Munawwar Rana: A poet with sensitivity and sensibility

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 27 November 2023 Aap ko chehre se bhi beemaar hona chahiye Ishq hai toh ishq ka izhaar hona chahiye Munawwar Rana (You must appear unwell/ If you're in love, your countenance must reveal that; as they say in Urdu, Beemaar-e-ishq) Tumhari aankho ki tauheen hai zara socho Tumhara chahne wala sharaab peeta hai (Just think, it's an insult to your limpid and translucent eyes/ That who loves you, drinks from the goblet; and not from your eyes) Chalti-phirti hui aankhon se azaan dekhi hai Maine jannat toh nahin dekhi, ma dekhi hai (I've seen a moving Azaan/ I've not seen heaven but I've seen mother) So jaate hain footpath pe akhbaar bichhakar Mazdoor kabhi neend ki goli nahin khaate (They spread a newspaper and sleep/ Laborers don't take pills for sleep) Munawwar Rana's abovementioned couplets are proof that poetry, written in a simple language, can also appeal to the readers and listeners in a very effective manner. All that a poet needs are clarity of thoughts, correct and taut language and a heightened power of expression. Munawwar is endowed with all these prerequisites; and even more. His fondness for simple Hindi and Avadhi (he was born in UP but spent a considerable period of his life in Calcutta) words and avoidance of difficult Persian and Arabic words got him great popularity among the masses. But that doesn't mean, Rana's poetry is substandard or mediocre. This couplet underlines his poetic depth: Kuchh bikhri hui yaadon ke qisse bhi bahut thay/ Kuchh uss ne bhi baalon ko khula chhod diya tha (There were many stories of scattered memories/ She too let her tresses fall loose). Or this one, " Hum kuchh aise tere deedaar mein kho jaate hain/ Jaise bacche bhare baazaar mein kho jaate hain " (The way a child is lost in the market, I lose myself when I see you). One concurs with Rana when he says, " Nekiyaan gin-ne ki naubat hi nahin aayegi/ Maine jo maa par likha hai, wahi kaafi hoga " (There won't be any need to count my good deeds/ What I wrote on mother will be enough). Rana has given utmost respect and importance to human values and relations. If you want to have a cornucopia of mother's love, read Rana. Mother is the leitmotif of his poetry. In other words, mother is the guiding light in all his writings. He wrote couplets on sisterly love as well: Kisi ke zakhm par chahat se patti kaun baandhega/ Agar bahanein nahin hongi toh raakhi kaun baandhega (Who'll assuage the pain with love and affection/ If there won't be sisters, who'll tie rakhis?). He's a very sensitive poet with compassion. This couplet will prove that, " Farishte aa kar un ke jism par khushboo lagate hain/ Voh bacche rail ke dibbon mein jo jhaadoo lagate hain " (Angels apply scent to the bodies of those street urchins/ Who broom in railway compartments). Though a nice human and a brilliant poet, of late, he has been in the news for all wrong reasons like supporting Talibans and the gruesome killing of a French teacher in October 2020 for showing Muhammad's objectionable sketches in the class. His rigidity as a Muslim is now disturbingly obvious and his recent incendiary statements are unbecoming of a poet of his stature. This saddens all those who've loved him as a poet par excellence. They still love him. By the way, his Urdu ghazals were translated into English by Tapan Kumar Pradhan. I'm afraid, translations are pretty humdrum and don't do justice to the original ghazals in Urdu. … A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. --- URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/munawwar-rana-poet-sensibility/d/131192 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism