tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-209898922024-03-13T20:52:47.214-07:00Moments of TranquilityPolitics, Literature, Music, Culture, South Asia and moreFawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-49984506108818941902020-03-28T15:48:00.002-07:002020-03-28T15:49:31.868-07:00Bob Dylan's "Murder Most Foul" - Greatness Uninterrupted<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year on the 24th of May, Bob Dylan, the greatest singer songwriter of all times turns 79!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was 58 years ago, in 1962, when his debut album, "Bob Dylan", consisting mostly of folk songs was released. The man has demonstrated an astounding combination of vision, talent, versatility, hard work and stamina. I have been fortunate to see Dylan in concert twice; the first time on July 28th, 2007 in Kelseyville, CA at the Konocti Harbor Resort Amphitheater (<a href="http://www.bobdylan.com/date/2007-07-28-konocti-harbor-resort-spa-amphitheatre/" target="_blank">Setlist</a>) and then last year on October 14th, 2019 at the Frost Amphitheater at Stanford University (<a href="http://www.bobdylan.com/date/2019-10-14-stanford-univ-frost-amphitheatre-palo-alto-california/" target="_blank">Setlist</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though I return to listen to Dylan regularly, true to his unpredictable self, Dylan dropped a wonderful new track this week in the middle of the Covid-19 madness. Not only did this new track, "Murder Most Foul" give his fans an unexpected gift, its gives everyone another reason to revisit his legendary songbook. The new track, released at midnight on March 27th, is a 17 minute marvel in the mould of classic Dylan. It is the longest song in his discography, to date. The song revolves around the events surrounding the Kennedy assassination and takes off in many different directions, dropping a mind-boggling array of popular culture references that highlight the permanent impact of this seminal event in American history. 1963 was also a pivotal year in Dylan's own career with the release of "The Freewheeling' Bob Dylan", his first Platinum Album. So in some ways Dylan's life and career run parallel to American history in the wake of the Kennedy assasination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Complete Lyrics: (courtesy: Genius.com)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[Verse 1]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was a dark day in Dallas, November '63<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />A day that will live on in infamy<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />President Kennedy was a-ridin' high<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Good day to be livin' and a good day to die</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">He said, "</span>Wait a minute, boys<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, you know who I am?"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"Of course we do, we know who you are!"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Shot down like a dog in broad daylight</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Was a matter of timing and the timing was right</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You got unpaid debts, we've come to collect</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />We're gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />We've already got someone here to take your place<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />The day they blew out the brains of the king<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Right there in front of everyone's eyes</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Greatest magic trick ever under the sun<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Perfectly executed, skillfully done<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Wolfman, oh Wolfman, oh Wolfman, howl<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Rub-a-dub-dub<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, it's a murder most foul</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[Verse 2]</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Hush, little children, you'll understand<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />The Beatles are comin', they're gonna hold your hand<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Slide down the banister, go get your coat</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Ferry 'cross the Mersey and go for the throat<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />There's three bums comin' all dressed in rags<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Pick up the pieces and lower the flags</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm goin' to Woodstock, it's the Aquarian Age<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Then I'll go over to Altamont and sit near the stage<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Put your head out the window, let the good times roll</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Stack up the bricks, pour the cement</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Put your foot in the tank and then step on the gas</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Try to make it to the triple underpass<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Blackface singer, whiteface clown</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Better not show your faces after the sun goes down<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Up in the red light district, they've got cop on the beat</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Living in a nightmare on Elm Street<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />When you're down on Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Don't ask what your country can do for you<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Cash on the barrelhead, money to burn</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Dealey Plaza, make a left-hand turn</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm going down to the crossroads, gonna flag a ride<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />The place where faith, hope, and charity died<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Shoot him while he runs, boy, shoot him while you can<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />See if you can shoot the invisible man<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Goodbye, Charlie! Goodbye, Uncle Sam!<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />What is the truth, and where did it go?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"Shut your mouth," said a wise old owl</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Business is business, and it's a murder most foul</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><defer-compile class="u-display_block" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; display: block; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" timing-label="deferred-inread-ad-loaded-desktop_song_inread" within-visibility-range="50vh"><span avoid-selection="" class="u-noselect" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><dfp-ad ad-classes="{'dfp_unit--in_read': $height > 1, 'u-xx_large_top_margin': $height > 0}" class="u-display_block" name="desktop_song_inread" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block;"></dfp-ad></span></span></defer-compile><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[Verse 3]</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Tommy, can you hear me? I'm the Acid Queen<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Ridin' in the back seat next to my wife<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Headed straight on in to the afterlife<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm leaning to the left, I got my head in her lap<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We're right down the street, from the </span>street where you live<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />They mutilated his body and they took out his brain<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What more could they do? They piled on the pain</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Send me some lovin', then tell me no lie<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Wake up, little Susie, let's go for a drive<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Cross the Trinity River, let's keep hope alive<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Turn the radio on, don't touch the dials</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Parkland Hospital, only six more miles<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy, you filled me with lead<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm just a patsy like Patsy Cline<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Never shot anyone from in front or behind</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Zapruder's film I seen night before<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Seen it thirty-three times, maybe more<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />It's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Ugliest thing that you ever have seen<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">They killed him once and they killed him twice</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Killed him like a human sacrifice</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The day that they killed him, someone said to me, "Son</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />The age of the Antichrist has just only begun"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Air Force One comin' in through the gate</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Johnson sworn in at 2:38<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It is what it is, and it's murder most foul</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">[Verse 4]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What's new, pussycat? </span>What'd I say?<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I said the soul of a nation been torn away</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And it's beginning to go into a slow decay</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">And that it's thirty-six hours past Judgment Day</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Wolfman Jack, he's speaking in tongues<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />He's going on and on at the top of his lungs<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for me in my long Cadillac<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play me that "Only the Good Die Young"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play "</span>St. James Infirmary<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">" and the Court of King James</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">If you want to remember, you better write down the names</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play Etta James, too, play "I'd Rather Go Blind"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play it for the man with the telepathic mind</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play John Lee Hooker, play "</span>Scratch My Back<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for that strip club owner named Jack<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Guitar Slim going down slow</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">[Verse 5]</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feeling any good</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play Don Henley<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, </span>play Glenn Frey<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Take it to the limit and let it go by</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for Carl Wilson, too<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Looking far, far away down Gower Avenue<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play another one and "Another One Bites the Dust"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Ride the pink horse down that long, lonesome road</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Stand there and wait for his head to explode</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play "</span>Mystery Train<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">" for Mr. Mystery</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play it for the reverend, play it for the pastor</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play it for the dog that got no master</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Blue Sky," play Dickey Betts<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Charlie Parker and all that junk<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />All that junk and "All That Jazz"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Play the numbers, play the odds<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play "Cry Me a River" for the Lord of the gods</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play Number nine, play Number six</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play Nat King Cole, play "Nature Boy"</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Down in the Boondocks" for Terry Malloy<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "It Happened One Night" and "One Night of Sin"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">There's twelve million souls that are listening in</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Merchant of Venice", play "Merchants of Death"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Stella by Starlight" for Lady Macbeth<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Don't worry, Mr. President, help's on the way</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Your brothers are comin', there'll be hell to pay<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Brothers? What brothers? What's this about hell?