted by the social forces that exist in the physical geography. Given that these projects of modernity and urbanization also coincided with strong waves of reformism and orthodoxy, the spatial makeup of the literary urban sphere of Pakistan in the 1960’s and the 1970’s also reflected this. For example, celebrated poets like Jalib wrote many of their revolutionary poems during this time. During that time, within the Qawwal discourse, Sabri Brothers, the walking and talking representation of orthodoxy became the mainstream discourse. So it was only natural that Aziz Mian would become their antagonist and thus the forbearer of the resistance within this urban Qawwal sphere. Aziz Mian was a smart enough man to realize that the project of urbanization could not simply be undone (unlike many of his contemporaries, especially those on the left in Pakistan), despite how much he may have disagreed with it. Instead of calling for a return to the way of life as it used to be, Aziz Mian instead used the very same urbanization as a weapon against itself by creating new a new imagined urban in his body of work. Realizing the pervasive nature of this phenomenon of urbanization and his inability to break free of it, he instead focused on breaking free from it into an imagined urban sphere of his own design.

Creating an imagined urban is not a new act in itself as far as the corpus of all literature and art related to South Asia is concerned. The most famous example, predominantly in the Urdu language, exists of the construction of the literary genre of the shehr-e-ashob, or the Desolate City. Born from the many invasions of Delhi, in particular the sack of the city by Nadir Shah in 1739, it reimagined Delhi as a desolate and empty place devoid of all cultural and social auras. The shehr-e-ashob is primarily a lament of the declining moral, social and political ethos, amongst others, in the city. It is, however, not an accurate representation of history but more of a trauma that perhaps holds the city in a light that truly never was. Delhi was a cultural hotbed, but almost all of the descriptions in the shehr-e-ashob portray this as contingent on the respective author themselves. All shehr-e-ashob works eventually culminate with a heartbreaking description of the city’s silence once the author has proceeded to see himself out, convinced that he had been forced out only due to the lack of refined cultural conditions in the city. The author, in constructing the imagined urban around himself, thus gives voice to his own repressed desires to stand out in what was undoubtedly a competitive literary environment.

Aziz Mian, however, differs in three key aspects in his constructions of the imagined urban. Firstly, he does not have one vision for imagined urban but many. Thus it is not static like shehr-e-ashob, a city destined to decline, but very much a dynamic, fluid structure and one that changes according to the needs of those who seek to escape to it. Secondly, it is the inverse of a shehr-e-ashob in that instead of lamenting a decline in ethos, Aziz Mian’s imagined urban constructions are predicated on what would itself be termed immoral and/or unethical behavior. In one place, he calls it the shehr-e-tun or a Bodily City whereas in another place he calls it the shehr-e-kharabat­ or the Immoral City. Aziz Mian, from the offset, eradicates the very notions of morality, culture, and even wealth and thus argues that order itself is a form of oppression that must be resisted. Lastly, Aziz Mian’s imagined urban does not revolve around him. His mentions of this place are dotted by a collective desire of a group of people to escape to this place. Thus, Aziz Mian speaks not for himself but also perhaps the other groups in society that agree with his point of view. Or perhaps, in reading this from a psychoanalytical perspective, Aziz Mian is subconsciously voicing the needs of a society in much the same manner as a leader of a society would…a position that Aziz Mian’s outcast social status amongst the more ‘respectable’ classes would never have been able to achieve.

We are led to question why did Aziz Mian find himself on the margins of society? It was perhaps his refusal to simply conform to existing norms that ultimately made him a favourite target of ridicule by other contemporary performers as well as literary critics. Aziz Mian could not be classified within the narrow boundaries that an orthodox society in Pakistan had imposed on itself and was happy to go around labeling everybody else with. Aziz Mian resisted this order, and his behaviour laid down the rules for the resistant course that his work subsequently took. Aziz Mian did not just escape the boundaries this society had erected; he sought to dismiss them altogether.

A key element in understanding Aziz Mian as a rebel and his body of work as a resistance is to grasp the relationship between class and urbanization. Hierarchies in rapidly modernizing societies are predicated on structural exploitation by the have’s of the have not’s. These hierarchies use order as an exploitative tool to keep the oppressed classes under a strict watch. Order is drilled into the society through both conscious and subconscious means. Order can only be maintained through discipline, and to maintain discipline the ruling classes seek to iron out all chaos out of the society. Under the guise of labels like ‘irrational’, ‘traditional’ and ‘immoral’, the ruling classes try to marginalize those who create chaos by not conforming to mere submission and continue to question the prevalent ideologies. The shehr-e-ashob, too, is a product of this oppressive mindset because by lamenting for an evolved culture it assumes an inherent presence of an ‘unwanted’ culture that it seeks to distinguish itself from.

This is where Aziz Mian’s brilliance shines to the surface for his imagined urban makes no such assumptions and indeed seeks to destroy any restrictive labeling. By naming it differently and often, Aziz Mian emphasizes the constant evolution that society undergoes and by refraining from picking one name over the other, Aziz Mian displays an uncanny acceptance that no one ideology can constantly prevail over the other. Naming his imagined urban the shehr-e-tun, a Bodily City, and shehr-e-kharabat, an Immoral City, is his response to those who critique him for being an outcast. He boldly wears the insults thrown his way by asserting the themes of promiscuity and immorality through his work. It is almost as if he’s taunting his critics by letting them know that his alternate urban demolishes any semblance of a standard altogether and thus allows everybody to fit in. It is perhaps only from the marginalized in the society, like Aziz Mian, that one can hope for a society where none can be marginalized.

Footnotes:

[1] While the word ‘hegemony’ has been a matter of active debate post-Gramsci, I use it in a very distinct sense to imply the unquestioning acceptance of an idea or phenomenon. For example, it could be said that there is hegemonic acceptance of the idea of Pakistan in Punjab (only province in Pakistan which does not have an active secessionist movement), whereas the presence of ethno-nationalists in Sindh, Baluchistan and KPK indicate a resistance to the same idea.

