aadaab, dosto!

India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.

Ghazal

qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa

chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa

kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa

qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa

apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa

yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa

insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa

laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa

sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
:Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:16:45 PM UTC-7, Irfan Abid wrote:
> aadaab, dosto!
>
> India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
>
> Ghazal
>
> qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
>
> chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
>
> kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
>
> qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
>
> apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
>
> yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
>
> insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
>
> laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
>
> sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
>
> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

***mast-e-mai-e-nashaat thaa jo Qais-e-bazla-saNj
Aabid, tirii Ghazal ne use bhii rulaa diyaa!

R.K.***

On Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 06:01:46 UTC+1, Raj Kumar wrote:
> On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:16:45 PM UTC-7, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > aadaab, dosto!
> >
> > India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
> >
> > Ghazal
> >
> > qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> > har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
> >
> > chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> > ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
> >
> > kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> > qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
> >
> > qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> > marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
> >
> > apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> > bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
> >
> > yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> > dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
> >
> > insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> > maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
> >
> > laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> > haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
> >
> > sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> > :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
> >
> > niyaazmand,
> > Irfan :Abid:
> ***mast-e-mai-e-nashaat thaa jo Qais-e-bazla-saNj
> Aabid, tirii Ghazal ne use bhii rulaa diyaa!
>
> R.K.***

Irfan SaaHib, aadaab 3arz hai.

Thank you for posting your thoughts on the current horrendous Covid 19 situation in India and its effects on the people in terms of loss of life and the accompanying grief for the survivors. Please accept my heartfelt condolences for your personal losses. Our thoughts and prayers are with all suffering from this pandemic.

You have covered practically all angles of the tragedy in your poetic creation. For me the maqta3 sums it all. The "Earth Lords" (The Government) has really let the people down.

Regards,

Naseer

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

Thank you for expressing the myriad emotions that I have been feeling for the last few weeks. I personally can not find the words to document how I generally feel these days, a mixture of sadness, helplessness, anxiety, anger and then just plain exhaustion.

As you probably know, all of my immediate family still lives in India.They have been spared so far, but the devastation is all around them. Everyday I hear about someone I know getting sick or dying. The ground reality is even more harsh than what we see in the media.

One of my young cousins and her husband are both critical care physicians in one of the best private hospitals in suburban Chandigarh. Both of them, and their only child, have been very sick. The husband is still in ICU, almost lost his life, and actually had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh through a local MLA to get a dose of Remdesiver. If this is the situation with an in house physician, we can just imagine what common people are going through.

Another friend, her 19 year old only son, and her mom who lived with them, have all been patients in Bangalore. They too were fortunate enough to at least get hospital beds.The mom passed away three days ago, and the other two still in the same hospital, could not even say final goodbye to her.

The sad but stark truth is that such stories of relatively privileged Indians do not even come close to representing the current reality of masses.

Again, all I can say is thank you for writing this ghazal, though I wish you didn't have to. I will be sharing this with my dad, sister and other poetically inclined friends.

God have mercy on all.

______Zoya

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12:16:45 AM UTC-4, Irfan Abid wrote:
> aadaab, dosto!
>
> India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
>
> Ghazal
>
> qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
>
> chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
>
> kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
>
> qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
>
> apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
>
> yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
>
> insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
>
> laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
>
> sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
>
> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

“qaatil ko ham ne “des”kaa maalik banaa diyaa
har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa “

How true, indeed!
aap ne bilkul sahiiH farmaayaa, janaab!
Aap jaise adeeb hi un “andh-bhaktoN” ki aankheN khol de shaayad!