<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Tell them, "We're waiting, keep coming," we'll get them as well<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Love Field is where his plane touched down<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />But it never did get back up off the ground<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Was a hard act to follow, second to none</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />They killed him on the altar of the rising sun<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Misty" for me and "That Old Devil Moon"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Anything Goes" and "Memphis in June"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Lonely at the Top" and "Lonely Are the Brave"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play it for Houdini spinning around in his grave<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play Jelly Roll Morton, play "Lucille"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Deep in a Dream", and play "Driving Wheel"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Moonlight Sonata" in F-sharp<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />And "A Key to the Highway" for the king on the harp<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Marching Through Georgia" and "Dumbarton's Drums"<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Play darkness and death will come when it comes</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "Love Me or Leave Me" by the great Bud Powell<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" />Play "The Blood-Stained Banner", play "Murder Most Foul"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Spotify, I have my personal favorite "Dylan Songbook" that ranges from the tribute in his 1962 debut album to Woody Guthrie, "Song to Woody", all the way to "Early Roman Kings" from the 2012 album, "Tempest". If you can listen to only a few beyond the universally known "Blowin' in the Wind" stuff, try listening to "Visions of Johanna", "Every Grain of Sand", "Chimes of Freedom", "Desolation Row", "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll", "Simple Twist of Fate" and "When I Paint my Masterpiece". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4RDCIxFRpq2ZBQ4c5Me6qI" target="_blank">("My Dylan Songbook" on Spotify)</a></span><br />
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-27039014606045011102019-11-17T14:00:00.001-08:002019-11-22T10:58:43.158-08:00"The Quotations Project" - Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt & Virginia Woolf<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Benjamin</td></tr>
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Ever since I first read Hannah Arendt's introduction to "Illuminations", the great German-Jewish intellectual Walter Benjamin's collection of essays and reflections, something seemingly minor in that original New Yorker piece has stuck with me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hannah Arendt</td></tr>
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Arendt writes, "From the Goethe essay on, quotations are at the center of every work of Benjamin's. ... Benjamin's ideal of producing a work consisting entirely of quotations, one that was mounted so masterfully that it could dispense with any accompanying text, may strike one as whimsical in the extreme ...". But as a reader, that ideal did not strike me as whimsical. I have often thought the same thing as I have read and suddenly found myself vigorously nodding in approval or scribbling notes of agreement in the margins. In these moments it has seemed to me that an artful arrangement of quotes would be far more representative of my mind and a better work of creation than anything I could inarticulately say about myself. The sources, as much as the words, would tell something of a story of my thoughts, reflections and preoccupations. Even if my personal thoughts are not all that interesting to anyone, whoever reads these quotations will bring their own meaning and interpretation to those words. <br />
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Later in that same paragraph Arendt goes on to quote Walter Benjamin again:<br />
<i>"No poem is intended for the reader, no picture for the beholder, no symphony for the listener". </i><br />
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To me, Benjamin's words mean that no work of art can be concerned with how it will be read, seen or listened to. People, with their disparate ideas, personalities and experiences will imbue the work with their own meaning, often bearing little resemblance to any original intent.<br />
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Towards the end of her book on Montaigne, "How to Live", Sarah Bakewell comments on all the readers of "Essays" over the centuries and how they have been in a continuous dialogue with Montaigne and his words. She then alludes to Virginia Woolf's wonderful vision of generations talking to each other through the words of others.<br />
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"Over the centuries, this interpretation and reinterpretation creates a long chain connecting a writer to all future readers - who frequently read each other as well as the original. Virginia Woolf had a beautiful vision of generations interlinked in this way: of how 'minds are threaded together - how any live mind is of the very same stuff as Plato's and Euripides . . . It is this common mind that binds the whole world together; & all the world is mind.' This capacity for living on through readers' inner worlds over long periods of history is what makes a book like the <i>Essays</i> a true classic. As it is reborn differently in each mind, it also brings those minds together."<br />
<span style="text-align: right;">("How to Live - or - A life of Montaigne" - pg. 315)</span><br />
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With these thoughts in mind, I plan to share quotes from my readings more frequently in the future. The quotes I share will have somehow struck a chord in me but I will avoid commentary "so as not to ruin everything with explanations that seek to provide a ... connection". Hopefully the quotations can create another small community of "minds threaded together". <i>In homage to Benjamin and his "Arcades Project", I will name this series of assembling the creations of others, "The Quotations Project". </i></div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-8927518473664966182019-11-02T14:26:00.000-07:002019-11-04T16:32:52.400-08:00The Pleasures of Raga Shuddh Kalyan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my many years of loving Hindustani classical music, I have noticed my clear and strong affinity for certain Ragas and Raga families (called "Thaats") over others. Listening to great masters perform khayal in "bara" ragas like Asavari, MiyaN ki Todi or Multani, I can certainly appreciate the craft and structural beauty. But, the music doesn't viscerally knock me over in the way performances of Yaman, Bhupali, Allahiya Bilawal, Khamaj, Tilak Kamod, Desh, Kedar, Durga and Pahari do. Other than realizing that many of the latter ragas take more of their inspiration from folk music I don't have a good explanation for why I love the ragas that I do.<br />
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A raga I love is Shuddh Kalyan and one of my favorite YouTube channels is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0kcaJDne8ywNbjRzjL8xCQ" target="_blank">"The Dream Journey"</a>. A couple of years ago a few friends of Pakistani origin decided to undertake a journey all across Pakistan to discover, listen to, record and then share performances by classical and qawwali musicians from across the country. The result is a video catalog of some wonderful mehfils and artists, captured for posterity, and made available for lovers of South Asian music everywhere. <br />
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Tarana in Shuddh Kalyan by Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan is a short but lovely little performance by this representative of the Sham Chaurasi gharana. I wish this was a longer performance as it ends too soon before one fully loses oneself in the elaboration of the Shuddh Kalyan melody.<br />
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Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan is inspired by Ustad Amir Khan of Indore and in this video above, he mentions and praises the wonderful performance of this very Tarana by the Indore maestro. Here is Ustad Amir Khan's heavenly version:<br />
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Shuddh Kalyan was a favorite of the Kirana Gharana and it was a key part of their repertoire. All the leading lights starting with the founder, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, have left great recordings of this raga. His children Hirabai Barodekar, Sureshbabu Mane and Saraswati Rane regularly performed the raga as did Roshan Ara Begum, Gangubai Hangal and Bhimsen Joshi. Arguably one of the most popular bandish in this raga is Sadarang's "Baju re mondar". I have a scratchy recording of Abdul Karim Khan sahib's version but probably the most familiar recent recording is Saraswati Rane singing it for the 1977 Shyam Benegal film, "Bhumika".<br />
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And here to end this post is a majestic version of "Baju re Mondar" by the pride of Pakistani classical music, Roshan Ara Begum!<br />
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-4036856974013675182017-02-18T17:11:00.000-08:002017-02-18T17:11:03.036-08:00"BaaghoN mein paray jhoolay" - Ustad Barkat Ali Khan & Chiragh Hasan Hasrat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (1906 - 1963), born in Kasur, was a great vocalist of the Patiala gharana. By all accounts he was as talented a musician as his older brother Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. But the older brother's post-partition move to India where there were bigger, more appreciative audiences, his stentorian voice well-suited to Khayal singing and his larger than life personality combined to overshadow his younger brother.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (left) with Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan with Madam Noor Jehan in the background) </td></tr>
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Ustad Barkat Ali Khan made a virtue out of necessity in Pakistan where he switched almost entirely to the more popular semi-classical forms. Thumri, Dadra, Kafi, Ghazal and even Geet became his focus. Before Mehdi Hassan became a by-word for classical ghazal singing, Barkat Ali Khan had virtually created that genre with Begum Akhtar. His soft, mellifluous voice and effortless vocals infused his semi-classical pieces with immense feeling. Ustad Barkat Ali Khan's legacy includes training some excellent non-gharana musicians like the ghazal singer Ghulam Ali. <br />
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There are few Barkat Ali Khan gems better known than "BaaghoN meiN paray jhoolay" in Raga Pahari. This form of poetry is called a "mahiya"; a poem of 3 verse stanzas where the first and third verse rhyme. The great journalist Chiragh Hasan Hasrat (1904 - 1955) penned this mahiya and it is reputed to be the first piece of poetry sung in this form.<br />
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This is a brilliant rendition and despite a bit of crackling in this recording, the mastery of Ustad Barkat Ali Khan is evident.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiragh Hasan Hasrat</td></tr>
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Every time I listen to this beautiful version it makes me nostalgic for Lahore and the golden era of its cultural prime. Both Barkat Ali Khan and <a href="http://www.dawn.com/news/922778/chiragh-hasan-hasrat-a-natural-humorist" target="_blank">Chiragh Hasan Hasrat</a> lived, worked and died in Lahore and rubbed shoulders with some of the city's greatest literary and cultural icons. In this one recording I hear the echoes of Gowalmandi's "Takiya MeerasiyaN" (where classical musicians stayed and performed), the clanking of printing presses churning out Maulana Zafar Ali Khan's newspaper "Zameendar" and the endless parade of "cups of chai" at the Arab Hotel fueling the local writers and intellectuals (Pitras Bukhari, Sufi Tabassum, M.D. Taseer, Hafeez Jallandhari, Abdur Rahman Chughtai, Imtiaz Ali Taj etc.) striving to get Lahore the same literary recognition as Delhi and Lucknow.<br />
