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Silicon Valley Urdu lovers pay homage to Farhat Kanpuri - II

Narm Jhokoo’n Ki Sada (The Sound of Soft Breeze)

It is an irony that the great work of Farhat Kanpuri, that was published during the 1930s and 1940s in the popular literary magazines Saqi, Zamana and Guldasta, remained obscure for more than half a century. The celebrated poet expired at a very young age of 47 years in 1952. Thanks to the efforts of her daughter, Vijay Nigam, anthology of Farhat’s work – Narm Jhokoo’n Ki Sada (The Sound of  Soft Breeze) - was published in 2008.

Why it took such a long time to publish his work? it is a very interesting story. Although her father was a great Urdu poet but Vijay Nigam, Farhat’s only child, didn’t know Urdu. Surprisingly, nobody in the family was familiar with Urdu language. Hence it was very difficult for her to compile and arrange her beloved father’s work in the form of Diwan. To fulfill her ambition to publish her father’s poetry, Nigam decided to learn Urdu language and joined the Urdu classes of Hamida Bano Chopra, a well know literary personality of SF Bay Area. Hameeda introduced Nigam to Prof. Aiman who graciously took the responsibility of editing Farhat’s Diwan.

Farhat Kanpuri’s anthology or Diwan is divided into three parts: The first part consists on ghazals, the second nazms and the third rubayiat. He has 111 ghazals to his credit. His 59 nazms covered varied subjects. Each section is preceded by an analytic comments by prominent scholars. Professor Mamun Aiman has analysed his ghazals. Prof. Sattia Paul Anand (Toronto, Canada) has written in detail about his nazams and Prof Yahya Nasheet Syed writes about his rubaiyat.

The poet is born, not made and Farhat was a born poet though he was a lawyer by profession. It is true that to be a poet is a condition, not a profession. 

Themes of his poetry are varied—love, the nature of human life and existence, people's role in the universe, free will versus predestination.

Farhat was a progressive poet. The theme of his poetry is neither religion nor politics nor recording of events. It embraces all aspects of human life, because the basic and the only theme of poetry, as that of all literature and art, is Man.

He had a highly eclectic mind and an attitude of cheerful irreverence towards institutionalized religion. He advocated the value of humans as human, regardless of their religion and race. This is best reflected in his poem My Religion:
 

It is rightly said that a poet's autobiography is his poetry. To borrow Robert Penn Warren, American poet, novelist and literary critic: What is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding? It is the deepest part of an autobiography. Farhat Kanpur’s poem “Mera Mazhab or My Religion” can be described his autobiography. The 24 verses poem encompasses his ideology and philosophy of life:

Jannat-o-Dozakh Ke Namo’n Se Jo Kuch’h Mosoom Hae
Mujh Se Such Poochcho Haqiqat In Kee Sab Maloom He

Mein Houn Insaa’n Mera Mazhab Jazba-e-Insanyat
Mein Houn Shaaer Mera Naghma Naghma-e-Insanyat

Hae Watan Maa’bood Mera, Mei’n Paristar-e-Watan
Hae Watan Mera Ma’alij, Mei’n Hoo’n Beemar-e-Watan

Mei’n Hoo’n Shaer Banda-e-Tafreeq-e-Mazhab Mei’n Nahee’n
Jo Mujhe Kafir Kahai, Kafir Se Wo Kam Nahee’n

American novelist and poet Don Marquis believes that publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo. By publishing her beloved father’s work after preserving it for six decades, Vijay Nigam has dropped a rose petal. Now she is eagerly waiting for the echo. Perhaps, the two recent events in the Silicon Valley to honor Farhat Kanpuri were that echo.

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