[2] The concept of space has also been a matter of much academic debate. In my work, I refer to space as aura. For example, two different individuals might, successively, rent the same room in the same building, with no changes made to the makeup of the room for the duration that these individuals were tenants for. Even though the room may continue to have the same number of walls, windows, doors and so forth, it will also have a distinct aura created by the presence of the personal possessions of the different individuals. Thus space, as I use it, refers to the aura constructed by the mere presence of objects. In that, space is a matter of perception and not an absolute ideal. Therefore, aesthetics create their own space which might be identified differently by different viewers. The urbanization of our present society has been so thorough that we, as beings, have become unfamiliar with the very notion of resistance. We continue to view resistance as an opposition to the system, forgetting that such a resistance is itself constrained within the boundaries of the system that it is protesting against. True resistance should question, though, why must there be a system to begin with?

Meray khoon e arzu ko lyrics

Yeh sitaray hain motiay k phool

Kis ki mala fiza mein tooth gayi

Chaand, tika hai kis k mathay ka?

Raat kis ka suhagh looth gayi

 

Sitamgari k tareeqay sikhayay jaatein hain

Haseen bantay nahi hain banaye jaatay hain

Humari is bazm mein us buzm mein hai farq itna

Wahan chirag, yahan dil jalayey jaatein hain

 

Meray khoon e arzu ko woh samajh rahay hein pani

Unhay hosh tak na aaya, teri lut gayi jawani

 

Abhi tak woh guliyan, haseen hain jawaan hain

Jahan hum nay apni jawani luta di

Khirad ko yeh zid thi na lut ti jawani

Is he zidd pay mein nay jawani luta di

 

Kaha jo mein nay un say, mein nay

Jawani luta di, jawani luta di, jawani luta di

Woh bolay mohabbat mein lut jaatay hain deen o eman

Bara teer mara jawani luta di

 

Shabab e umr jata hai, khizan kehti hai aanay ko

Jawani ruthi jaati hai, kisay bhejon mananay ko

 

Peeri mein khum qamar mein nahi, zuaf say qamar

Mein jhuk k dhoondta hoon jawani kidhar gayi

 

Mein nay pehla he kaha tha k yeh har ada hai fani

 

Aray kuch bhi nahi siwaye musalsal faraib hai

Dekha hai zindagi ko nihayat qareeb say

 

Oonchay oonchay makan thay jin k

Aaj woh tang gore mein hain parh k

 

Naam rahay ga allah ka

 

Dil badnaseeb tu nay

Meri baat he na mani

 

Na mita tu thokron say, yeh nishan e qabr zalim

Aray yehi akhri bachi hai, meray hijr ki nishani

 

Kabhi lab pay ah o naalay, kabhi dil mein ghum k chaalay

K bara he sakht nikla, ye maqam e zindagani

 

Zindagi kiya hai?

Anasir ka zahoor e tartib

Aur maut kiya hai?

In he ajza ka pareshan hona

 

Zindagi kiya hai?

Zindagi kiya kisi muflis ki qaba hai jis mein

Har ghari dard k pewond laga kartay hain?

Aray zindagi kiya khanaktay huay sikkon ki sada

Aur maut kiya hai bhari jaib ka khali hona?

 

Qabr k chonkthay khaali hain, inhay bhi dekho

Jaanay kab konsi tasweer saja di jaye

 

Dard k rung mein kiya dhali zindagi

Ban gayi mustaqil bay kali zindagi

Tum chalay ho toh isko bhi laitay chalo

Meray kis kaam ki khokli zindagi

Mein gham e zindagi mein tarapta raha

Muskarati rahi manchali zindagi

Tehmi tehmi k ashkon k ghunchay khilay

Dard ki ruth mein phooli phali zindagi

Uff woh mausam, judai ka tapta hua

Dhoop kiya, chaon mein bhi chali zindagi

Har qadam par nayi aik thokar lagi

Saath meray jahan tak chali zindagi

Hokay majboor phir naz kehna para

 

Namrood nahi, shaddad nahi

Dunya mein qaum e aad nahi

Kiya lut ki qaumein yaad nahin

Kiya nooh ka tufan bhool gaye

Moonh dekh liya aaenay mein

Daagh na dekha seenay mein

Afsos hei aisay jeenay mein

Anjam ko nadan bhool gaye

Kiyon yaad say ghafil hotay ho

Kiyon umr gunah mein khotay ho

Kiyon sheesh mehal mein sotay ho

Kiya gor e ghareeban bhool gaye?

 

Baithay hein hum toh pehlay he

aankhon mein dhool dalay

Ay roo e yaar tu nay purday fuzool dalay

Nayrangi yeh zamana, turbat say koi poochay,

Baazon nay khaak dali, baazon nay phool dalay

 

Aray zindagi, zindagi kiya hai?

Zindagi asdad ka peyman e lutf o ittefaq

Aik hum ahangy miane jazba e wasl o firaq

Aik atal meesak mabeen a jamood o inshiqaq

Khair o shar ka sul oh nama, sham musarsar ka wifa

Zindagi kiya hai

Zindagi yusuf zulekha qais laila laldaman

Eid ki meh, chaudvi ki raat, chauthi ki dulhan

Aik khanakti lab kushai aik chubuktha baanthpan

Rang sagar, raag mandar, roop mala phool ban

Jis ki karn o hujra e qudrat mein rakhwali hui

Titlion ki rasmasati chaon mein paali hui

Zindagi kiya hai

Zindagi bag e shri shan rang di bad sohni

But tarashi, raqs, moseeqi, khitabat, shairi

Pankhri titli sanobar doob nasri chandni

Har zabani, aasmani, zaafrani, zindagi

Laj wal thi mat bari komal sohani zindagi

Zindagi kiya hia

Zindagi murtay hua patton par boondon ki khanank

Subah e sharma ki kiran, sham e baharan ki thanak

Bol titli ki uran awaaz konday ki lapak

Kootdi birqa mein sarangi kay taaron ki lachack

Shehr e tan mein phool walon ki kali hai zindagi

Aur gardan e afaq mein jampa kali hai zindagi

Aur maut, naam zisht e maut say uth ta hai seenay mein dhuan

Farq e hasti pay karak uth thi hai dehshat ki kaman

Dil pay rakh deta hai khauf e marg woh bar e giran

Bolnay lagti hai sehmi zindagi ki haddian

Aray koi narm awaz, koi dastaan bhaati nahi

Aray maut yaad ajayey to raaton ko neend aati nahi

 