<br />
The Lahori nostalgia is accentuated by that quintessential verse that could only have been written on the banks of River Ravi:<br />
<br />
Ravi ka kinara ho<br />
Har mauj kay hontoN par<br />
Afsana hamara ho <br />
<br />
Here are the rest of the verses:<br />
<br />
BaghoN meiN paray jhoolay<br />
Tum bhool gaye hum ko<br />
Hum tum ko nahiN bhoolay<br />
<br />
Yeh raqs sitaaroN ka<br />
Sun lo kabhi afsana<br />
Taqdeer kay maaroN ka<br />
<br />
Saawan ka maheena hai<br />
Saajan say judaa reh kar<br />
Jeena koi jeena hai<br />
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Dil meiN haiN tamannaiN<br />
Dar hai keh kaheen hum tum<br />
Badnaam na ho jayeN<br />
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Ab aur na tarpao<br />
Ya hum ko bula bhejo<br />
Ya app chalay aao</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-45801087084951856802016-06-04T17:55:00.000-07:002016-06-04T23:32:09.438-07:00Faiz & Nayyara Noor - "Jab Teri Samandar AankhoN maiN"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Jab Teri Samandar AankhoN maiN" is a "geet" by the poet Faiz, better known by its first three words, "Yeh Dhoop Kinara". The phrase "Dhoop Kinaray" was made famous by the classic 1980's TV drama of that name directed by the talented Sahira Kazmi, starring Marina Khan and Sahira's debonair husband Rahat Kazmi. (Rahat Kazmi, incidentally went to Government College Lahore which I attended briefly before coming to the U.S. as an undergraduate. Rahat later received his Master's in English Literature from Punjab University. My father was also a Government College alumnus, then taught Urdu there for one year in 1963 before spending the rest of his academic career at Punjab University.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahira Kazmi in a PTV play. Rahat Kazmi (right) & Shafi Mohammed are in the background</td></tr>
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A little digression here that may be of interest to some readers. Sahira Kazmi was born to a Muslim woman, "Taji" Mumtaz Qureshi and a Hindu father, Indian film actor Shyam who was famous in the pre-partition era. Sundar Shyam Chadha, born in Sialkot in 1920 grew up in Rawalpindi but is now known mostly (if at all) as one of writer Saadat Hasan Manto's best friends. Shyam died in 1951 (only 31 years old) when he fell off a horse during the shooting of "Shabistan", a film in which he was starring opposite "Paree-Chehra" Naseem Banu. Both Shyam and Naseem Banu, friends of Manto in Bombay, were immortalized by him in two separate sketch essays he wrote about them. The one on Shyam is titled "Murali kee dhun". These essays were later published in his collection, "Ganjay Farishtay", and later translated and published by the late Khalid Hasan in a volume titled "Stars from Another Sky". Naseem Banu also happens to be the mother of actress Saira Banu and was the legendary actor Dilip Kumar's mother-in-law.<br />
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Now back to "Yeh dhoop kinaray". Here is Nayyara Noor in 1990 singing a lovely composition of Faiz's geet.<br />
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Unlike Faiz's very popular, overtly political poetry, in my opinion, this is an example of Faiz at his finest. This is an elegiac romantic poem set late in the day as the shadows are lengthening. Its neither day nor night and time momentarily seems still, but with an aching recognition in the poet's mind that it will all be over in a moment. (Pal bhar ko amar, pal bhar maiN dhuaN - "for a moment it is eternal but in a moment it will vanish like smoke") </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faiz Sahib with Nayyara Noor. Faiz's daughter and artist, Salima Hashmi (foreground) and holding a glass is former PTV producer, Tanveer Masood</td></tr>
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<b>Jab Teri Samandar AankhoN MaiN </b></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b>("Geet")</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit;"><b>Faiz Ahmad Faiz</b></span></div>
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Yay dhoop kinara, shaam dhalay<br />
Miltay haiN donoN waqt jahaN<br />
Jo raat na din, jo aaj na kal<br />
Pal bhar ko amar, pal bhar maiN dhuaN<br />
Iss dhoop kinaray, pal do pal<br />
HontoN kee lapak<br />
BaahoN kee chanak<br />
Yeh male hamara, jhoot na sach<br />
KyuN zaar karo, kyuN dosh dharo<br />
Kis kaaran jhooti baat karo<br />
Jab teri samandar aankhoN maiN<br />
Iss shaam ka suraj doobay ga<br />
Sukh soyeN gay ghar dar waalay<br />
Aur raahi apnee raah lay ga</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
London (1963) - From the collection "Dast-e-tah-e-sang"</div>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-56828019946230029582016-05-22T15:58:00.003-07:002016-05-22T15:58:30.728-07:00A Sampling of Bengal's Soulful Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabindranath Tagore</td></tr>
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In addition to Punjab, Sindh and U.P's folk music, the other sub-continental musical tradition I love is Bengali. Bengal's music is sweet, melodious and distinctive. It is the music of a fertile landscape, abundant rivers and hard-working boatmen. It is the music of political consciousness and is significantly more elegiac than other desi folk traditions. </div>
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Whether you listen to Ravi Shankar's haunting background score for Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (<a href="https://youtu.be/OWMTCuYcWPU" target="_blank">listen to this joyful sitar riff from the movie</a>), hear the influence of Bengal on S.D. Burman's Hindi film music<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> (<a href="https://youtu.be/g9eppdrcyHI?list=PLUuD4t3wNysAW8cxO9N0PsOGGB6YFmKsh" target="_blank">Sachin Da singing "Sun O Meray Bandhu Ray" from the 1959 film "Sujata"</a>), experience Abdul Halim Chowdhry's <a href="https://youtu.be/DjJ2zAYqbwk" target="_blank">"Bhatiali" (the River Boatmen's song</a>) from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) or sample the compositions of Tagore, Bengal's art and music have a beautifully mournful quality.</span><br />
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Here's one of my favorites by Tagore called "Ekla Chalo Re" (Walk Alone). There is a version by Kishore Kumar but I quite like Shreya Ghoshal's rendition as well.</div>
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Kishore Kumar:</div>
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And here is Shreya Ghoshal:<br />
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Bengali lyrics with English translation:</div>
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Jodi tor dak sune keu na ashe,<br />
Tobe ekla cholo, ekla chalo, aekla chalo re,<br />
Aikla cholo re,</div>
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If no one answers your call,<br />
Then walk alone,<br />
(be not afraid) walk alone my friend.</div>
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Jodi kue kotha na koe,<br />
ore o re o obaghaga, keu kotha na koe<br />
Jodi sobai thake muhk phirae , sobai kore bhoye,<br />
Tobe poran khule,<br />
O tui, mukh phute tor moner kotha,<br />
Ekla bolo re</div>
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If no one talks to you,<br />
O my unlucky friend, if no one speaks to you,<br />
If everyone looks the other way and everyone is afraid,<br />
Then bare your soul and let out what is in your mind,<br />
(be not afraid) Speak alone my friend.</div>
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Jab kali ghata chaye,<br />
Ore o re o andhera sach ko nigal jaye<br />
Jab duniya sari, dar ke age sar apna jhukaye,<br />
Tu shola banja, Wo shola banja, Jo khud jal ke jahan raushan karde,<br />
Ekla jalo re.</div>
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When dark clouds cover the sky, When darkness engulfs the truth,<br />
When the world cowers and bows before fear,<br />
You be the flame, The flame that burns you and banishes darkness from the world,<br />
(be not afraid) Burn alone my friend.</div>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-36613436606164219132016-03-12T11:29:00.001-08:002016-03-12T11:37:23.781-08:00Folk Music & the Punjabi Culture that was<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Part of the soundtrack of my childhood and adolescence was the rustic notes of Punjabi film and folk music. The great influence here was my mother who hailed from a proudly rural Punjabi Jaat background (from a village near Sialkot). She loved all kinds of popular music including ghazals and Indo-Pak film songs but had a more visceral emotional attachment to the Punjabi folk music that she had heard growing up. It reminded her of her carefree youth and of her days in "Kotli Bhutta" with her mother and her older sisters. My father enjoyed this music as well but his was a slightly more detached appreciation.<br />
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Until I started kindergarten at the Sacred Heart School, the only language I spoke was Punjabi. This was quite unusual in the Lahori urban middle class, to which my family belonged. Even when parents spoke to each other in Punjabi, they almost always insisted that their kids speak only in Urdu. Urdu was the respectable language of the educated classes. Punjabi was its crass cousin, fit only for the unwashed masses. After I started school, I switched quickly to Urdu and almost never spoke in Punjabi with my family again. But fortunately for me, given my childhood proficiency, I never lost my natural comfort with the Punjabi language and music continued to re-inforce an otherwise weak link to that neglected native culture. <br />
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My father's record collection (and later tapes) included lots of Punjabi music. I have many favorites from that time by Noor Jehan, Tufail Niazi, Alam Lohar, Reshma, Hamid Ali Bela and others but I particularly love the partition-era folk music of the Lahore-born sisters, Surinder and Prakash Kaur. The language is pure, the melodies beautiful and they represent a Punjabi culture that persisted for hundreds of years before the intrusion of modernity changed it forever in the last half century.<br />
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Many common Punjabi words in those folk songs have disappeared from the Urdu-ized Punjabi vocabulary of modern Lahoris. Some of my fondest memories are asking my mother about words I didn't understand and her detailed explanations which often harked back to the stories she had heard from her own mother. Those stories and explanations connected me as a child to an entirely different era of spinning wheels, water wells, milking buffalos, crop seasons, irrigation terminology and the complex web of loving and jealous relationships (daraNiaN, jathaNiaN!) that kept joint families together and tore them apart. It seems astonishing to me that the rural world described in these timeless folk songs, a world that had existed unaltered for countless generations, vanished so quickly in the last half century.<br />
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Yesterday, after a long time, I listened again to a song by Tassawur Khanum called "Bari thaani charhya". I remember hearing this song in the 80's and loving it but I don't recall that it struck me as particularly poignant. But listening to it again 30+ years later made me realize that it describes a simple and beautiful rural world that no longer exists. Yes, this is rather clearly a man's world and even the very sweet romanticism has a strong whiff of patriarchy (the last verse in particular galls me), but it has an old-fashioned charm. Today, the innocence and charm are gone but the patriarchy persists.<br />
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Now, lets turn to the actual music and words of "Baari thaani charhya". The lyrics and composition are by Mian Shehryar.<br />
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Punjabi Lyrics:<br />
<br />
Baari thaani charhya<br />
NawaN din arraya<br />
HuN bohti daer na kareeN<br />
Chaiti muR aaweeN gharee<br />
<br />
Dudh wee na rirkaN<br />
Sabhna nuN chirkaaN<br />
Duur hoya dil jaaniye<br />
Layee nukray madhaaNiye<br />
<br />
KaaN wee nahiN bol da<br />
Dil mera dol da<br />
JeRa wassay watnoN paray<br />
Rab odhi khair karay<br />
<br />
KannaN diyaN waaliyaN<br />
Laah kay sambhaliyaN<br />
JadoN mera maahi aaway ga<br />
Aa kay meri kanni paaway ga<br />
<br />
Charkha nahiN kat dee<br />
Raah tera tak dee<br />
Jind meri dadhi suk gayee<br />
Charkhay dee nuk muk gayee<br />
<br />
VangaN naheeN charohniyaN<br />
GallaN naheeN karoniyaN<br />
Teray baajhoN sunjha vehRa aye<br />
Hor meinooN gham keRa aye<br />
<br />
Dupatta vee nahiN rangeya<br />
Sara din langeya<br />
Teri meiN ghulam hoyee<br />
Aaja ghar shaam hoyee<br />
<br />
Many of the words and the rhythms of Punjabi life in these lyrics have virtually disappeared. There are almost no 'charkhas' and 'madhanis' anymore and words like 'vangaN' or 'sunjha' or 'jind' have mostly been replaced with their Urdu equivalents.<br />