Aap ne Ghazal nahiiN likhii, Hindustan ki mazlum avaam ko zubaan dee hai, jazaakAllah o Khairan!🙏🙏🙏

== =================

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 1:01:46 AM UTC-4, Raj Kumar wrote:
> On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:16:45 PM UTC-7, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > aadaab, dosto!
> >
> > India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
> >
> > Ghazal
> >
> > qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> > har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
> >
> > chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> > ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
> >
> > kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> > qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
> >
> > qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> > marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
> >
> > apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> > bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
> >
> > yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> > dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
> >
> > insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> > maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
> >
> > laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> > haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
> >
> > sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> > :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
> >
> > niyaazmand,
> > Irfan :Abid:
> ***mast-e-mai-e-nashaat thaa jo Qais-e-bazla-saNj
> Aabid, tirii Ghazal ne use bhii rulaa diyaa!
>
> R.K.***
>

muhtaram RK sb, aadaab arz hai!

nigaah-e-karam kaa shukriya! aap ko rulaanaa maqsuud nahiiN thaa, lekin kyaa kiyaa jaaye, haalaat hii kuchh aise haiN.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 10:29:48 AM UTC-4, Naseer wrote:
> On Thursday, 6 May 2021 at 06:01:46 UTC+1, Raj Kumar wrote:
> > On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:16:45 PM UTC-7, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > > aadaab, dosto!
> > >
> > > India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
> > >
> > > Ghazal
> > >
> > > qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> > > har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
> > >
> > > chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> > > ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
> > >
> > > kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> > > qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
> > >
> > > qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> > > marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
> > >
> > > apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> > > bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
> > >
> > > yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> > > dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
> > >
> > > insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> > > maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
> > >
> > > laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> > > haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
> > >
> > > sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> > > :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
> > >
> > > niyaazmand,
> > > Irfan :Abid:
> > ***mast-e-mai-e-nashaat thaa jo Qais-e-bazla-saNj
> > Aabid, tirii Ghazal ne use bhii rulaa diyaa!
> >
> > R.K.***
> Irfan SaaHib, aadaab 3arz hai.
>
> Thank you for posting your thoughts on the current horrendous Covid 19 situation in India and its effects on the people in terms of loss of life and the accompanying grief for the survivors. Please accept my heartfelt condolences for your personal losses. Our thoughts and prayers are with all suffering from this pandemic.
>
> You have covered practically all angles of the tragedy in your poetic creation. For me the maqta3 sums it all. The "Earth Lords" (The Government) has really let the people down.
>
> Regards,
>
> Naseer
>

Naseer sb, aadaab arz hai!

Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and comments!

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 10:41:29 AM UTC-4, Zoya wrote:
> Irfan sahib,
>
> aadaab,
>
> Thank you for expressing the myriad emotions that I have been feeling for the last few weeks. I personally can not find the words to document how I generally feel these days, a mixture of sadness, helplessness, anxiety, anger and then just plain exhaustion.
>
> As you probably know, all of my immediate family still lives in India.They have been spared so far, but the devastation is all around them. Everyday I hear about someone I know getting sick or dying. The ground reality is even more harsh than what we see in the media.
>
> One of my young cousins and her husband are both critical care physicians in one of the best private hospitals in suburban Chandigarh. Both of them, and their only child, have been very sick. The husband is still in ICU, almost lost his life, and actually had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh through a local MLA to get a dose of Remdesiver. If this is the situation with an in house physician, we can just imagine what common people are going through.
>
> Another friend, her 19 year old only son, and her mom who lived with them, have all been patients in Bangalore. They too were fortunate enough to at least get hospital beds.The mom passed away three days ago, and the other two still in the same hospital, could not even say final goodbye to her.
>
> The sad but stark truth is that such stories of relatively privileged Indians do not even come close to representing the current reality of masses.
>
> Again, all I can say is thank you for writing this ghazal, though I wish you didn't have to. I will be sharing this with my dad, sister and other poetically inclined friends.
>
> God have mercy on all.
>
> ______Zoya
>