Aik roz soo e gore e ghariban mera hua guzar

Paaon say takra gaya meray kisi murday ka sar

Lagtay he thokar, yeh khopri nay dee sada

Tu kis qadr maghroor hai tu dkeh kar chal rasta

Mein hua hairan, us khopri say yoon kaha

Kaun hai tuh, naam kiya hia, Kuch bata apna pata

Sun k phir meri sada, khpopri nay yoon kaha

Mein bhi tha aik badshah dunya mein mera raaj tha

Meray qabzay mein thi dunya, meray sar par taj tha

Ay Aziz, sab say bara lashkar mera

Sab say ziada maal or zar

Kaatay jaatay thay isharay par mairay lakhon k sar

Mein khuda e waqt tha jaari mera farman tha

Maut ko bhoola  tha mein us k na mujh ko dhiyan tha

Laikan maut jab aayi mila matti mein woh sara gharoor

Maal o zar ko chor ka aana para dunya say door

Haan ishe saar mein bhara that shahnshahi ka ghuroor

Ab wohi sar thokron say hogaya hai chaknachoor

 

Ay dil, chal shehr e khamoshan aik baar

Mein dikhaon tujhay murdon k mazaron ki qatar

Ay dil, yeh wohi hain jinhein mehlon mein neend aati thi

Har pari khawab mein aati thi aur jaati thi

Ay dil, yeh wohi hain inhay na aik mandar na masjid ki khabar hoti thi

Narm bistar par sada umr basr hoti thi

Ay dil yeh wohi hain kisi ko chaqoo say mara kisi go goli say

Kisi ki leygaye dulhan utha k doli say

Ay dil pooch, pooch in say

Kiya hua woh maal jo tumnay jora tha

Aray maal to maal, yeh kapray bhi nahay laye hain

Woh bhi auron k pehnany ko chor aaye hain

 

Aray jab tak dum hai teray seenay mein

Yeh makan tera hai, yeh makan tera hai

Warna ghangor andhera mein tera dera hai

Aur yeh teray ghar walay tujhay inaam kia kum deyngay

Teri zameen, daulat aapas mein baant layngay

Tu nay jin azizon k liyay is dunya mein dhan ko jora hai

Unhe nay la k tujhko andheray mein chora hai

 

Aray zindagani kiya hai ja kar karbala walon say poonch

Sarwar e kaun o makan ki gode k palon say poonch

Zindagani k liyay lakhon k aagay dat gaye

Aik aik kar k sar e maidan bahattar kat gaye

Din par qurban akbar ki jawani hogayi

Surkhroo laikan fiza e zindigani hogayi

Hazrat e abbas k bazoo agarchay kat gaye

Zulm k badal fiza e zindagi say jhat gaye

Piyaas k maaron ki tapti raet par betabiyan

Likh rahi hain zindagini k liyay shadabiyan

Dekh kar beybas asghar k galay mein teer ko

Zindagi kuch aur bhi dilkash lagi shabbir ko

Zair e khanjar jab ada ki ibn e haider nay namaz

Sar kata kar aur bhi kuch hogaye woh sarfaraz

Ghazion k khoon say phulwari wafa ki khil gayi

Zindagni ko masaib say rihai mil gayi

Seh k sadmay aik musalsal shadmani paa gaye

Waar k jan e hayat e javidani paa gaye

Aur naizay ki ani par charh kar yeh farma gaye

Of Qawwali and Modernity

The Qawwali, as we understand it, is similar to other art forms in Urdu like the ghazal and the nazm in that its structure is rigid and well defined but it still allows for enough flexibility within the content for it to be molded according to the Qawwal’s personal taste. The Qawwali is thus simultaneously a constant (it is premised on the idea of devotion) and a variable (in that the devotion can be shaped according to the singer’s preference).

Qawwali, historically, has been focused predominantly on the works of Auliya and Khusraw. However, the performance of Qawwali’s at various shrines has also always been characterized by a subtle interjection of original thought into the classical works of Auliya and Khusraw. This serves a dual purpose- it allows the singers to personalize the Qawwali depending on the crowd as well as differentiates them from other reciters of the same work. A good example is the popular Qawwali Mun kunto maula, authored by Khusraw, which has been adapted differently by almost everybody who has sung it.

Gradually, however, with the advent of the digital age, the Qawwali too underwent significant change. It was lifted out of the intimate setting of the shrines and into the open public sphere. This breaking down of the boundaries meant that the ancient works of Auliya and Khusraw that had hitherto been recited with minimal additions, were subjected to a massive overhaul. Instead of adding lines into an existing Qawwali, whole verses were changed and entire Qawwali’s were rewritten from scratch.

What Auliya and Khusraw had authored had sort of been preserved across time, within the space of shrines. However, once subjected to a new, more public space, forces like modernity and reformism wasted no time in acting upon it. These two were extremely prevalent in twentieth century South Asia and impacted the Qawwali in much the same way as they have impacted everything else. If the works of Auliya and Khusraw reflected the society they lived in, then modern works of Qawwali lay a similar claim to the present society and simply reflect ourselves back at us.

Crucially, modernity and reformism did not change the devotional nature of the Qawwali, but by changing the form of devotion, they allowed the Qawwali to reflect the tensions prevalent in society on issues of sectarian identity. Consequently, the Qawwali that had been predicated on dissolution of labels like Sunni and Shia came to be labeled as such instead. What does it mean, though, to change the form of devotion?