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This piece would be incomplete without sharing two of my favorite pieces by the above-mentioned Surinder and Parkash Kaur. I can never listen to these two songs without thinking of my mother. She still weeps every time she hears these songs as they inevitably remind her of 'ammaN jee", of her 'veers' and a time that is no more. May she live a long, happy and healthy life.<br />
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The first song "MaavaN te DhiyaN" is sung by both Surinder and her older sister Parkash. This was the first commercially released duet by the sisters in 1943, and made them overnight stars in the Indian sub-continent. <br />
"KaNkaN lammiaN dhiyaN kyuN jammiaN nee maay"<br />
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The second song is "MadhaniyaN" with its plaintive lyrics; "Hai oh meray daadhia rabba kinnaN jammiyaN kinnaN nay lai janiaN". These lyrics are full of long forgotten cultural allusions ("ayna sakkiaN bhaabhiaN nay dola tor kay kachcha dudh peeta") that the vast majority of Punjabis today would find mystifying and there are almost no sources that could help them comprehend a society and culture that existed just a few decades ago.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">And here is "MadhaniyaaN": </span><br />
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-88732577208316035542016-01-31T14:16:00.003-08:002016-01-31T14:16:58.245-08:00"Horace and Pete" - The Wonderful New Series by Louis C.K. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I just watched the excellent first episode of "Horace and Pete", a new series by Louis C.K., released on his website yesterday without any warning or publicity.</div>
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Here's the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/31/arts/television/louis-ck-horace-and-pete-episode-1-review.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=Moth-Visible&moduleDetail=inside-nyt-region-4&module=inside-nyt-region&region=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region&_r=1" target="_blank">NY Times review</a> by James Poniewozik </div>
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Louis C.K is a genius. As a fan of his stand-up comedy and his un-categorizable FX series, "Louie", I have come to expect an element of surprise in everything he does. His writing and his comedy is hard to pin down. Like great art, it may entertain you at times, but the primary emotions it evokes are discomfort and a visceral sense of life's tragic absurdity. </div>
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"Horace and Pete" is a dysfunctional family saga that feels like a theatrical production. Alan Alda is brilliant as the foul-mouthed, world weary Uncle Pete and overshadows excellent performances by Jessica Lange, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco and Louis himself. Amazingly, the episode seems to have been filmed a couple of days ago with references to Donald Trump skipping the most recent Iowa Republican debate. The closing credits with the Paul Simon song, written for the series, is a perfect bookend.</div>
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Pay $5 and see it. Can't wait for the second episode. Who knows when the unpredictable Louis will drop it on his fans.</div>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-87244680436313528922016-01-30T20:29:00.002-08:002016-01-31T14:23:08.217-08:00"Araj Suno" & The Brief Origins of Sufi Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shrine of Hazrat Amir Khusrau in Delhi's Nizamuddin quarters</td></tr>
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Random musical discoveries have often been the trigger for these posts. The other day I caught Tahira Syed singing a beautifully composed kalam, "Araj suno be-gun kee Khawaja" on Yusuf Salahuddin's PTV show, Virsa. The quintessential Lahori, Salahuddin is poet Allama Iqbal's grandson. To the city "elite" (or what in modern Pakistan passes for it), his walled city home, "Haveli Baroodkhana" is a familiar venue for private musical and cultural events.<br />
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Here is Tahira Syed singing "Araj suno". Ustad Nazar Hussain is the composer.<br />
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Araj suno be-gun kee Khawaja<br />
(be-gun: "one who does not have any qualities or skills")<br />
Kar do Khawaja hamray kaaj<br />
(hamray kaaj: literally "our work")<br />
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Araj suno be-gun kee Khawaja<br />
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Mujh aajiz par nazr-e-karam ho<br />
Tumro naam gareeb nawaj<br />
("gareeb nawaj" is a commoner's pronunciation of "ghareeb nawaz" meaning "one who gives generously to the poor")<br />
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Araj suno be-gun kee Khawaja<br />
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"Araj Suno" are the words of supplication, of imploring, of begging to be heard. The words themselves simply mean "listen to my pleading", but they have a larger sense of also asking for relief. They are a cry of anguish and a plea for help. <br />
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The language of this poetry is a street Hindustani patois, not a high aristocratic Urdu (Urdu-e-mualla). Arabic and Persian alphabets like "z'wad", "zay" and "gh'ain" become Hindi sounds like "ja" and "ga". It is meant to represent the sentiments of the common people.<br />
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Tahira Syed unconvincingly attributed the lyrics to the 14th century sufi poet and musician <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir_Khusrow" target="_blank">Hazrat Amir Khusrau</a> (1253 - 1325 CE). Lots of traditional sufi kalaam is erroneously credited to the legendary Khusrau.<br />
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Qawwali music and its lyrical tradition originates with the Chishtiya Sufi order and its South Asian founder Hazrat Khawaja Mueenuddin Chishti Ajmeri (also know as Ghareeb Nawaz). Mueenuddin Chishti was followed by his disciple, Qutb-uddin Bakhtiar Kaaki (also buried in Delhi), who in turn was succeeded by Hazrat Faridiuddin Masud Ganjshakar (buried in Pak Pattan in Pakistan). After Baba Farid, the order split into the Chishti-Nizami and Chishti-Sabiri factions. Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was the disciple of Baba Farid and Amir Khusrau was Nizamuddin's disciple.<br />
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Amir Khusrau is considered the patron saint of Indian-Pakistani sufi and qawwali music. Credited with inventing the tabla, he is also said to have founded the sufi music troupe known as "Qawwal bachoN ka gharana". Farid Ayaz and Abu Muhammad, known to younger audiences through their performances in Coke Studio Pakistan, are from this gharana. Khusrau was an accomplished musician, poet and scholar but most "Hindavi" poetry attributed to him was written much after his death. He is buried near Nizamuddin Auliya's shrine in Delhi.<br />
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The influence of this poetry and music is visible in many different places in the sub-continent's culture. Here's perhaps one of the most familiar recent efforts. This is Tina Sani singing the start of Faiz Ahmed Faiz's "Mori araj suno". She then shifts to sing a completely different Punjabi poem by Faiz titled "Rabba Sachheya". Later Arieb Azhar recites the original poem in its entirety.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>"Mori Araj Suno" - Faiz Ahmed Faiz (from "Sham-e-shehr-e-yaaraN")</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tina Sani sings:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mori araj suno, dastagir pir
(O my lord, pay heed to my appeal)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mairee kahun kaa say mein apnay jiya ki pir
(to whom do describe the anguish of my soul)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Arieb Azhar recites:
Iss surat seh
(With this grimace)
Arz sunatay
(Pleading)
Dard batatay
(Sharing the pain)
Nayya khaitay
(Rowing the boat)
Minnat kartay
(Asking for his blessings)
Rasta taktay
(Waiting expectantly)
Kitni sadiyaan beet gai hain
(Countless centuries have passed by)
Ab jakar yeh bhaid khulla hai
(Only now has it been revealed)
Jis koh tum ne arz guzari
(The one who you had appealed to)
Jo tha haat pakarnay waala
(The one who held your hand and guided you)
Jis jaag laagi nao tumhaari
(Where your boat had docked)
Jis say dukh ka daaroo manga
(From whom you had asked for a panacea for your pain)
Toray mandir may joh nahin aaya
(The one who did not visit your temple)
Woh tau tum heen thay
(It was you only)
Woh tau tum heen thay
(It was you only)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">(translation: Syed Obaid Hasan Raza on a YouTube comment)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">And finally here's Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan singing "Araj suno mori piya" in Raga Kaunsi Kanhra.</span></span></div>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-36379612125424562112016-01-16T16:46:00.000-08:002016-01-16T17:28:44.649-08:00Eliza Doolittle & My Idea of the Good Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just the other day I was watching Stephen Colbert and Matthew Broderick sing Julie Andrew's famous "My Fair Lady" song "Loverly" live on Colbert's late night show. I sat there on my couch captivated by the melody and for the first time really paying attention to the lyrics. And the more I listened, the happier I felt, drawn to the simple dreams of Eliza Doolittle's life.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8Hy5vOH4N0/VprnpLpNVVI/AAAAAAAAA88/ZhPcdeTZ6v0/s1600/tumblr_mesb5qyrEB1qj5c2eo5_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K8Hy5vOH4N0/VprnpLpNVVI/AAAAAAAAA88/ZhPcdeTZ6v0/s320/tumblr_mesb5qyrEB1qj5c2eo5_400.jpg" width="220" /></a>All I want is a room somewhere<br />
Far away from the cold night air<br />
With one enormous chair<br />
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?</div>
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<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
Lots of chocolate for me to eat,<br />
Lots of coal makin' lots of heat.<br />
Warm face, warm hands, warm feet<br />
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?</div>
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<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
Oh, so lovely sittin' abso-bloomin'-lutely still<br />
I would never budge till spring<br />
Crept over me window sill</div>
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<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
Someone's head restin' on my knee<br />
Warm and tender as he can be<br />
Who takes good care of me<br />
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly<br />
Loverly, loverly, loverly, loverly...</div>
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As I listened to the original song repeatedly over the next couple of days it struck me how closely Eliza's words matched my own idea of a good life: basic comforts, simple pleasures and love. If I could add just one line to the original lyrics, this song would become my life's anthem:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">All I want is a room somewhere</span><br />
<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
Far away from the cold night air<br />
With one enormous chair<br />
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly?</div>
<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
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<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
Lots of chocolate for me to eat,</div>
<div class="verse" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif;">
<b>{Lots of books for me to read},</b><br />
Lots of coal makin' lots of heat.</div>
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Someone's head restin' on my knee<br />
Warm and tender as he can be<br />
Who takes good care of me<br />
Oh, wouldn't it be loverly</div>
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And here's the beautiful Julie Andrews singing in the original stage version.<br />
(The stills of Julie Andrews in this video are superb)<br />
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The role of Eliza Doolittle in the movie was played by Audrey Hepburn but it was still Julie's voice.<br />