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Thank you for your kind words! You are right, the situation on the ground is far worse than what media shows and can show. From what I have personally learned in the last week or so, I can tell you that this is unprecedented not only in my experience, but even in the experience of people much older than me. Just this afternoon I received the sad news of my first cousin (daughter of my Khala/Mausi) passing away from COVID. I have no idea where this chain will end. May God have mercy on all of us.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 2:52:30 PM UTC-4, B.G. M. wrote:
> On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12:16:45 AM UTC-4, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > aadaab, dosto!
> >
> > India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
> >
> > Ghazal
> >
> > qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> > har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
> >
> > chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> > ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
> >
> > kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> > qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
> >
> > qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> > marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
> >
> > apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> > bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
> >
> > yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> > dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
> >
> > insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> > maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
> >
> > laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> > haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
> >
> > sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> > :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
> >
> > niyaazmand,
> > Irfan :Abid:
> “qaatil ko ham ne “des”kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa “
>
> How true, indeed!
> aap ne bilkul sahiiH farmaayaa, janaab!
> Aap jaise adeeb hi un “andh-bhaktoN” ki aankheN khol de shaayad!
>
> Aap ne Ghazal nahiiN likhii, Hindustan ki mazlum avaam ko zubaan dee hai, jazaakAllah o Khairan!🙏🙏🙏
>
> == =================>

BGM sb, aadaab!

nazar-e-inaayat aur pazeeraaii kaa shukriya!

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

On Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 10:46:44 PM UTC-5, Irfan Abid wrote:

> Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Irfan sahib, aadaab,

> Thank you for your kind words! You are right, the situation on the ground is far worse than what media shows and can show. From what I have personally learned in the last week or so, I can tell you that this is unprecedented not only in my experience, but even in the experience of people much older than me.

So true. Since the 1918 pandemic, no other generation has experienced what we are currently going through. Unprecedented time.

Even though things seem to be getting better around here, there is still a lot of unpredictability about future. And there is little relief for those of us connected with India.

At personal level, I often think my mom was lucky that she passed away in late Feb 2020, it has been a different world since then. It seems like a huge blessing that I was able to be with her in India during her last days and the funeral. I constantly worry about my dad now, in the past week, he has lost several of his senior citizen friends to Covid. I also have anxiety about my sister and her family, and both of us worry about our only, younger brother who as a field IPS officer is sometimes on the frontlines dealing with crowds. If this is how I feel while being far removed from the ground reality, it is unimaginable how people in India must be dealing with it firsthand.

Just this afternoon I received the sad news of my first cousin (daughter of my Khala/Mausi) passing away from COVID. I have no idea where this chain will end. May God have mercy on all of us.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the loss of your cousin, and the other friends/relatives you have recently lost. You are right, no end in sight. In the meantime, let us do whatever we can to support one another in any way big or small.

Irfan sahib, just communicating with you is making me feel a little better. Thank you for making my world a bit kinder, a bit gentler.

> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

Please take good care of yourself,

______Zoya

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

I just want to let you know that I had forwarded your ghazal to some of my relatives and friends of Indian origin, and it has deeply touched everyone.

In particular, I want to pass on my dad's comments to you, in exact same words that he used. Dad said and I directly quote:

This ghazal, written with political undertones is in fact a "humanitarian statement". It is "poetically perfect", a "remarkable rendering" of heartfelt sentiments that directly touches the reader's heart.

I actually told dad to pause while he was talking, so I could take notes! He is also going to forward the ghazal to some of his friends, my 'uncles' who are all into Urdu poetry. I love to congregate with the group while visiting my hometown.

Irfan sahib, once again thanks for writing and sharing this ghazal. I am in awe of the gift that you have to express even such painful emotions in a dignified, lyrical way.

_______Zoya

Irfan sahib,

Read your Ghazal ... and ... you have poignantly captured the desperation/anger that we all are feeling :( For a wannabe super power, pharmacy capital of the world, etc. we are failing our people woefully :( What is worse is the leaders (of all parties) seem to still be focused on politics and business more than saving lives! Yes, I am not supposed to discuss politics and religion on this forum but, Bharat meiN jO hahaakaar machaa hai, bardaasht se (bahut) baahar hai :(

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 10:16:45 PM UTC-6, Irfan Abid wrote:
> aadaab, dosto!
>
> India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
>
> Ghazal
>
> qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
>

What (unfortunate) imagery ....

> chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
>

Living here in USA, it makes you feel even more guilty :(

> kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
>
> qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
>

How sad :(

> apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
>

As you are aware, this is not that straight forward, Irfan sahib. Especially for those who live in the neighborhood. When taking the risk to help means risking your life ... that is a hard decision to make ... after all you have your own commitments to think about :(

> yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
>

Indeed!

> insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
>
> laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
>
> sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
>
A befitting maqta!

> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

Friends,

As mentioned earlier, I had forwarded this ghazal to some of my relatives and friends. One of my friends, Faheem sahib, who is also originally from India, has recorded the ghazal with visuals, with Irfan sahib's prior permission.

I am sharing the link to the YouTube recording here. It is a visual and oral illustration of the gut wrenching reality of the catastrophic situation in India that Irfan sahib's ghazal has captured so effectively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMryQbQa3Y

__________Zoya

On Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 11:42:44 AM UTC-4, Zoya wrote:
> Irfan sahib,
>
> aadaab,
>
> I just want to let you know that I had forwarded your ghazal to some of my relatives and friends of Indian origin, and it has deeply touched everyone.
>
> In particular, I want to pass on my dad's comments to you, in exact same words that he used. Dad said and I directly quote:
>
> This ghazal, written with political undertones is in fact a "humanitarian statement". It is "poetically perfect", a "remarkable rendering" of heartfelt sentiments that directly touches the reader's heart.
>
> I actually told dad to pause while he was talking, so I could take notes! He is also going to forward the ghazal to some of his friends, my 'uncles' who are all into Urdu poetry. I love to congregate with the group while visiting my hometown.
>
> Irfan sahib, once again thanks for writing and sharing this ghazal. I am in awe of the gift that you have to express even such painful emotions in a dignified, lyrical way.
>
> _______Zoya
>

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Thanks for sharing this Ghazal with your esteemed dad and thanks for passing his valuable comments to me! What he said is extremely satisfying. Please convey my most sincere gratitude to him.

Sincerely,
Irfan :Abid:

On Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 2:26:53 PM UTC-4, Dinesh Shenoy wrote:
> Irfan sahib,
>
> Read your Ghazal ... and ... you have poignantly captured the desperation/anger that we all are feeling :( For a wannabe super power, pharmacy capital of the world, etc. we are failing our people woefully :( What is worse is the leaders (of all parties) seem to still be focused on politics and business more than saving lives! Yes, I am not supposed to discuss politics and religion on this forum but, Bharat meiN jO hahaakaar machaa hai, bardaasht se (bahut) baahar hai :(
> On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 10:16:45 PM UTC-6, Irfan Abid wrote:
> > aadaab, dosto!
> >
> > India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
> >
> > Ghazal
> >
> > qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> > har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
> >
> What (unfortunate) imagery ....
> > chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> > ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
> >
> Living here in USA, it makes you feel even more guilty :(
> > kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> > qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
> >
> > qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> > marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
> >
> How sad :(
> > apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> > bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
> >
> As you are aware, this is not that straight forward, Irfan sahib. Especially for those who live in the neighborhood. When taking the risk to help means risking your life ... that is a hard decision to make ... after all you have your own commitments to think about :(
> > yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> > dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
> >
> Indeed!
> > insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> > maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
> >
> > laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> > haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
> >
> > sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> > :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
> >
> A befitting maqta!
>
> > niyaazmand,
> > Irfan :Abid:
>

Dinesh sb, aadaab!

I am not sure if we communicated with each other before, so please let me first say that it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for taking a look at and appreciating this humble attempt of mine.

What you said about she'r #5 is right. However, it's not about those who hesitated to help their neighbors, if that's what you had in mind. It's about those who refused to go near or touch the sick and dead in their own family. Strangers stepped in and fulfilled their responsibilities.

Sincerely,
Irfan :Abid:

On Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 4:06:15 PM UTC-4, Zoya wrote:
> Friends,
>
> As mentioned earlier, I had forwarded this ghazal to some of my relatives and friends. One of my friends, Faheem sahib, who is also originally from India, has recorded the ghazal with visuals, with Irfan sahib's prior permission.
>
> I am sharing the link to the YouTube recording here. It is a visual and oral illustration of the gut wrenching reality of the catastrophic situation in India that Irfan sahib's ghazal has captured so effectively.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMryQbQa3Y
>
> __________Zoya
>

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Thanks for sharing this Ghazal with Faheem sb and thanks for sharing his rendering with us! I think he has done an excellent job. Please convey my thanks and appreciation to him.

