Poetry of Love, Longing and Liberation: Shahid Parvez Sayed's words haunt, stay with reader
Correspondent
NewsBits.in
It's not an easy task to review poetry collections, especially, in Urdu that has such a strong poetic tradition.
On one hand, there are poets who keep penning ghazals in classical style for years.
Then, on the other hand, there are writers for whom poetry is a medium to experiment and they try to break barriers of language or others who impress the readers with rich vocabulary and romanticism.
Shahid Parvez Sayed's collection of poetry, 'Aaine Hairaan Hain', doesn't fall in these categories. It has another quality--it's intensity of emotions and honesty. His verses have a rare freshness and after reading just a few verses, the reader strikes a chord with the poet.
The nazms will haunt you for days after you have finished the book. Though its a poetry collection, Shahid has recounted his early life and his stuggles in a chapter 'flashback' in the beginning. This is a deeply moving account and it grips the reader. Apart from ghazals, verses like Ration Card, Rotiyaan, Dozakh, Yaad Tumhein Kaun Aata Hai and Ramzan cast a strong impression on the reader.
Shahid's language is lucid and direct but at times the intensity of expressions can surprise too. The sudden anger, it's not a mere complaint but a protest as he seemingly talks about the beloved's city and its menacing streets. Sample these lines from his collection:
....Sab mere junoo.n ke hai.n talabgaar raaste
jitne hai.n tere shahr ke khoo.nkhaar raaste...
Or
Nahii.n saath isne diya hai kisi ka
Bharosa karei.n Khaak is zindagi ka
Otherwise, he can be as subtle and direct about life:
Har qadam ek haadsa milta rahaa...
Zinda rahne ka sila milta raha...
A short nazm:
Yaad hai
Jahaa.n ye saDak khatm hoti hai
wahee.n ek jannat shuroo hua karti thi kabhi
ab jis saDak par mai.n rahta hoo.n
wahaa.n na kuchh shuroo hota hai
aur na hi khatm
dozakh bhi nahi.n
"It's clear that the experience of displacement, migration to the west, has affected him deeply. Love, loneliness, anger, frustration, anxieties, hope and despair, all the emotions that are part of modern life, are reflected in his poetry", writes litterateur Saba Ganjvi about Shahid Parvez Sayed's collection.
The collection that runs into nearly 150 pages has nearly 100 ghazals and nazms. The book has been published from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Apart from Urdu, the poetry collection is also available in Devnagari (Hindi) script. The book is available on Amazon (Kindle edition) and can be obtained from this link.