All history is contested and Islamic history is no different. A good example is that the perennial battle within Islam over succession to Mohammed is based on two distinct concepts, neither of which was ever directly endorsed by Mohammed while he was alive. Both the Caliphate and the Imamate are retrospective constructions of Islamic history, arising out of a particular need for legal, social and religious validation. The Sufis, fathers of the Qawwali, were known for their resentment to such orthodoxy because they believed that it was merely exploitation in the name of religion. (This, however, does not mean that the Sufi’s, knowingly or otherwise, did not give rise to the same power structures affiliated with them that they sought to criticize in established religion).To change the form of devotion refers to the distinct labeling of devotion as falling within a particular sectarian or religious identity. Thus, evoking certain historical characters or events is enough to give a certain tint to the modern Qawwali that can align it with one or multiple sects at the same time. This is in stark contrast to the historical Qawwali that completely dismisses religious labels altogether.

It was not only intra-sectarian identities that surfaced in the modern Qawwali. The crucial concept of the wahaddat-ul-wujood, or Unity of Being, too took a back seat. For example, in the 1950’s, famous Qawwal Habib Painter sang a Qawwali that is reminiscent of the original works of Auliya and Khusraw in that it ridicules the concept of religion as one that could be limited to a label. Painter sang-

Phir bhi Muslim ka yeh kehna hai k tu masjid mein aa

Hindu bhi yeh kehtay hain k mandir acha

Issaee bhi kehtay hain girja mein aa

Sikhon ka yeh dawa hai k gurdwara acha

Laikin hum ko sabaq pir-e-tariqat nay, gur dev nay diya

Kay ka’aba or kaleesa, gurdwara o girja ganga

In saaray jhagron say tujhay matlab kiya

Tujhay sajda he karna hai, jahan chahay wahan karlay

 But even then the Muslim says come to the mosque

Hindus also say that the temple is best

Christians also say come to the church

Sikhs maintain that the gurdwara is best

But we have been told by the way of tariqat and our teachers that

Ka’aba or Church, Gurdwara or a Temple by the Ganges

Why do you concern yourself with these fights?

You only wish to prostrate, do so wherever you please

The verse stands out as one of the stronger indicators of the Qawwali’s all-embracing flavor. However, as documented elsewhere, it was not long after that the Qawwali was turned into a battleground over sectarian identities. As ideas of orthodoxy and heresy, both products of reformism, reared their head (interestingly, notice the implied disdain for both of these in Painter’s verse quoted above) and found their way into the Qawwali, they further influenced the manifestation of devotion.

As a result of such orthodoxy, it is popularly argued today that the use of words like meh, saaqi, jaam and sharaab (to name a few) is completely allegorical. Efforts are made within and outside the Qawwali to justify this point of view. Sabri Brothers, in their Saqia Aur Pila (Companion, give me more to drink) spend twenty minutes discussing wine and drunkenness only to explicitly clarify at the very end that the drink they seek is the one that Hussain drank at Karbala. The religious reading of Islam holds that Hussain’s was a great sacrifice- the Sabri Brothers by equating their wine with Hussain’s act could not have found a more appropriate idiom. This action removes the allegory itself by defining precisely what the terms mean and therefore leaves no room for alternate interpretations. This is religious orthodoxy at its finest.

The popular narrative that insists on Qawwali’s use of drinking being symbolic is based on a premise of religious reform and is no more authentic than the narrative that argues for a strictly literal interpretation of the same terms. The dichotomy between the allegorical and the literal interpretations is ironic for Sufism arose out of a necessity to challenge such boundaries in the first place. Re-constructing the boundaries that the Qawwali sought to demolish is thus unhelpful.

The Qawwali’s beauty, historically, lay in granting to its audience the agency to choose whatever interpretation they wished for themselves. It was ambiguity, and not a detailed description, which the likes of Auliya and Khusraw prided themselves on. Limiting the scope of interpretation of their works by insisting that it was necessarily allegorical or only literal diminishes the value of such poetry.

Yeh meh hai zara soch lay lyrics

Yeh meh hai, zara soch lay

Ay sheikh e haram, aur

 

Isay ek dum nahi peetay

Huzoor ahista, ahista

Janaab ahista, ahista

 

Subah azal he say meri qismet kharab

Meray liyay kuch aur nahi tha sharaab thi

Mein aaj aidtal ki had say guzar gaya

Saaqi khata maaf, tabiat kharab thi

 

Nikli hai fa’al ahl e khirad ki kitaab say

Aik jaam qeemti hai jahan e kharab say

Zulfien bakhair day kay zamanay koi ilm ho

Zulmat haseen tar hai shab e mahtab say

 

Dekhai hai jab say unki nazar kay khumaar ko

Manoos hogayi hai tabiat sharaab say

 

Saaqi mujhay sharaab ki tohmat nahi pasand

Mujh ko teri nigah ka ilzam chahiyay

 

Hosh ki kasrat kharabi hogayi

Aql jab behki sharaabi hogayi

Mehkaday ka mehkada behosh tha

Saqia kuch bey hesabi hogayi

 

Woh joh hum ko pasand kartay hain

Apni qeemat buland kartay hain

Mehkashi pagalon ka kaam nahi

Mehkashi aqalmand kartay hain

 

Guftogoo ka hisab hona hai

Nasiha guftogoo hisab say kar

Intiha ki mujhay khabr nahi

Ibtida saghar e sharaab say kar

 

Ghuncha o gul ki nabzein doobi hein

Shabnam o aftab lay aayo

Aray ma’arfat chahtay ho jawani ki

Jao, thori sharaab lay aayo

 

Meri masti say teri akhrion ki baat qaim hai

Agar mein hosh may aayon toh tu badnam hojaye

 

Bus ab toh samnay aaja kay mein nay maan lia

Azal say lay kay abad tak tera jawaab nahi

Aray jaam maujood hai sharaab nahi

Surat e haal ka jawaab nahi

 