Sincerely,
Irfan :Abid:

Irfan sahib,

I am by "no means" claiming any authority in the correct pronunciation of urdu words but, the guttural pronunciation of many words, Ex : qaatil, qabreiN, qataareiN, sounds ... unusual?

Dinesh

On Saturday, May 15, 2021 at 10:21:41 PM UTC-6, Irfan Abid wrote:

<snip>

> >
> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMryQbQa3Y
> >

<snip>

>
> Sincerely,
> Irfan :Abid:

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 8:03:05 PM UTC-5, Dinesh Shenoy wrote:
> Irfan sahib,
>
> I am by "no means" claiming any authority in the correct pronunciation of urdu words but, the guttural pronunciation of many words, Ex : qaatil, qabreiN, qataareiN, sounds ... unusual?
>
> Dinesh
>

> > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMryQbQa3Y

Dinesh sahib,

Even though your question is for Irfan sahib, please let me address it because I know exactly what you are talking about.

Faheem sahib is a very old friend of mine, I have known him practically all my adult life. And this is something I have been arguing with him for years! I can't even tell you how much it has always bothered me when he calls one of my favorite miThaais 'KhalaaKhand'. He has even tried to convince me a few times this is how 'qalaaqand' should be pronounced. Can you imagine, trying to convince me on something like this? Of course, it has never worked, I'd rather call it 'kalaakand'! Sweet. :-)

I think the real issue is that he is originally from Hyderabad Deccan, so he speaks Deccani Urdu and 'q' qaaf sounds like 'Kh' sometimes. You will not believe this, Faheem sahib had sent me the first two cuts of Irfan sahib's ghazal's recording, and I had strongly objected to that words like 'qabreN, qataareN' etc did not sound right to me. By the third cut, I was like all right, whatever, just post it.

So, it is a Hyderabadi accent, and for the sake of our friendship, I have tried to make peace with it. Now that you have given me new ammunition, I will call Faheem sahib in the morning and tell him "See, I am always right. You should listen to me more. Even Dinesh sahib agrees with me on this one, and he is not even a Punjabi!" :-))

Thank you,

______Zoya

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 10:24:04 PM UTC-6, Zoya wrote:
> On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 8:03:05 PM UTC-5, Dinesh Shenoy wrote:
> > Irfan sahib,
> >
> > I am by "no means" claiming any authority in the correct pronunciation of urdu words but, the guttural pronunciation of many words, Ex : qaatil, qabreiN, qataareiN, sounds ... unusual?
> >
> > Dinesh
> >
> > > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMryQbQa3Y
>
> Dinesh sahib,
>
> Even though your question is for Irfan sahib, please let me address it because I know exactly what you are talking about.
>
> Faheem sahib is a very old friend of mine, I have known him practically all my adult life. And this is something I have been arguing with him for years! I can't even tell you how much it has always bothered me when he calls one of my favorite miThaais 'KhalaaKhand'. He has even tried to convince me a few times this is how 'qalaaqand' should be pronounced. Can you imagine, trying to convince me on something like this? Of course, it has never worked, I'd rather call it 'kalaakand'! Sweet. :-)
>
> I think the real issue is that he is originally from Hyderabad Deccan, so he speaks Deccani Urdu and 'q' qaaf sounds like 'Kh' sometimes. You will not believe this, Faheem sahib had sent me the first two cuts of Irfan sahib's ghazal's recording, and I had strongly objected to that words like 'qabreN, qataareN' etc did not sound right to me. By the third cut, I was like all right, whatever, just post it.
>
> So, it is a Hyderabadi accent, and for the sake of our friendship, I have tried to make peace with it. Now that you have given me new ammunition, I will call Faheem sahib in the morning and tell him "See, I am always right. You should listen to me more. Even Dinesh sahib agrees with me on this one, and he is not even a Punjabi!" :-))
>
> Thank you,
>
> ______Zoya

Thank you, Zoya sahiba. Like I said before, my knowledge of Urdu language/poetry/pronunciation/meter are woefully inadequate. All I can claim is my love for the language/poetry/meter are 'comparable' to those who grace this group. Having said that ... from a Urdu exposure stand point you can call me a 'Hyderabadi'. Because, that is where (ages 17 - 22) I was truly exposed to it, found like-minded friends, and developed this interest for Urdu. Even in Hyderabad, I have NEVER heard anyone have a guttural sound for these words. Then again, that doesn't amount to much :) It reminds me of a Meer's sher, but I will post it in the AKS3 conversation :)

Dinesh

P.S : I have always loved your style of writing ... respectful to the knowledgable, playful when apt, and most importantly ... very sincere ... khush rahiye!