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-81022672563506230882016-01-02T12:53:00.001-08:002016-01-02T13:35:26.418-08:00The Delightful E.B. White <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Banished to the proverbial desert island and forced to live with one volume for the rest of my life (God forbid!), I would likely take my copy of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._B._White" target="_blank">E.B. White</a>'s essays. His exquisitely crafted prose elicits, in me, unadulterated joy and admiration. Whether writing about the streets of New York, the animals on his Maine farm or a summer visit to the lake, he manages to infuse the mundane with extraordinary life and vitality. His lightly-worn avuncular wisdom is timeless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeste<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">rday, reading his 1954 essay <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxldm9sdXRpb25jb2xsb3F1eTAxfGd4OjE5ZjY4NGU2OWZiYTdjMzg" target="_blank">"A slight sound at evening"</a>, written for the hundredth anniversary of Thoreau's Walden, I was again struck by his prophetic voice. It was over sixty years ago that he wrote:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Thoreau's Walden is pertinent and timely. In our uneasy season, when all men unconsciously seek a retreat from a world that has got almost completely out of hand, his house in Concord woods is a haven. In our culture of gadgetry and the multiplicity of convenience, his cry 'Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!' has the insistence of a fire alarm. In the brooding atmosphere of war and the gathering radioactive storm, the innocence and serenity of his summer afternoons are enough to burst the remembering heart, and one gazes back upon that pleasing interlude - its confidence, its purity, its deliberateness - with awe and wonder, as one would look upon the face of a child asleep."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2014/januaryfebruary/feature/the-white-pages" target="_blank">Here's a nice critical essay on this quintessential New Yorker writer</a> from the January/February 2014 issue of "Humanities" magazine by Danny Heitman. </span></div>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-25857717612080811782015-07-04T11:29:00.001-07:002015-07-04T11:35:21.777-07:00Celebrating Independence Day! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rWBRxqkGCt0/VZgj50E36JI/AAAAAAAAA4E/vdMwgEWhFKE/s1600/declaration%2Bof%2Bindependence.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rWBRxqkGCt0/VZgj50E36JI/AAAAAAAAA4E/vdMwgEWhFKE/s1600/declaration%2Bof%2Bindependence.jpe" /></a>A very Happy Independence Day to all Americans!<br />
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America declared its independence 239 years ago today with Thomas Jefferson's soaring words that " we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". However, the institution of slavery which most visibly contradicted the declaration's Enlightenment rhetoric remained intact, only to be abolished 89 years later after the Civil War. <br />
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As a naturalized American, I take the greatest pride in America's history of expanding the umbrella of constitutional liberties for all its people, starting with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution through to the Emancipation Proclamation, Equal Protection under the 14th Amendment, Women's Suffrage and the Civil Rights Act. There have been bitter fights and innumerable setbacks along the way but, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, the arc of American history has bent toward justice.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkMmuC8gvdM/VZgj9Pl0gfI/AAAAAAAAA4M/DayWqGGia7o/s1600/2nd%2Binaugural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZkMmuC8gvdM/VZgj9Pl0gfI/AAAAAAAAA4M/DayWqGGia7o/s320/2nd%2Binaugural.jpg" width="269" /></a>In my mind, the representative scenes of American independence are of Washington crossing the Delaware or hunched-over participants at the Constitutional Convention. But I also think of the image of the exhausted and prematurely aged Abraham Lincoln, standing on the East Portico underneath the completed Capitol Dome, after taking the oath of office the second time. The greatest struggle for the advance of liberty in America was to end slavery and its signature moment was <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres32.html" target="_blank">Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address on March 4th, 1865,</a> barely more than a month before he was assassinated. <br />
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It is the most powerful work of oratory and literary genius in American political history. Here are some excerpts:<br />
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"Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged."...<br />
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"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."...<br />
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"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."<br />
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A very happy 4th to you!</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-63844051535474124762015-01-03T13:40:00.000-08:002015-01-03T13:40:13.513-08:00A Tribute to Peshawar Massacre's Victims - Faiz Sahib & Zehra Nigah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote the introduction to <em>"Dast-e-Saba",</em> his second volume of poetry, in Hyderabad's Central Jail in September 1952. The volume was published that same year and includes several of Faiz Sahib's iconic verses; the poem<em> Do Ishq</em> (<em>"Har daagh hai iss dil maiN ba-juz daagh-e-nidamat</em>"), the famous ghazal "<em>Tum aaye ho na shab-e-intezaar guzri hai</em>" sung by Farida Khanum, Noor Jehan, Mehdi Hassan AND Iqbal Bano and the moving verses mourning the passing of his beloved older brother, Tufail (<em>'Mujh ko shikwa hai meray bhai keh tum jaate hue' / 'Lay gaye saath meri umr-e-guzashta kee kitab'</em>).<br />
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The volume also includes a slightly lesser know poem called "<em>Irani Talaba Kay Naam</em>" with the sub-heading <em>'jo amn aur azadi kee jiddojehad maiN kaam aaye</em>". (Translation: "Dedicated to Iranian Students" who died fighting for peace and independence). Like all first-rate poets, Faiz Sahib's best poetry is universal and timeless. Reading this poem a few days ago, it occurred to me that Faiz Sahib could have written these exact words for the children slain in Peshawar. <br />
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This post is a tribute to those lost lives in the words of Faiz Sahib and the voice of Zehra Nigah! <br />
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Zehra Nigah, an eminent poet herself who was a good friend of Faiz Sahib, has done wonderful recitations of several of Faiz Sahib's poems, including "<em>Irani talaba kay naam</em>". Here is Zehra Nigah reciting the poem in her inimitable "<em>tarannum</em>". The words (in Roman Urdu) are transcribed below. My apologies to those who don't know Urdu but even a half-decent translation is beyond my abilities. I have included a glossary at the end for some of the more difficult words.<br />
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<strong><em>Irani Talaba Kay Naam</em></strong><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Yeh kaun<strong> </strong>sakhi haiN</em><br />
<em>jin kay lahoo kee</em><br />
<em>ashrafiaN chhan chhan, chhan chhan</em><br />
<em>dharti kay paiham pyaasay</em><br />
<em>kashkol maiN dhaltee jaatee haiN</em><br />
<em>kashkol ko bhartee jaati haiN</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>yeh kaun jawaN haiN arz-e-ajam</em><br />
<em>yeh lakh lut</em><br />
<em>jin kay jismoN kee</em><br />
<em>bharpoor jawani ka kundan</em><br />
<em>yooN khaak maiN reza reza hai</em><br />
<em>yooN koocha koocha bikhra hai</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Aye arz-e-ajam, aye arz-e-ajam!</em><br />
<em>kyuN noch kay hans hans phaink diye</em><br />
<em>in aankhoN nay apnay neelam</em><br />
<em>in hontoN nay apnay marjaaN</em><br />
<em>in haatoN kee be-kal chaandi</em><br />
<em>kis kaam aayee, kis haath lagee</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>aye poochnay waalay pardesee!</em><br />
<em>yeh tifl-o-jawaN</em><br />
<em>uss noor kay nauras moti haiN </em><br />
<em>uss aag kee kachchi kaliyaN haiN</em><br />
<em>jis meethay noor aur karwee aag </em><br />
<em>say zulm kee andhee raat maiN phoota</em><br />
<em>subh-e-baghawat ka gulshan</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>aur subh huee man man, tan tan</em><br />
<em>in jismoN ka chaandi sona</em><br />
<em>in chehroN kay neelam marjaaN</em><br />
<em>jug-mug jug-mug, rakhshaaN rakhshaaN</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>jo dekhna chaahay pardesee</em><br />
<em>paas aaye dekhay jee bhar kar</em><br />
<em>yeh zeest kee rani ka jhoomar</em><br />
<em>yeh amn kee devi ka kangan!</em><br />
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<strong>Glossary:</strong><br />
<em>sakhi</em>: generous<br />
<em>ashrafiaN</em>: gold coins<br />
<em>paiham pyaasay</em>: always thirsty<br />
<em>kashkol</em>: begging bowl<br />
<em>arz-e-ajam</em>: non-Arab land (in this case Persia, but also Pakistan)<br />
<em>kundan</em>: gold<br />
<em>neelam</em>: sapphire, blue<br />
<em>marjaaN</em>: deep pink or red<br />
<em>be-kal</em>: restless<br />
<em>tifl-o-jawaN</em>: children and youth<br />
<em>zeest</em>: life</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-91692811855210068352014-12-31T22:52:00.002-08:002014-12-31T22:54:51.737-08:00Lahore - off the beaten track<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-7160af66-a360-9066-7dfe-6fc9333d4ac3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a common lament but modern Lahoris are largely indifferent to their glorious history. For most affluent residents of the city a culinary visit to Cooco’s or Andaaz with their majestic rooftop views of the 17th century Badshahi Mosque suffice as a representative cultural experience, before they beat a hasty retreat to the attractions of the Y Block market. But beyond the well-known spectacular treasures of Lahore’s heritage (Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Shalamar Gardens, Lahore Museum, Masjid Wazir Khan etc.), all of which are well worth discovering and rediscovering, there are hundreds of amazing places, in and outside the walled city, that tell “tales without end” of Lahore’s fascinating past. Here is a smattering of some of my favorite, less frequently visited, historic sites.</span></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-7160af66-a360-9066-7dfe-6fc9333d4ac3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Shrines:</strong></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2iuFao_te8/VKTtpcBwvPI/AAAAAAAAAxI/wjT0PKzNQ0g/s1600/Entrance%2Bto%2BShah%2BHussain%2BZanjani%2Bshrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u2iuFao_te8/VKTtpcBwvPI/AAAAAAAAAxI/wjT0PKzNQ0g/s1600/Entrance%2Bto%2BShah%2BHussain%2BZanjani%2Bshrine.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the shrine of Syed Hussain Zanjani</td></tr>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-7160af66-a360-9066-7dfe-6fc9333d4ac3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Legend has it that the patron saint of Lahore, Data Ganj Bakhsh (d. 1072), arrived in Lahore the day another revered saint, Syed Hussain Zanjani, died. The shrine of Syed Hussain Zanjani is located in the Chah Miran area, and once found with some difficulty, is an oasis of tranquility and spiritual quiet in an area otherwise bustling with commercial activity. There is a spot that marks the place where the famous saint Khawaja Mueenuddin Chishti of Ajmer (Rajasthan) prayed at the shrine when he visited Lahore.</span></b></div>