Takalluf bartaraf ay doston jab sham aati hai

Na taqwa kaam aata hai nah tauba kaam aati hai

 

Gham ka ilaj aap ki nazron mein kuch bhi ho

Gham ka ilaj meri nazar mein sharaab hai

 

Yehi hai shar e paimana, yehi tafseer e mehkhana

Kay lafzon mein dikhadoon kheench kar tasweer e mehkhana

Tujhay jaana hai jannat mein, aray waiz jawan ho kar jo aya hai

Toh daikhay ja, zara ta’seer e mehkhana

 

Bohat aisay bhi hain hum rindon mein allah kay bunday

Mazar jo mehkaday mein loot tay hain bagh e jannat ka

 

Mehkhanay mein mazaar humara agar bana

Dunya yehi kahegi kay jannat mein ghar bana

 

Meri sharaab ki tu qadr jaanay kiya waiz

Jisay mein pee kay dua doon woh jannati ho jaye

 

Milti hai dar e saqi e kausar say yeh khidmat

Har shaks yahan pir e mughan ho nahi sakta

 

Hai mehkaday ka khaas maqamat mein shumaar

Jo rind bhi mila humein pir e mughan mila

 

Dar kharabat ka kushada hai

Kahiyay sarkar kiya irada hai

 

Har ranj ko khafeef tabassum say taal day

Nazil ho koi bar, toh saghar uchal day

Tu jaam mein sharaab ko mut daal saqiya

Is ko barah e raast meray dil mein daal dey

 

Parhnay waalon ka qehat hai warna

Aik qatra kitaab hojaye

 

Sud saala daur e chargh tha saghar ka aik daur

Niklay jo mehkaday say toh dunya badal gayi

 

 

Aik raiza teray tabassum ka

Urh gaya tha sharaab khanay say

Hoz e kausar bana diya jis ko

Waizon nay kisi bahanay say

 

Farishtay arsh gah e hashr mein mujh ko sambhalay hain

Humein bhi aaj lutf e laghwish e mastana aata hai

 

Saaqiya kitni kitni baras paray

Kay naha loon sharaab mein?

 

Band hojaye jab dar e tauba

Khol dena mekaday ka darwaza

 

Yeh mehkada hai tera madrassa nahi waiz

Yahan sharaab say insaan banayey jaatay hain

 

Jaari hai roshni mein, do sarmadi lakeerain

Aik jaam jaraha hai, aik jaam araha hai

 

Kaash aik roz jhoot he kehday

Meri aankhein teray hawalay hain

Sheikh in kay qareeb nahi aana

Yeh kitaabein nahi piyaalay hain

 

Meray sheeshay kay thamnay say achanak

Taharruk mein tera jaam aa raha tha

 

Mehkaday ka ma’amla mut poonch

Hai kiya intezam hota hai

Us kay haathon mein kiya nahi hota

Jis kay haathon mein jaam hota hai

 

Torh dala hai zarf e tauba ko

Rind e meh khawar ho gaya hoon mein

Teri rehmat ko chairnay kay liyay

Phir gunahgaar hogaya hoon mein

 

Dekh kar dilkashi zamanay ki

Aarzoo hai faraib khanay ki

Kis nay saghar buland kar dala

Ruk gayi gardishein zamanay ki?

 

Mushkil yeh aa pari hai kay gardish mein jaam hay

Ay hoshwaalon mujh ko tera ehtraam hai

Do mastion kay daur mein aaya hua hai dil

Lub par tumhara naam hai, haathon mein jaam hai

 

Aah bhariyay toh jhoom kar bhariyay

Jaam leejaye toh jhoom kay leejaye

Un ki nazrien yeh keh rahi hain

Dil ki qeemat wasool kar leejaye

 

Yeh muajiza bhi kharidar karnay waalay hain

Tujhay numaish e bazaar karnay waalay hain

Humari taubah say itna toh faida na utha

Tujhay khabar hai hum inkaar karnay waalay hain

 

Kartay hain mauj e meh say sukoon e jigar kashib

Shabnam nichortay hain rug e aaftab say

 

Hum ahwan e shab ka bharam khol tay rahay

Meezan e dilbari pay unhein tol tay rahay

Ab say jamal e yaar bhi kiya tha kay dair tak

Aainay umrion ki tarah bol  tay rahay

Kal rind mehkaday mein tawazun na rakh sakay

Khat-e-subooh pay kaun e makan dole tay rahay

Hum muttaqi e shahr e kharabat raat bhar

Tasbeeh e zulf e sheen tana roll tay rahay

 

Rooh maghmoom hai dil doob raha hai saaqi

La kay is waqt meh e naab rawan hai saaqi

Raqs karti hui kirnon ki jawani ka araq

Meray aasab ki daireena ghiza hai saaqi

 

Bada e aatshi inayat kar

Tashnagi zehr banti jaati hai

Aqlmandon ka qaul hai saaqi

Aag ko aag hi bujhati hai

 

Sheesha bhi bohat wasf u hunr rakhta hai

Asrar e nehufta ki khabar rakhta hai

Rindon mein bohat miltay hain allah kay bunday

Nasha bhi bari taiz nazar rakhta hai

 

Mein nay poocha kay hai manzil e maqsood kahan

Khizr nay raah batayi mujhay mehkhanay ki

 

Mehwashon ka zameer rakhtay hain

Dilbaron ka mizaaj rakhtay hain

Mehkaday mein sharaab kay piyalay

Har mard ka ilaj rakhtay hain

Tham lay jaam ay meray saaqi

Beytaha dagmaga raha hoon mein

Aik saghar piya tha subah e azal

Aaj tak larkhara raha hoon mein

 

Kisi nay waqt e masti jaam e meh chalka diya warna

Charagh e toor par dar o madaar e roshni hota

 

Saaqi sharaab undail kay chat jayein zulmatein

Surooj ki roshni teri botal mein bund hai

 

Janta hoon main teri hoshwagiri ko saaqi

Kaam karti hai nazar, naam hai paimanay ka

 

