by ASGHAR VASANWALA
PHOTO/Hindi Lyrics
Our ancestors have left their giant footprints, high as walls, on the path that they left us to follow; it makes our travel very difficult . Demolish those walls.
For several years, in response to my website www.Mirza-Ghalib.org, many literature inquisitives surf the web, and hit my website. I get email query or calls from around the world asking me about Ghalib work, Ghazals sung by different singers, meaning of Urdu & Farsi words, and meanings of Urdu she’r. Last week Janab Reetesh Khare ‘sabr’ sent me an email asking meaning of the following beautiful she’r penned by the great Urdu poet Majrooh Sultanpuri. I sent him following explanation; I share the same with you.
Be-teesha-e-nazar, na chalo, raah-e-raftgaaN
Har naqsh-e-paa buland hai, deewaar ki taraH
Teesha= pick axe. Famous lover Farhad labored day and night, for months, and dug a canal of milk with a pickaxe and fulfilled the condition of marrying Shireen. However, after he fulfilled the condition, he found that he was lied; Shireen was already married to someone else. Farhad couldn’t bear the news and struck the same pickaxe on his own head and died. So Teesha is a famous word in Urdu Poetry
Be– teesha= without axe
Be-teesah-e-nazar= without axe of sight/eyes
Raah= street, walkway
Raah-e-Raftgaan= the path taken by past travellers/our ancestors
Naqsh=impression, foot print
Buland= high
Poets says that our ancestors have left their giant footprints, high as walls, on the path that they left us to follow; it makes our travel very difficult for no reason. So, when you take a path do not go without carrying a pickaxe of your (deep) sight (modern thoughts). While trading the path, keep on demolishing those high walls of giant footprints that ancestors have left. Make a new smooth way for yourself.
In past, our ancestors have established discriminatory rules against women, low caste, people of different religion, sex etc. These are giant footprints of our ancestors and they are high like walls and make our smooth travelling very difficult. So, while taking any path, carry a pick axe and demolish those old rules/foot prints.
Just think, the world now has 70% young people below 30 years. However, they are ruled by very old leaders whose thought and behaviors are rooted in last century. This is obvious from the parliaments, senates, and religious leaders that they are out of touch with the curr4ent time. Poet says demolish their ways and make a new path for yourself. The present is time of computer, gizmos, and technology, it is your time.
Amazingly beautiful verse.
Asghar Vasanwala can be reached at asgharfv@gmail.com