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</b><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.365; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-7160af66-a360-9066-7dfe-6fc9333d4ac3" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not far from Syed Hussain Zanjani’s tomb, is one of the most wonderful shrines in the city: the 16th century Mazar of the child saint Ghoray Shah. As you enter the gateway, you see the stall selling toy clay horses that devotees buy as an offering for the saint. The child saint Syed Burhanuddin Ghoray Shah, who loved horses, was believed to have miraculous powers. People who brought him gifts of a toy horse had all their wishes fulfilled. It is said that Ghoray Shah was heart-broken after being scolded by his pious father for granting favors in exchange for toys and died at age five. Four hundred years later, devotees are still bringing toy horses for the saint to seek his favor and to have him intercede on their behalf. The enclosure is peaceful and cool with the shade of old trees. Toy clay horses can be seen placed near the saint’s grave on a raised platform as well as along the graveyard fence.</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UPAWCBqtL0E/VKS1ypjIYLI/AAAAAAAAAwM/fdWe3hp788o/s1600/Ghoray%2BShah%2BShrine%2Bwith%2Bwith%2Btoy%2Bhorses%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bplatform.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UPAWCBqtL0E/VKS1ypjIYLI/AAAAAAAAAwM/fdWe3hp788o/s1600/Ghoray%2BShah%2BShrine%2Bwith%2Bwith%2Btoy%2Bhorses%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bplatform.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghoray Shah Shrine - Toy horses can be seen on the platform in the background</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The history of darbaars, mazaars and dargaahs of Lahore can fill volumes. Leaving out Mian Mir (in whose adjacent graveyard I fortuitously found the gravesite of poet Faiz’s beloved older brother Tufail with an inscription of Faiz’s famous verses “Mujh ko shikwa hai meray bhai keh tum jaate hue”) or Madho Lal Hussain seems egregiously wrong but we must move on.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6gANp52YL4/VKS2I4FGujI/AAAAAAAAAws/Dp3GzFoFGTM/s1600/Poet%2BFaiz's%2Bbrother's%2Btombstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v6gANp52YL4/VKS2I4FGujI/AAAAAAAAAws/Dp3GzFoFGTM/s1600/Poet%2BFaiz's%2Bbrother's%2Btombstone.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz's brother's tombstone inside Mian Mir's shrine</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Havelis:</strong></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.365; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The walled city had many grand havelis for the intellectual and ruling elites of the city and despite the loss of many historic structures due to official neglect, fortunately, some major havelis are still extant. Despite not being in great condition, Mubarak Haveli in Kucha Chabaksawaran inside Mochi Gate is well worth a visit. It is owned by the Qizilbash family now, having been granted to them for their services to the British. Its fascinating history includes being the temporary residence of the Afghan king Shah Shuja Durrani when he was in exile in Lahore in 1813 / 1814. It is in this haveli that he surrendered the Kohinoor diamond to Maharaja Ranjit Singh in exchange for his freedom. Kohinoor, later taken by the British now forms part of the British Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygm7fBDOmK0/VKS18IM3RII/AAAAAAAAAwU/jyQxK2XYovM/s1600/Mubarak%2BHaveli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ygm7fBDOmK0/VKS18IM3RII/AAAAAAAAAwU/jyQxK2XYovM/s1600/Mubarak%2BHaveli.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior of Mubarak Haveli</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just down the street from the Mubarak haveli in Mochi Darwaza is another Qizilbash property called Nisar Haveli, famous for being the starting point of Lahore’s Muharram procession. The procession starts there and after winding its way through the walled city eventually ends on the evening of 10th Muharram at Karbala Gamay Shah next to the Central Model School not far from the Government College. Beyond its religious and cultural significance, Karbala Gamay Shah is also interesting as the burial place of the great Urdu writer and scholar Muhammad Hussain Azad (who died in Lahore in 1910). Azad’s book Aab-e-Hayat (published in 1880) on Urdu poets and poetry is considered one of the pioneering works of its genre. The site in the back courtyard is marked by a brick structure with a white dome.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHbDOpbF-18/VKS2AmnAUiI/AAAAAAAAAwc/HWRMJUzIFtI/s1600/Nisar%2BHaveli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gHbDOpbF-18/VKS2AmnAUiI/AAAAAAAAAwc/HWRMJUzIFtI/s1600/Nisar%2BHaveli.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nisar Haveli Courtyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvBO1hhCpF8/VKS2E43jU5I/AAAAAAAAAwk/FzgmU0jXAuU/s1600/Muhammad%2BHussain%2BAzad's%2Btomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvBO1hhCpF8/VKS2E43jU5I/AAAAAAAAAwk/FzgmU0jXAuU/s1600/Muhammad%2BHussain%2BAzad's%2Btomb.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomb of Urdu writer Muhammad Hussain Azad in Karbala Gamay Shah</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.365; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, I have not yet had the opportunity to see, reputedly, the two best maintained grand havelis in the city; Haveli Baroodkhana (owned by the Mian family) and ‘Mubarak Begum’ haveli (owned by the Syed family).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong>Mosques:</strong></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UNQO4MKfP3Q/VKS1iYhazzI/AAAAAAAAAv8/u9biztf7IRM/s1600/Begum%2BShahi%2BMosque%2BInterior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UNQO4MKfP3Q/VKS1iYhazzI/AAAAAAAAAv8/u9biztf7IRM/s1600/Begum%2BShahi%2BMosque%2BInterior.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of Begum Shahi Mosque</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyone who has not visited Masjid Wazir Khan inside Delhi Gate must first visit that gem of Lahore’s architecture. But inside the walled city another lesser known mosque should attract many more visitors. Entering androon shehr from Masti Gate, you will find the oldest extant Mughal mosque in Lahore, the Maryam Zamani or Begum Shahi Mosque, built in 1614. This beautiful mosque close to the Akbari Gateway entrance of the Lahore Fort was built by Emperor Jahangir’s mother who was known as Maryam-uz-zamani (Mary of her age). This wife of Emperor Akbar and mother of Jahangir, born Rajkumari Hira Kunwari, was a Rajput princess and the daughter of Raja Bihari Mal of Amber (now Jaipur). Its prayer hall is beautifully decorated and the central dome remarkable for the richness of its </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">muqarnas</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and painted frescos.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSgQ5TFjYLs/VKS2wPflyrI/AAAAAAAAAw4/paGgReWG364/s1600/Gurdwara%2BRam%2BDas%2BJee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xSgQ5TFjYLs/VKS2wPflyrI/AAAAAAAAAw4/paGgReWG364/s1600/Gurdwara%2BRam%2BDas%2BJee.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Ji</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lahore has a rich array of well-known Sikh era buildings like havelis (e.g. Mai Jindan haveli, Haveli Naunehal Singh, now Victoria Girls School), Samadhis (e.g. Maharaja Ranjit Singh) and Gurdwaras (e.g. Dera Sahib in the same compound as Ranjit Singh samadhi) but a lesser known Gurdwara inside the walled city bears mention. In Kotwali Wala Bazaar near Chuna Mandi Chowk in Kashmiri Gate is the “Gurdwara Janam Asthan of Guru Ram Das Jee”. Guru Ram Das was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was born in Chuna Mandi in 1534. He founded the original township which became the Sikh holy city of Amritsar. The Gurdwara is in good condition and is actively used by the Sikh community. Sikh volunteers keep the structure well-maintained.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With every visit to the historic Lahore, I find, that more and more historical buildings are suffering from neglect or worse, being destroyed. Just last month on a visit to the beautiful Dai Anga Mosque (built in 1649), I was heartbroken to see that the original interior of the mosque had been scraped and ripped out and was being replaced by white bathroom tiles on cement, completely destroying the historic structure. The sign in the mosque’s courtyard calling it a “protected monument” seemed like a cruel joke. To effectively protect a city or nation’s history, culture and heritage its people and governments have to know, care for and value their treasures.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those interested in exploring the great city of Lahore, I highly recommend getting Yasmeen Lari’s “Lahore Travel Guide”. It is meticulously researched and is a treasure trove of Lahore’s history and heritage. The hand-drawn maps of the walled city are painstakingly done. As a native of Lahore who was unaware of many corners of my own city’s history for too long, I must thank Ms. Lari for this outstanding labour of love.</span></div>
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This post was originally published in the March 28th, 2014 issue of The Friday Times.</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-36555193353967699702014-08-09T23:30:00.000-07:002014-08-10T21:07:29.511-07:00The exploding Middle East & the Israeli-Palestinian conflict<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCe86x7H_xE/U-b-NycbZ8I/AAAAAAAAAso/EDFff868WMM/s1600/Gaza+conflict.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCe86x7H_xE/U-b-NycbZ8I/AAAAAAAAAso/EDFff868WMM/s1600/Gaza+conflict.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In case you haven't noticed, the Middle East and its periphery are burning! In Iraq, Sunni ISIS militants have taken over large expanses of the country and are perpetrating horrific violence on non-Muslim minorities as well as other Muslim sects. In Syria, the nominal Shia/secular regime of Bashar-al-Assad, with the help of Iran and Hezbollah, has bombed and destroyed large parts of the country, mercilessly killing civilians in its fight against vicious Saudi-backed Sunni militants. Libya is more or less in a state of anarchy. Egyptian military, with full Saudi and Western support, has brutally killed civilians and extinguished all opposition. A fragile peace prevails in Lebanon but the entire Middle East is on tenterhooks as the reactionary Wahhabi regime of al-Saud fights a fratricidal war with Shia Iran with the primary purpose of hanging on to perpetual power. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The byzantine complexities of middle eastern power politics, the intractable historic nature of many conflicts and the difficulty of assigning simple "good" and "bad" labels make resignation and withdrawal an increasingly common reaction of those not directly caught up in the wars. " A pox on all their houses". Most people can, at best, muster periodic expressions of outrage at the loss of innocent human lives, condemn perpetrators of violence or bemoan the ill-considered Western interventions that have released the genie of instability in fragile and unformed post-colonial nation states. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">And then in the midst of all this is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; an issue so divisive that even the simplest expression of your views is likely to be seen as propaganda for one side or the other. My social media feeds have been inundated by "evidence" of the treachery of the other side. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have not waded into the Israeli/Palestinian conflict on social media or elsewhere. Beyond unequivocal condemnation of loss of innocent lives and expressing the wish for a peaceful long-term solution, I have not written much. The issue is too complex for sound bites and generates considerably more heat than light. A large part of the problem is that there is a set narrative on both sides and every inevitable conflagration every few years brings out the supporters on both sides with exactly the same set of talking points. What is needed is an empathetic understanding of the historical perspective of both sides and a rational approach and commitment to solving the problem. Palestinians and Arabs have a history of missed opportunities but Israel as the dominant and occupying power, with unquestioning US support, has the greater onus of breaking the logjam. It is also clearly in Israel's own long term interest to find a way out of occupation and give Palestinians a just peace and their own homeland. On the current path of perpetual occupation and settlement expansion, Israel will eventually either lose any pretense of being a democracy or the demand for a one state solution incorporating the West Bank and Gaza will pick up steam, much to the detriment of Israel and its supporters. </span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.35px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="color: black;"><span data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$0:0"><span class="Apple-converted-space"></span></span><br data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$1:0" /><br data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$3:0" /><span data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$4:0" style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few recent interviews and articles that I have found most helpful in getting a diverse perspective, even when I disagree with some of the viewpoints. They provide a wide diversity of educated opinion from very pro-Israeli to pro-Palestinian and have aided my understanding of facts and the search for solutions to this intractable conflict.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.35px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="color: black;"></span><br data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$7:0" /><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) </span><a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/interview-with-former-israeli-security-chief-yuval-diskin-a-982094.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interview of Yuval Diskin - Former Head of Israeli Security / Shin Bet (Der Spiegel)</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<span style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2) </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/opinion/roger-cohen-zionism-and-israels-war-with-hamas-in-gaza.html?_r=1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zionism and its Discontents - Roger Cohen (New York Times)</span></a></span></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: inherit; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.35px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #fafbfb; color: #4e5665; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 15.35px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".3p.1:3:1:$comment10152578493885803_10152589163015803:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3) </span><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/collective-punishment-gaza" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Collective Punishment in Gaza - Rashid Khalidi (The New Yorker)</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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4) </span><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/aug/14/liberal-zionists/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Liberal Zionists - Jonathan Freedland (New York Review of Books)</span></a></span></span> </div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-7758686436245018342014-08-09T22:36:00.001-07:002014-08-09T22:36:57.147-07:00Return to Blogging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was well over a year ago that I last wrote on this blog. At that time, I was finding myself writing less frequently and the list of blog ideas and inspirational links in my notes was getting ever longer. To share things more often I shifted to posting more things on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fawads-Posts/311720232288243#!/pages/Fawads-Posts/311720232288243" target="_blank">Fawad's Posts Facebook page</a>. <br />