Chashm e saaqi ki khair ho ya rab

Bay piyay bhi saroor aata hai

 

Shor tha, botal uthay, meena uthay, saghar uthay

Itni saaqi nay piladi kay rind tauba kar uthay

 

Nuskha bayaz e saaqi e kausar say mil gaya

Ghar bhaitay ab sharaab e tahoora banaon ga

 

Yeh meh hai, zara soch lay

Ay sheikh e haram, aur

Tu pehlay pehl peeta hai

Dum ur bey dum aur

 

Mujh par hai ab yeh naza ka aalam koi dum aur

Phir soch loh baaqi toh nahi koi sitam aur

 

Hai waada khilafi kay alawah bhi sitam aur

Gar tum na khafa ho toh bata dein tumhein hum aur

 

Ab qabr hi kiya dur hai jo jaatay ho waapis

Jab itna chalay aaye ho, do chaar qadam aur

 

Qasid yeh jawaab unka hai kis tarah yaqeen ho

Tu aur bayan karta hai, khat may hai raqam aur

 

Woh daikho liye jaatay hain ahbab jo mayyat

Lo khao mareez e gham e ulfat ki qasam aur

 

Turbat mein rukay hain kay qamar seedhi toh karlein

Manzil hai bohat dur ki, lay lein zara dum aur

 

Yeh baat abhi kal ki hai, jo kuch thay hum he thay

Allah teri shaan kay ab hogaye hum aur

 

 

The commodification of the Qawwali

On Sept 18^th, 2014, a new Agha Khan Museum is set to open in Toronto. On Sept 27^th and Sept 28^th, it will host a performance by Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad Qawwal and Brothers. Tickets are available and it is expected that the museum will generate a large audience for this event.

There are two possible reasons behind the organization of such an event. Firstly, the event is expected to be a success, insofar as the amount of tickets sold and the revenue generated for the new museum is concerned. Alternatively, it may also be that this event is more of a repute-building scenario. It may only break even or incurs a monetary loss but it can help cement the new museum’s reputation as a connoisseur of traditional performing arts. Regardless of the end result, what is obvious is the commodification of an ancient ritual to achieve a desired result. The ‘Qawwali’ is being posited as a means to a commercial end and this, I argue in the piece below, is antithetical to the nature of the ‘Qawwali’ itself.

To make my case, a short history of the popular ‘Qawwali’ is in order. Historically, it is best defined as classical, devotional music in South Asia that transcends religious identities. Though its origins are attributed to the Sufi school of thought within Islam, it also built up a steady following of people with varying sectarian affiliations from within Islam itself. The plurality of its followers, synchronized use of percussion instruments and the metaphorical use of imagery in its lyrics worked in harmony to induce ecstasy (haal) within the group of listeners present at such a performance (Qureshi 1972).

Up until the early 20^th century, Qawwali performances were largely restricted to Sufi saint shrines. Such gatherings were typically performed on a Thursday night and followed a prescribed order. The Qawwali reciters were hereditary singers associated with the shrine. In most cases, they traced a direct lineage to the saint whose shrine they now looked after. This not only created a familiarity between the shrine, its patrons and the audience, it also contributed to the private nature of such an event. The lyrics of the Qawwali were based on the works of Sufi saints of the past- Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusraw are two famous names whose poetry was regularly evoked in these performances.

The explosion of access and information in late 19^th and early 20^th century resulted in the Qawwali being lifted from the private, secluded sphere of the shrine to the public, open sphere. Qawwali began to emerge in private gatherings, concerts, and musical recordings. Today it is publicly accessible through digital media. In doing so, the populist Qawwali lost its mystical character that relied in large parts on the spatiotemporal atmosphere within which a Qawwali was sung. There is no shrine, its patrons or a loyal audience in global performances as performers may globetrot within short amounts of time. If performing art is indeed a mutual relationship between the performer and the audience, then there is a distinct alienation within the populist Qawwali when compared to the historical Qawwali.

In this new form of the Qawwali, a popular Qawwali, we witness a mere appreciation of the transcendent, and not an active engagement with it. The Qawwali audience today- at home, concerts, and gatherings- does not seek to achieve ecstasy. They are drawn to the Qawwali by its mystique and its history. This amounts to an appreciation of the Qawwali, rather than an active engagement with it. This poses an interesting hypothesis.

The historical Qawwali was predicated on inducing in its audience a spiritual trance. The populist Qawwali has become a means to merely appreciate the potential present within it to induce in people a spiritual trance. The historical Qawwali thus focused on a complete submersion of one’s self into the mystical world. This focus on a transcendent experience also manifests itself in the lyrics of the works of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusraw. In keeping true to the Sufi doctrine, special emphasis is paid to the equality of mankind. Sectarian and religious identities are often dismissed as a mere pretence and the inadequateness of self is highlighted repeatedly.

The populist Qawwali, paradoxically, highlights sectarian affiliations. The mere mention of some early Islamic figures like Ali, Hussain, Omar and Usman is enough for it to be labeled either a Sunni or a Shia Qawwali! The public exposure of the populist Qawwali has also resulted in lyrics reflective of the sectarian tensions prevalent in the socio-cultural conditions under which it is composed and performed. These Qawwali’s thus become a discourse which, when analyzed contextually, can serve as an additional source of histiography.

However, it is also important to note that it is not the case that the populist Qawwali has completely eroded the historical Qawwali. In many shrines in India and Pakistan, the historical Qawwali still exists as a weekly ritual. It is also interesting to note that these historical Qawwal’s consider Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, for example, as a great singer but not a great Qawwal. They argue that a populist Qawwali defeats the very purpose of Qawwali if it is performed explicitly for commercial reasons.