On Monday, May 17, 2021 at 9:12:08 PM UTC-5, Dinesh Shenoy wrote:

> Thank you, Zoya sahiba. Like I said before, my knowledge of Urdu language/poetry/pronunciation/meter are woefully inadequate. All I can claim is my love for the language/poetry/meter are 'comparable' to those who grace this group. Having said that ... from a Urdu exposure stand point you can call me a 'Hyderabadi'. Because, that is where (ages 17 - 22) I was truly exposed to it, found like-minded friends, and developed this interest for Urdu. Even in Hyderabad, I have NEVER heard anyone have a guttural sound for these words. Then again, that doesn't amount to much :)

Dinesh sahib,

I hear you, and I can't really claim to be an expert on accents either. I made the assumption based on my small sample of Deccani Urdu speaking friends. Now I am also curious about what Irfan sahib might say regarding this, and hopefully Afzal sahib also since he has lived in several parts of South India. Let us see.

In any case, the real focus remains on how powerful and sensitive both Irfan sahib's ghazal and Faheem sahib's visual/audio presentation are.

It reminds me of a Meer's sher, but I will post it in the AKS3 conversation :)
>
> Dinesh
>
> P.S : I have always loved your style of writing ... respectful to the knowledgable, playful when apt, and most importantly ... very sincere ... khush rahiye!

Awww, this is so sweet. Thanks a bunch for such beautiful and kind words. You have really made my day! :-))

I am exporting your compliments to AKS3 thread, to be continued there.

______Zoya

On Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 12:11:49 PM UTC-4, Zoya wrote:
> On Monday, May 17, 2021 at 9:12:08 PM UTC-5, Dinesh Shenoy wrote:
>
> > Thank you, Zoya sahiba. Like I said before, my knowledge of Urdu language/poetry/pronunciation/meter are woefully inadequate. All I can claim is my love for the language/poetry/meter are 'comparable' to those who grace this group. Having said that ... from a Urdu exposure stand point you can call me a 'Hyderabadi'. Because, that is where (ages 17 - 22) I was truly exposed to it, found like-minded friends, and developed this interest for Urdu. Even in Hyderabad, I have NEVER heard anyone have a guttural sound for these words. Then again, that doesn't amount to much :)
> Dinesh sahib,
>
> I hear you, and I can't really claim to be an expert on accents either. I made the assumption based on my small sample of Deccani Urdu speaking friends. Now I am also curious about what Irfan sahib might say regarding this, and hopefully Afzal sahib also since he has lived in several parts of South India. Let us see.
>
> In any case, the real focus remains on how powerful and sensitive both Irfan sahib's ghazal and Faheem sahib's visual/audio presentation are.
> It reminds me of a Meer's sher, but I will post it in the AKS3 conversation :)
> >
> > Dinesh
> >
> > P.S : I have always loved your style of writing ... respectful to the knowledgable, playful when apt, and most importantly ... very sincere ... khush rahiye!
> Awww, this is so sweet. Thanks a bunch for such beautiful and kind words. You have really made my day! :-))
>
> I am exporting your compliments to AKS3 thread, to be continued there.
>
> ______Zoya
>

Zoya sahiba, aadaab!

Thanks for clearing Dinesh sb's doubts about the pronunciation of certain words. I know folks from Hyderabad pronounce 'q' as 'Kh.' We from the north find it awkward because 'Kh' is a separate letter in the Urdu alphabet, but they somehow manage to differentiate between 'q' and 'Kh.' Based on my conversation with some of my Hyderabadi friends, they do realize it's a problem for non-Hyderabadi folks, but they can't help it as it's in their speech since childhood.