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I think its time to do some longer form writing again and bring a little discipline back into my life. Wish me luck!</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-59205057270466549772013-04-10T22:35:00.000-07:002013-04-10T22:35:22.610-07:00"Fawad's Posts" on Facebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I find myself writing these blog posts less and less frequently. Lack of time is a perennial issue. Also all the things that typically spur me to write such as listening to a piece of music, passing away of a legend or reading a fragment of poetry now get more immediately shared on social networks like Twitter and Facebook. <br />
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I still intend to use this space periodically for "long form" pieces and musical reveries but any readers who stray here and enjoy what they read might just want to visit my Facebook page of posts and "Like" it. Here's the link to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fawads-Posts/311720232288243#!/pages/Fawads-Posts/311720232288243" target="_blank">"Fawad's Posts"</a> on FB. </div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-72874703028197770672012-12-16T11:22:00.002-08:002012-12-18T11:33:46.994-08:00"Leaving Mississippi" & "Reminiscence at Toul" by James Autry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eycTx6aXPsA/UM4eRyT9RiI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/3EP2HlTQY-c/s1600/James-Autry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eycTx6aXPsA/UM4eRyT9RiI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/3EP2HlTQY-c/s1600/James-Autry.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until yesterday I had never heard of James Autry. On yet another drive criss-crossing suburbia I heard Bill Moyers (the indefatigable liberal conscience of America!) interviewing him on NPR. As is often the case when I find something unexpected on the radio I found myself driving around to listen to the soothing, worn and wise voice of this thoughtful businessman poet. Watch the entire 22 minute segment of <a href="http://billmoyers.com/segment/poet-james-autry-on-issues-of-art-and-heart/" target="_blank">Bill interviewing Jim Autry here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The poems he read were the highlight of the program and introduced a new American voice to me. "Leaving Mississippi" captures the feelings of anyone who has ever moved far away from their childhood home and forever after experiences flashes of the sights and smells of the places left behind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 1.625em;">
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leaving Mississippi</span></strong></div>
Part of me never left<br />
and another part is always leaving,<br />
leaving Mississippi but never gone.<br />
“Jimmy when you gonna come on back<br />
down home,” my people ask,<br />
and I cannot say, “Never,<br />
I’ve found my home somewhere else”<br />
any more than I can say my home<br />
was never in the State of Mississippi<br />
but in the community of it,<br />
in my father’s churches,<br />
in Abel’s store,<br />
in Ashland on the square,<br />
in how the people were together.<br />
Now that home is gone forever from Mississippi–<br />
yet it is with me still,<br />
in the fall smell of wood smoke<br />
from some suburban chimney,<br />
in an Atlanta taxi driver’s turn of phrase,<br />
in the quiet of an old church in Bavaria,<br />
in the call of an Iowa night hawk,<br />
in a fish breaking the surface of a Colorado stream,<br />
in the night peepers everywhere<br />
in a stanza of Amazing Grace,<br />
in the crickets,<br />
in dust.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Reminiscence at Toul" is a beautiful poem giving us yet another reminder to live in the present: "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans". John Lennon's immortal words from "Beautiful Boy" (whose poignancy is particularly heartbreaking in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre) are much remembered in "quotable quotes" but mostly ignored in the hurly burly of life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Reminiscence at Toul</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thirty years ago</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On New Year's eve</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">drunk on French champagne</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">we shot bottle rockets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">from the windows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">of Hank and Willi's</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">rented chateau overlooking Nancy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It sounds so worldly</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">which is how we wanted to think of ourselves,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">but Lord, we were just children,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">sent by the government to fly airplanes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and to save Western Europe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">from World War III.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We thought we had all the important things</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">still left to do</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and were just playing at importance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">for the time being.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It never occurred to us,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">living in our community of friends,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">having first babies,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">seeing husbands die,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">helping young widows pack to go home,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that we had already started the important things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What could we have been thinking,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">or perhaps it's how could we have known </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that times get no better,</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>that important things come without background music,</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>that life is largely a matter of paying attention.</i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Jim Autry reads "Leaving Mississippi" and "Ronald's Dance":</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/55534598?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="400"></iframe><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jim Autry reads "On Firing a Salesman":</span></b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HqJCPZlXI_c" width="420"></iframe></div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-86798479352102754112012-10-20T17:02:00.001-07:002012-10-26T18:09:37.975-07:00Mirza Ghalib - A Musical Feast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghalib" target="_blank">Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib</a> (b.1797 - d.1869) was one of Urdu's greatest poets. No other poet (with the possible exception of Faiz in the 20th century) has seeped into the popular imagination of the Urdu-knowing sub-continent quite like Ghalib. His cultural influence in the world of Urdu is almost Shakesperean. Ghalib's ghazal poetry and prose (in the form of his letters to friends) have left a lasting imprint on the language itself. What is remarkable is that this towering reputation is built on a slim volume. "Deevan-e-Ghalib" is less than 200 pages of Urdu poetry.
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Featured extensively in art, film and theater, it is music where his poetry has found a permament home for well over a hundred years. It is a rare popular or semi-classical vocalist of the sub-continent who hasn't sung Ghalib's ghazals. This post will celebrate the wonderfully varied presentations of Ghalib's poetry in music. So much of Ghalib's poetry is familiar to audiences that I have chosen a different ghazal for each of my favorite pieces highlighted here. Every one of these ghazals has been sung by different performers in multiple compositions.<br />
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Let's kick this off with a couple of cuts from film music:<br />
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Bharat Bhushan played Mirza Ghalib in the 1954 Indian film of that name and the lovely Suraiyya played the courtesan ChaudhviN. Here is Suraiyya singing <em>"Aah ko chaahiye ik umr asr hone tak".</em> The composition is by Ghulam Mohammad (whose music for the film "Pakeezah" years later immortalized him).<br />
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<em>Gham-e-hasti ka Asad kis se ho juz marg ilaaj</em><br />
<em>Shama har rang meiN jalti hai sehr hone tak</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fqwwklnVbi4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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In the 1961 Pakistani film "Mirza Ghalib", Noor Jehan played the ChaudhviN character and her rendering of <em>"Muddat hui hai yaar ko mehmaN kiye huue"</em> is justly famous. The composer is Tassaduq Hussain.<br />
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<em>Jee dhoondta hai phir wohi fursat, keh raat din</em><br />
<em>Baithe raheN tasawwur-e-jaanaN kiye huue</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kY2Cya3stYk" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Gulzar's TV serial Mirza Ghalib on Doordarshan in the late 80's must be credited with introducing Ghalib to a whole new generation of Urdu lovers. Naseeruddin Shah's sublime portrayal of Ghalib was the highlight of that production and ghazal singer Jagjit Singh sang the ghazals in his beautiful, deep voice. Jagjit Singh who passed away last year helped keep ghazal singing alive in India where the new generation seems ever more removed from the old composite culture of the Urdu/Hindi-speaking belt. Jagjit and Chitra Singh's contribution to Indian ghazal singing is undeniable but even though they sang some great compositions their virtuosity falls short of both the masters of the light genre like Lata and Noor Jehan and the semi-classical greats like Mehdi Hassan and Farida Khanum. <br />
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Here's a nice version of <em>"Unke dekhe se jo aa jati hai munh par raunaq"</em> by Jagjit from the TV serial.<br />
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<em>Hum ko ma'loom hai jannat ki haqeeqat lekin</em><br />
<em>Dil ke khush rakhne ko Ghalib yeh khayal achha hai</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YRqnwrGhmPA" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Before moving on to the semi-classical parade of immortal melodies lets listen to a singer who was his own genre. There has been no other Kundan Lal Saigal; the voice, the mastery, the soul-stirring performances! The music of K.L. Saigal is a human treasure. Saigal singing <em>"Phir mujhe deeda-e-tar yaad aaya".</em><br />
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<em>Dum liya tha na qayamat ne hunooz</em><br />
<em>Phir tera waqt-e-safar yaad aaya</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sgR_MTC4Dp4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Begum Akhtar sang countless Ghalib ghazals in her inimitable style. Here she is singing <em>"Nukta cheeN hai, gham-e-dil uss ko sunaye na bane":</em><br />
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<em>Ishq par zor nahiN hai yeh woh aatish Ghalib</em><br />