I have sought to highlight and distinguish that what we consider Qawwali today is only a populist Qawwali and the true form itself. It is fundamentally different from what used to be considered a Qawwali in times gone by. This difference in its very nature is the result of a loss of number of factors- the populist Qawwali is not spatially related to the environment it is performed under; it does not enjoy a familiarity with its audience unlike the Qawwali’s performed at shrines; it is also easier to label and categorize it in a sectarian manner unlike the historical Qawwali which continuously highlighted the wahaddat-ul-wujood, or the Unity of Being, as a core belief.

The Agha Khan Museum, using the populist Qawwali as a commodity, are however not novel in what they are doing. As mentioned above, such a use can be traced back to, and coincides with, the explosion of access and information in South Asia. It is not that the Agha Khan Museum is solely complicit of this defacing of the historical Qawwali, only that it is following the same trend that hundreds of radio stations, recording labels, television channels and other museums to name a few have followed blindly. I hope that the above highlighted differences are acknowledged within academic discourse, if not public discourse, in order to better chart the moment of departure of the populist Qawwali from the historical Qawwali.

Piecing together the work of Saghar Siddiqui

Saghar Siddiqui is a poet who remains an enigma to this day. Nadeem F. Paracha’s piece on Saghar in Dawn is a good source for an introduction to a poet whose work flutters around us and we fail to recognize it. This particular post is a brief collection of his work as it appears in Qawwalis performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Aziz Mian Qawwal and are on record as being attributed to Saghar either through his published work or through a compilation of his work by other people. Saghar’s following couplets occur in Nusrat’s phiroon dhoondta, mehkada tauba tauba starting at 5:44. Nusrat does change the word shararon to kaanton but such a change is entirely in keeping with the norm in Qawwali recitations. He leaves out the fourth verse altogether perhaps because it does not fit in with the overall theme of Saghar’s poem itself. It is likely that other parts from this Qawwali are also attributable to Saghar but I have not been able to verify that myself.

The following from Saghar also makes an appearance in many of Nusrat’s Qawwali’s. I’ve simply linked to a version where Nusrat recites the verse in the first image below, right at the beginning of his performance at 1:27. Similarly, the second verse is recited in the below version at 4:58. Nusrat inverts and changes the first couplet but leaves the second one intact. Even in Saghar’s collection, this second verse is compiled under the independent section but one cannot help but wonder if it simply is an independent verse for it is too powerful and rhythmic to be one!

Saghar’s work also makes an appearance, in part, in Aziz Mian’s is daur kay insaan say kuch bhool hui hai. The title itself seems to be inspired by Saghar’s work. Some of Saghar’s couplets from below are interspersed in Aziz Mian’s Qawwali and can be found at 26:36, 38:17, 46:43 and 47:51. It is interesting to note that the verses taken from the first image are broken up throughout the Qawwali and that the verse at 46:43 is another poem altogether! This lends credence to the idea that more of these verses could also possibly be Saghar’s but as yet have not been verified.

These are just some mentions of Saghar that I have been able to associate and verify. If you have anymore, please do let me know and I can update this accordingly.

Saqia aur pila aur pila lyrics

Rooh maghmoom hay, dil doob raha hay saaqi

Laa kay is waqt meh naab rawa hai saaqi

Raqs karti hui kirnon ki jawani ka araq

Meray asaab ki daireena ghiza hai saaqi

Marnay kay baad saaqi, aayega kaun peenay

Mehkash ki zindagi hai, aray mehkhana zindagi ka

 

Saqia aur pila, aur pila, aur pila

Saqia jam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahin

Saqia aur pila, aur pila, aur pila

 

Alam pay hay ghangor ghataon ka dhuan dekh

Fitrat kay manazir ka purghaib zaman dekh

Yeh dekh kay hai raqs kunan sara jahan dekh

Ay saaqia mehkhanay pay jannat ka guman dekh

Aur tashna labi, tashna labi bada kashan dekh

Ay pir e mughan, pir e mughan, pir e mughan dekh

 

Ay saqi e mekhana teri door balain

Ay teri door balain, ay teri door balain

 

Aray qarz pee aya koi bhes mein waiz kay sharab

Warna saqi say hai rindon ka taqaza kaisa

 

Aray aik mein hoon jo behek jata hoon tauba ki taraf

Warna rindon mein bura chaal chalan kiska hai?

 

Aray yeh ghalat hai shaarab ki tareef

Is ka zehnon pay raj hota hai

Sirf hiddat sharab deti hai

Baqi apna mizaj hota hai

 

Dil ki ghaflat shitabi hogayi

Aql jab behki sharabi hogayi

Aray mehkaday ka mehkada behosh tha

Saaqia, kuch behesabi hogayi

 

Takalluf bartaraf, ay doston jab shaam aati hai

Na taqwa kaam ata hai na tauba kaam aati hai

Janab e shaikh ulajhtay hain kis ta’aluq say

Sharaab kay yeh koi rishtaydaar bhi to nahi hain

 

Yehi hai shar e paimana, yehi tafseer e maikhana

Kay lafzon mein dikhadoon kheench kay tasveer e maikhana

Tujhay jaana hai jannat mein, aray waiz

Jawan ho kar jo aya hai

Toh dekhay ja zara taseer e maikhana

 

Aray band ho jaye jab dar e tauba

Khol dena mehkaday ka darwaza

 

Shaam surkhi shafaq ki kehti hai

Asman bhi sharaab peeta hai

 

Aray kiyon na tootay meri tauba jo kahay tu saaqi

Pee lay, pee lay, aray ghangor ghata chayi hai

 

Badal ki tarah jhoom kay, lehra ka piyain gay

Saqi teray mehkhanay pay hum cha kay piyain gay

Is tarah say peenay kay nahi kibla aur Kaaba

waiz hein, yeh do chaar ko behka kay piyeen gay

 

Mehkashon ki saadgi itni pasand aayi humein

Chor kar hum dunya daaron ki dagar peenay lagay

Khair say deewar o dar ko bhi nasha rehnay laga

Ab to hum bhi apany ghar mein baith kar peenay lagay

 

