Dashi-Haar
By Syed Rasool Pompur
Dashi-Haar is a 112-Page collection of Kashmiri Poems in
20"x30"x16" size, published by the renowned
Kashmiri poet Shri Arjan Dev Majboor, twenty three
years ago in 1983. It comprises of about 38 poems,
eight ghazals (lyric), besides a translation of
Allama Iqbal's poem:
Digar Goon Hai Jahan Taroon Ki Gardish
Tez Hai Saaqi"
Besides using mothertongue as an essential and forceful vehicle of
creative thought Shri Majboor writes in Hindi and
Dogri also. An octagenarian-our elder and a
younger contemporary of Mirza Ghulam Hassan Beg
Arif, Dina Nath Nadim, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad
Mehjoor, Abdul Ahad Azad and Fazil Kashmiri Shri
AD Majboor has all along been associated with the
movement for the cultural, social, economic and
political justice of the downtrodden and common
people of
Kashmir.
The title 'Dashahar" relates to the historic tirtha held every ten
years at the confluence of Jehlum and Sindh at
Sumbal. A Chinar stands in the middle of Jehlum at
that place.
Majboor's poetry in the anthology under review is certainly an
embodiment of universal human love, brotherhood
and social equality, irrespective of caste, colour
and creed. Miseries of people, irrespective of
nature, have kept him constantly restless and in
melancholy as he himself comments in his forward
to the book. He has all through remained a
protagonist of eternal human and social values. At
times, he feels quite nostalgic about the
socio-cultural heritage of his motherland in the
form of composite culture facing extinction in
modern technical and cultural advancement.
Born in 1924 at Zanapur, a historic town, named
after and built by the great Kashmiri King Zainul
Abdin, Budshah (1420-70) as Kashmiri people call
him with love and reverence. As a dependable and
lovable neighbour, Shri Majboor is very well-known
to me, with his traditional, simple and truthful
lifestyle with human warmth and dedication. These
are the qualities which make and shape him as a
selfless and tireless human activist, as a
progressive writer with a clear social commitment
and vision:
A tale of thousands of years
of times and likes endless
having, just ended
He jumped into the Padamsar
(Wular
Lake)
Whispering that the time has
no today, and no tomorrow
collect and collate
the memories
and adorn them with
celestial union
to create a new world"
(Kathu Gor: Tale-Teller)
Like his individual person bedecked with simplicity, his poetic
diction is unambiguous, plain, refreshing nearest
to the vernacular language, artistically fitted
with local ethos, lore and legend:
Life with affectionate glances
tells them all
to sing the songs of
harmonious melodies
to lift the waves
above the celestial mansions
(Sovdru-Bathis Peth-On the Seashore)
I am a dauntless lover
My heart is like a dotless mirror
I have never hidden the truth.
and presented darkness as light
I could thus, never abandon eternal human love.
I have to nourish and nurture
the dew with eternal fir:
to keep up the human dignity intact.
and portray the spring of life in full bloom
(Yi-Myon Oond Pokh--My surroundings)
While going through the lines I can very well recall the distinct
and effective style of recitation of poems by
Majboor in poetic symposia conferences and other
literary seminars. Throughout his career he has
served as a dedicated, sincere and honest teacher.
He is a successful orator too.
Recalling his story in
Lahore prior to partition in 1947 he feels
nostalgic while peeping through the memory window:
Yes! This is the same city,
Sky of steel bridges, for which
in haste, I left behind
The highest mountain peaks
The heavenly circles
of Devdaar woods
The snow silver
head gears and yearning for vast
blossoming flowers - aside
I passionately loved it
The peaceful and delightful environs
of Lahore-enchant me
Lahore-where
Iqbal touched
heights of heavens
recollecting the memories
Make me restless
My footprints
Ragas of my musical waves
My buoyant youth
Human love and sincerity
Making a series of
Mountain peaks - into a garland of love -
{(Lohoor (Lahore)}
Kus Kari Bawath
(who will communicate), Tsitr-Kar (The
Painter), Kalpana (imagination),
Shinu-Mohniv (The snow man), Padi (The
Feet), Rqs. Jaari (The dance goes on),
Wuliodur (Agony), Lekhi Kya (what will he write),
Amar (Ambition,), Titsh Kath Chanu
(That is not the truth), Kol (The stream),
Harud (The autumn) and other shorter poems
and gazals present in Dashahaar form an
inseparable component of eternal, human love and
brotherhood passionately advocated and dedicatedly
represented by Shri AD Majboor, thus making it
more relevant even for today.
Majboor aptly remembers Lal Ded saying:
You are the hidden treasure
of Kashmiri Language
You are the flying boat of
the Universe
Burning Vyeth (river) of
eternal misery
And morning breeze for
human civilisations!
[Lal-Dedi Nazranu (To Lal Ded)]
Dashi-haar undoubtedly is a plausible and lovely collection of
poems of Majboor, requiring the attention of
discernible connoisseurs of Kashmiri poetry.
Strictly selected or restricted, single volume of
Kashmiri poetry comprising of the representative
poems.
*(The author was Editor Kashmiri, “Sheeraza”
Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. He is a
noted poet, essayist and well-known researcher. He
has published Kashmiri monographs on Abdul Sattar
Ranjoor, Chaman Lal Chaman, PN Pushp. His notable
publications include Aabgeenay (2005) - Urdu:
articles on and about Kashmiri Culture and
Literature; Wony For Gatshu: Whither shall I go
now (Short Stories 1986) etc. He has also been
associated in compilation and editing of
Dictionaries, Encyclopaedia etc. brought out by
J&K Cultural Academy from time to time.
Source: Kashmir
Sentinel
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