Some other friends with whom I shared the video have had the same issue as Dinesh sb. Would it be possible for you to request Faheem sb to post the Ghazal in the description? That may help those who can't follow his pronunciation.

niyaazmand,
Irfan :Abid:

> Zoya sahiba, aadaab!
>
> Thanks for clearing Dinesh sb's doubts about the pronunciation of certain words. I know folks from Hyderabad pronounce 'q' as 'Kh.' We from the north find it awkward because 'Kh' is a separate letter in the Urdu alphabet, but they somehow manage to differentiate between 'q' and 'Kh.' Based on my conversation with some of my Hyderabadi friends, they do realize it's a problem for non-Hyderabadi folks, but they can't help it as it's in their speech since childhood.

Irfan sahib,

aadaab,

Thanks for validating my assumption.

I'm smiling at the statement that your Hyderabadi friends think this is a problem for 'us non-Hyderabadi folks'. Maybe I need to talk to your friends, maybe pretty soon I'll have them saying that the 'problem' is with 'them', not us! :-)

> Some other friends with whom I shared the video have had the same issue as Dinesh sb. Would it be possible for you to request Faheem sb to post the Ghazal in the description? That may help those who can't follow his pronunciation.
Excellent suggestion. In fact, I actually included a written copy of the ghazal when I forwarded the audiovisual link to people. I just spoke to Faheem sahib regarding this, he says he will post the Roman version in the description if I send it to him as a word file. Consider it done. That will be easier than fixing the actual recording with embedded visuals.

> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

And now a quick follow up note for Dinesh sahib:

When I told Faheem sahib that my Alup friend Dinesh sahib, who actually lived in Hyderabad for a few years, never heard 'q' being spoken as 'Kh', he said that you must have lived in the newer part of Hyderabad. He went on to add that only the 'real original Hyderabadis', from the older part of the city talk like this.Then he reminded me that since his family is actually related to the Nizam, they speak the authentic Hyderabadi Urdu! :)

ab kyaa kiyaa jaaye, yeh janaab mere barsoN puraane dost haiN, so kuChh na kuChh shaahaana mizaaj to in kaa bhi bantaa hai! :-))

_______Zoya

Shaabaash, Abid Sahib! Your ghazal reminded me of qaht-e bangaal, and I mean that as a compliment.

iflās kī maarī huī maḳhlūq sar-e-rāh
be-gor-o-kafan ḳhāk-ba-sar dekh rahā huuñ

Thanks for a very moving composition! I had to look up "qataar". Platt says it is "qitaar" and "qataar" is vulgar. The word was new to me.

Regards,

Nagesh

On Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:16:45 PM UTC-7, Irfan Abid wrote:
> aadaab, dosto!
>
> India meN Corona ne jo qahr barpaa kar rakkhaa hai, aap us se vaaqif hoNge. guzishtah hafte bhar meN mujhe apne kayii aziiz-o-aqrabaa kii maut kii Khabar mil chukii hai. in haalaat meN shaairii kii jaanib tabii’at maail to nahiiN hotii, lekin do teen roz qabl haalaat ke zer e asar kuchh ash’aar zihn se baraamad hue jo pesh-e-Khidmat haiN. aap se marhuumiin kii maGhfirat aur mareezoN kii sehat kii duaa kii darKhvaast hai.
>
> Ghazal
>
> qaatil ko ham ne shahr kaa maalik banaa diyaa
> har ghar meN us ne maut ko laa kar biThaa diyaa
>
> chaahaa thaa dostoN ne dukhoN kaa koii ilaaj
> ham ne unheN chitaaoN pe rakh kar jalaa diyaa
>
> kuchh aqrabaa kii neeNd uRaa dii thii dard ne
> qabreN banaa ke ham ne unheN bhii sulaa diyaa
>
> qismat ne zindagii meN qataareN jo diiN so diiN
> marne pe phir qataar meN ham ko lagaa diyaa
>
> apnaa hai kaun, kaun paraayaa, yih khul gayaa
> bas ik balaa ne aaNkh se pardaa haTaa diyaa
>
> yih haal hai ki saaNs bhii lenaa muhaal hai
> dunyaa ne kaisaa zihr havaa meN milaa diyaa
>
> insaan mar rahaa hai yahaaN jaanvar kii maut
> maalik, yih kis gunaah kaa tuu ne silaa diyaa
>
> laasheN paRii huii haiN jidhar dekhiye vahiiN
> haaye, yih kis ne shahr ko maqtal banaa diyaa
>
> sajde to un ko ham ne kiye baarhaa magar
> :Abid: hameN zamiiN ke KhudaaoN ne kyaa diyaa
>
> niyaazmand,
> Irfan :Abid:

On Monday, May 24, 2021 at 9:45:31 AM UTC-7, Nagesh wrote:
>
> Shaabaash, Abid Sahib! Your ghazal reminded me of qaht-e bangaal, and I mean that as a compliment.
***Welcome back, Nagesh sahib. ham to samjhe the k aap is mai-kade ki raah bhuul baiThe haiN magar shukr hai k aaj bhuule-bhaTke aap idhar aa hi nikle haiN. :-)

(i) Huzuur, aek zamaana tha k aap yahaaN ilm-e-aruuz ki class meN ba-taur-e-shaagird shaamil huye the. us class ke ustaad Irfan sahib the, aek Zoya naam ki dosheeza aap ki ham-jamaa'at thiiN aur kabhi kabhi Khaaksaar bhi ba-taur-e-TA vaarid ho jaata tha. phir, na jaane, kyaa hu'aa k aap yak-laKht ruu-posh ho gaye aur Zoya sahiba is class ki iklautii shaagirda rah ga'iiN.

ab aap yeh bataa'iye k aap ilm-e-aruuz ki class meN phir se aane lageN ge yaa k ------- enough is enough! :-)

(ii) aap ne Irfan sahib ko un ki is jaaN-soz taKhliiq par "shaabaash" kahaa hai aur yaqeenan sachche dil se kahaa hai.
maiN sirf yeh kahna chaahuuN ga k hamaari ganga-jamni tahziib meN ustaad shaagirdoN ko "shaabaash" kahte haiN, shaagird ustaaadoN ko "shaabaaash" nahiiN kahte.

haaN, agar aap ke Khayaal meN Irfan sahib aap ke muqaabile meN 'kam-sin' haiN to phir *judii* baat hai!*** :-)

> Thanks for a very moving composition! I had to look up "qataar". Platt says it is "qitaar" and "qataar" is vulgar. The word was new to me.
>
***A word re the word 'qataar':

Nagesh sahib, go k is lafz ka Arabi talaffuz 'qitaar' hai aur is ka 'so-called vulgar' talaffuz 'qataar', magar Hindo-Pak meN ise ziyaada-tar 'qataar' hi kahaa jaata hai --- even among well-read people.

is zimn meN, aap ko yeh dekhna chaahiye k Platts ne is lafz ke mazeed 'derivatives' meN is lafz ko kaise likkhaa hai.
aap dekheN ga k vahaaN 'qataar baaNdhnaa' aur 'qataar meN' likkhaa gayaa hai, na k 'qitaar baaNdhnaa' yaa 'qitaar meN' --- agar maiN un ka TA hota to vahaaN 'qataar-aNdar-qataar' bhi darj ho jaata! :-)

My point is that not only is the pronunciation 'qataar' acceptable, it is also more commonly used than 'qitaar'.

Khair-aNdesh, Raj Kumar***

On Monday, 24 May 2021 at 17:45:31 UTC+1, Nagesh wrote:
> Shaabaash, Abid Sahib! Your ghazal reminded me of qaht-e bangaal, and I mean that as a compliment.
>
> iflās kī maarī huī maḳhlūq sar-e-rāh
> be-gor-o-kafan ḳhāk-ba-sar dekh rahā huuñ
>
> Thanks for a very moving composition! I had to look up "qataar". Platt says it is "qitaar" and "qataar" is vulgar. The word was new to me.
>
> Regards,
>
> Nagesh

Nagesh SaaHib, aadaab.

The word surely can not be new to you. A "muhazzab" parson like you must have stood in a queue on a few occasions in your life!:-)

Naseer