Pa kay har aik kaam say fursat, sab he peetay hain magar

Jab bhi pee hai, toh kisi kaam say pee hai mein nay

Yeh to mehkhanay mein hota he chala aaya hai

Kabhi beydaam, kabhi daam say pee hai mein nay

 

Hazar baar qasam khai hai na jaanay ki

Kashish ajeeb hai laiken sharaab khanay ki

 

Aray la, aur bhi aik jam kay aaye hein ghatain

Ay saqi e mehkhana teri door balain

Pee lo gay toh ay shaikh zara garm raho gay

Thanda he na kardein kaheen jannat ki hawain

 

Ay saqi e mehkhana teri door balain

Mehkhanay pay ab jhoom kay aaye hein ghatain

Makhtor fiza aur yeh sarmast hawaein

Deta hai har aik rind tujhay dil say duain

Mehkhanay ka dar khol kay aur jam urain

Is mausam e gul rang ka ham jashn manain

Aisay may agar hazrat e waiz chalay ain

Mehkhawar unhey khoob meh e laab pilain

Inkar karein woh toh yeh hum keh kay manain

Pee jayo kay peena may zia kuch bhi nahi

Saqia jaam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahi

Saqi aur pila, aur pila, aur pila

 

Fitrat kay manazir ka zara dekh nazara

Aik lamha ki taakhir nahi ab toh gawara

Kiyon aayein al atash al atash ki sadaein

Dey jaam kay mehnosh zara piyaas bujhain

Yeh such hai kay chand roz ki mehman hai dunya

Alam ki besawati pay hairan hai dunya

Kis darja masail mein giriftar hey insaan

Har lehza woh sukoon ka talabgar hai insaan

Deewarein gham ki jab kay girata hai aadmi

Saqi teri panah mey ata hai aadmi

Gham ka ilaj aap ki nazron mein kuch bhi ho

Gham ka ilaj meri nazar mein sharaab hai

Nah ho mehkhana toh yeh rang e jahan kuch bhi nahi

Saqia jaam kay bin yaadd e jahan kuch bhi nahi

Saqi aur pila, aur pila, aur pila

 

Marmari jism, haseen chehra aur gudaaz badan

Woh jism e nazuk, woh nurm bahain

Haseen gurdan, sidol baazo

Shigufta chehra, salooni rangat,

Daraz e bal kay maheen abro

Nasheeli aankhein, raseeli chitwan

Ghanera choorha, siyah gayso

Buland qamat, tharkta seena

Sarapa shokhi, sarapa khushboo

 

Surkh aankhon ki qasam, kaanpti palkon ki qasam

Thar tharaye huay aansoo nahi dekhay jaatay

Ab to aghosh e tasawwur mein bhi aaya na karo

Mujh say bikhray huay gayso nahi daikhay jaatay

 

Valvala josh jawani, woh malahat, woh bhawan

Kali zulfein woh nazakat say sarakta aanchal

Rang e khayyam mein jis tarah say ghalib ki ghazal

Mehkada jaam surai bhi haseen raat bhi hai

Us haseena say meri aaj mulaqat bhi hai

Jee mein aata hay teri maang sitaron say bharoon

Chand ki kirnein teray rukh pay nichawar kardoon

Aaj ki raat bohat dair key baad aayi hai

Aaj ki raat bohat dair key baad aayi ho

Ji mein aata hai kay daanista shararat karloon

Shaikh sahab ki naseehat say baghawat karlon

Aur angoor ki paitty say mohabbat karloon

Na ho angoor ki paitty to maza kuch bhi nahin

Saqia jaam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahi

 

Ay rind e kharabat chalak jaye gulabi

Nadhar ho madhosh to fitrat ho sharabi

Yoon jaam utha choom kay rehjaye zamaana

Mehkhanay kar dar choom kay reh jaye zaman

Makhtoor fizaein ho toh madhosh zamana

Takrain agar jaam toh paida ho tarana

Jhalkain is andaz say mehkhawar sharabein

Waiz kay burhapay mein bhi cha jayein sharabein

Pee waiz e nadan ko pehlo mein bitha kar

Deewana koi poonchay gar josh mein akar

Toh keh dey yeh jhalakta hua jaam charha kar

Patta bhi nahi hilta baghair us ki raza kay

Na ho angoor ki paity to maza kuch bhi nahin

Saqia jaam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahi

 

Ban gaya insaan wohi jis nay bhi pee li sharab

Kis qadar ikseer hai angoor ki beti sharaab

is pay har aik zauq wala jaan karta hai fida

Aur kisi bay zauq ko achi nahi lagti sharaab

Aaj tu nay aik tabassum say nawaza hai mujhay

Aaj pehli baar pee hai chandni jaise sharaab

Is liyay peeta hoon mein bhi dostoon mein baant kar

Jaanto hoon kay chupaye say nahi chupti sharaab

Aik sharabi kay liyay kiya manzelien kiya rastay

Mein udhar ko chaldiya lay kar jidhar chal di sharaab

Gham say bhi chuthi nahi jaan meri umr bhar

Mein nay bhi ay sheikh peetay pee nahi sharaab

Na ho angoor ki paitty to maza kuch bhi nahin

Saqia jaam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahi

 

Har zarra e na cheez hai is waqt sharaabi

Har rind khush o khawab ka chehra hai shahabi

Peymana chalak ta hey damakti hai gulabi

Kafir hoon agar laayon na masti mein tabahi

Botal ki yeh surkhi hai ghataon ki siyahi

Aur is pay kisi shokh ki doseeda nigahi

Har jaam pay aayi hai jamayi pay jamayi

Jhurmat hai haseenon kay yeh darya kay kinaray

Phirtay hain nazar baz bhi seenon ko ubharay

Jhoolay mein cham a cham hey cham a cham hein isharay

Aa mast ghataon ki tarah rashq mein jhoomein

Masti say guzar jain machatay huay dhoomein

Gar jaam nahi hai toh samaa kuch bhi nahi

Saqia jaam kay bin yaad e jahan kuch bhi nahi