<em>Keh lagaye na lage aur bujhaye na bane</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h0JGxqurhrQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (the scion of the Patiala gharana) was a classical singer but with few patrons of classical music in Pakistan he started singing ghazals in a light style and gained a tremendous following. He died almost 40 years ago but his ghazals remain highly popular. <em>"Yeh na thee hamari qismat keh visaal-e-yaar hota":</em><br />
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<em>KahooN kis se meiN keh kya hai shab-e-gham buri bala hai</em><br />
<em>Mujhe kya bura tha marna agar aik baar hota</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lb-sx2oTEIc" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Anyone who has ever visited this page knows of my reverence for Mehdi Hassan. I remain in awe of the great man's musical genius. Here's a little gem of a performance of a Ghalib ghazal by the emperor of ghazal singing: <em>"Arz-e-niaz-e-ishq ke qaabil nahiN raha".</em><br />
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<em>Bedaad-e-ishq se nahiN darta, magar Asad</em><br />
<em>Jis dil pe naaz tha mujhe, woh dil nahiN raha</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gAipmBB-dEs" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Malika Pukhraj at her best in this melodious rendering of <em>"TaskeeN ko hum na royeN jo zauq-e-nazar mile":</em><br />
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<em>Saaqi gari kee sharm karo aaj, warna hum</em><br />
<em>Har shab piya hee karte heiN mae, jis qadar milay</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dLhFdOO3-RE" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
The stentorian voice of Farida Khanum (disciple of another Patiala vocalist Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan) singing <em>"Zikr uss parivash ka aur phir bayaaN apna":</em><br />
<br />
<em>Hum kahaaN ke da'na thhe, kis hunar meiN yakta thhe</em><br />
<em>Be-sabab hua Ghalib dushman aasmaN apna</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dgoS8_2DoKs" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Iqbal Bano (disciple of Ustad Chand Khan of Delhi) sings <em>"Dayam para hua teray dar par nahiN hooN meiN"</em> on PTV's program 'Nikhar' in 1974. The mehfil is at the house of the writer Ashfaq Ahmed and you can see several prominent writers and poets (Ahmed Faraz, Ehsaan Daanish etc.) in this video.<br />
<br />
<em>Yaa rab zamana mujh ko mitata hai kis liye</em><br />
<em>Lauh-e-JahaaN pe harf-e-mukarrar nahiN hooN meiN</em><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_OV_XzZlLe4" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />
Abida Parveen, the queen of Sufi music brings her uniquely spiritual style to Ghalib in this wonderful performance of <em>"Ibn-e-Maryam hua kare koyee".</em><br />
<br />
<em>Jab Tawaqqo hee uth gayee Ghalib</em><br />
<em>KyuN kisi ka gila kare koyee</em><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bv2cufvqHHA" width="420"></iframe><br />
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I will end with a reading by Zia Mohyeddin of his own essay "Ghalib aur MeiN". Zia Mohyeddin's literary readings are performance art themselves and he has done a great service in introducing younger audiences to the pleasures of Urdu literature. His multi-CD readings of Ghalib's letters ("Ghalib ke khatoot") are a masterpiece. Here's a little flavor of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PWtUwGgrMg&feature=related" target="_blank">Zia Mohyeddin reading Ghalib's letter to Mirza Alauddin Ahmed</a>. They introduce the listener to the cadences of the cultured, informal language of Ghalib's era. This was path-breaking writing at the time as epistolary prose in general tended to be ornate, formal and emotionally stunted.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eCEd1mtjBtM" width="420"></iframe>
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Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-81884955708949833452012-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:002012-08-19T14:48:35.766-07:00A Poem for this Eid - Faiz's "Dua" or Prayer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-viELpiKJviU/UDFLJ4CDxEI/AAAAAAAAAkM/w2HI4GKckJQ/s1600/Faiz+Photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-viELpiKJviU/UDFLJ4CDxEI/AAAAAAAAAkM/w2HI4GKckJQ/s200/Faiz+Photo+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr (celebration at the end of the month of Ramazan) is being celebrated in North America on August 19th. In Pakistan, Eid will be celebrated on August 20th. For Muslims, Eid is a joyous occasion and I wish everyone a "Eid Mubarak" but would like to quote a friend who has channeled my feelings this year: "May this Eid usher in more peace, less extremism, and some common sense in the Muslim world". <br />
<br />
Pakistan's great poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote a beautiful poem called "Dua" or "Prayer". This poem is in his collection titled "Sar-e-Waadi-e-Seena" and was written on August 14th, 1967 (the 20th anniversary of Pakistan's independence). I often read this moving poem and listen to poet Zehra Nigah's soul strirring <em>tarannum </em>("a capella") rendition. (Unfortunately Zehra Nigah's reading of this Faiz gem is not on youtube even though there are postings of several other beautiful verses of Faiz she has sung). For a wonderful sample, here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiCmLVzhwPk&feature=relmfu" target="_blank">Faiz's poem "Dareecha" read by Zehra Nigah preceded by a verbal tribute</a>. <br />
<br />
<strong>On this Eid, Faiz's "Dua" is my prayer.</strong> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_1Oam4zdxoc/UDFLUkpIgfI/AAAAAAAAAkU/nqda5fWP40A/s1600/Faiz+zehra+nigah+shohrat+bukhari+jameela+dehlavi+ahmad+faraz+gopi+chand+narang+iftikhar+arif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_1Oam4zdxoc/UDFLUkpIgfI/AAAAAAAAAkU/nqda5fWP40A/s400/Faiz+zehra+nigah+shohrat+bukhari+jameela+dehlavi+ahmad+faraz+gopi+chand+narang+iftikhar+arif.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left: Iftikhar Arif, Jameela Dehlavi, Shohrat Bukhari, Gopi Chand Narang, Faiz, Zehra Nigah and Ahmad Faraz at a BBC Mushaira in London</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Dua</span></em></strong><br />
<em>Poet: Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911 - 1984) </em><br />
<br />
Aaiye hath uthaiyeN hum bhi<br />
Hum jinheN rasm-e-dua yaad nahiN<br />
<br />
Hum jinheN soz-e-mohabbat ke siwa<br />
Koyee butt koyee khuda yaad nahiN<br />
<br />
Aaiye arz guzaraiN keh nigaar-e-hasti<br />
Zehr-e-imroz meiN sheereeni-e-farda bhar de<br />
<br />
Woh jinheN taab-e-garaaN baariye ayyam nahiN<br />
Un kee palkoN peh shab-o-roz ko halka kar de<br />
<br />
Jinn kee aankhoN ko rukh-e-subh ka yaara bhi nahiN<br />
Un ki raatoN meiN koi shama munawwar kar de<br />
<br />
Jin ke qadmoN ko kisi reh ka sahara bhi nahiN<br />
Un ki nazroN pe koyee raah ujaagar kar de<br />
<br />
Jin ka deeN pairawi-e-kizb-o-riya hai un ko<br />
Himmat-e-kufr milay jurrat-e-tehqeeq milay<br />
<br />
Jin ke sar muntazir-e-tegh-e-jafa haiN un ko<br />
Dast-e-qatil ko jhatak dainay ki taufeeq milay<br />
<br />
Ishq ka sirr-e-nihaN jaan tipa hai jis se<br />
Aaj iqrar kareiN aur tapish mit jaye<br />
<br />
Harf-e-haq dil meiN khatakta hai jo kaante ki tarah<br />
Aaj izhaar kareiN aur khalish mit jaye<br />
<br />
Here is Iqbal Bano singing "Dua". This is not my favorite version. I don't particularly like this composition and Iqbal Bano is not at her best. However, those who want to see the words in Urdu can read them in this video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_hsEsLVTRU" width="420"></iframe>
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Following is a (modified) English translation of the poem combining the translation from the <a href="http://www.faizcentenary.org/poems_in_english.htm" target="_blank">Faiz Centenary</a> website and a translation by Tariq Akbar who has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWoH8tXYE2M&feature=related" target="_blank">uploaded, read and translated this poem in a youtube video</a>. I have made modifications where, in my view, the meaning of the original felt distorted. Its a familiar lament but the translation doesn't don't do justice to the beauty and cadences of the original.<br />
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<strong><em>Prayer</em></strong><br />
Come, let us raise our hands, as well - <br />
We, the ones who do not remember the ritual of prayer<br />
<br />
We, the ones who [do not remember] anything other than the <br />
warmth of love, <br />
do not know of any idol, nor any God. <br />
<br />
Come, let us beseech that the Creator of existence may <br />
fill sweetness in the morrow from the poison of today <br />
<br />
Those who cannot bear the burden of passing day, <br />
May their eyelids be unburdened of the day and night <br />
<br />
They, whose eyes don't have the strength to see the face of dawn, <br />
May someone light a lamp in their night<br />
<br />
They, whose feet have nowhere to go, no path <br />
May someone illuminate a way to their sight<br />
<br />
They, whose religion is lies and deceit <br />
May they get the courage to be heretics, and the audacity to question<br />
<br />
They, whose heads await the swords of cruelty... to them<br />
The power to ward of the hands that slay<br />
<br />
The hidden secret of love is a burning soul... with which<br />
Let's affirm today so the burning is eased<br />
<br />
The words of truth.. which rankle the heart like a thorn<br />
Let's proclaim them today to relieve the affliction</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-84086346692134102482012-08-11T21:48:00.000-07:002012-08-12T17:32:32.600-07:00David Rakoff - There Is No Answer As To "Why Me"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rakoff" target="_blank">David Rakoff</a>, the Canadian-born, American writer and humorist died of cancer in Manhattan on August 9th at age 47. He was the author of three books of essays (<em>Fraud, Don't Get Too Comfortable</em> and <em>Half Empty</em>) and widely known for his contributions to the popular National Public Radio show <em>"This Amercian Life".</em> <br />
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On NPR on August 10th, Terry Gross's interview program <em>Fresh Air</em> played <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/08/10/158567391/david-rakoff-there-is-no-answer-as-to-why-me" target="_blank">excerpts of two interviews that Terry did with David Rakoff in 2001 and 2010</a>. These excerpts provide a glimpse of Rakoff's personality and wit but it is his equanimity in the face of death that reveals the quality of the man. When asked if he ever asks himself "Why Me" about getting cancer he responds:<br />
<br />
<em>"Writer Melissa Bank said it best: 'The only proper answer to 'Why me?' is 'Why not you?' The universe is anarchic and doesn't care about us, and unfortunately, there's no greater rhyme or reason as to why it would be me. And since there is no answer as to why me, it's not a question I feel really entitled to ask.</em><br />
<br />
<em>"And in so many other ways, I'm so far ahead of the game. I have access to great medical care. My general baseline health, aside from the general unpleasantness of the cancer, is great. And it's great because I'm privileged to have great health. And I live in a country where I'm not making sneakers for a living, and I don't live near a toxic waste dump.</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>"You can't win all the contests and then lose at one contest and say, 'Why am I not winning this contest as well?' It's random. So truthfully, again, do I wish it weren't me? Absolutely. I still can't make that logistic jump to thinking there's a reason why it shouldn't be me."</strong></em><br />
<br />
In the interview with Terry Gross, David Rakoff beautifully reads <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bishop" target="_blank">Elizabeth Bishop's</a> (1911 - 1979) poem "Letter to NY". After reciting the poem Rakoff wistfully says that "in my life I will never achieve anything this beautiful". (In the interview link above the recitation is from 37:40 - 38:53)<br />
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<strong>Letter to N.Y.</strong><br />
<br />
In your next letter I wish you'd say<br />
where you are going and what you are doing; <br />
how are the plays, and after the plays <br />
what other pleasures you're pursuing:<br />
<br />
taking cabs in the middle of the night, <br />
driving as if to save your soul <br />
where the road goes round and round the park <br />
and the meter glares like a moral owl,<br />
<br />
and the trees look so queer and green<br />
standing alone in big black caves <br />
and suddenly you're in a different place <br />
where everything seems to happen in waves,<br />
<br />
and most of the jokes you just can't catch, <br />
like dirty words rubbed off a slate, <br />
and the songs are loud but somehow dim <br />
and it gets so terribly late,<br />
<br />
and coming out of the brownstone house <br />
to the gray sidewalk, the watered street, <br />
one side of the buildings rises with the sun <br />
like a glistening field of wheat.<br />
<br />
—Wheat, not oats, dear. I'm afraid <br />
if it's wheat it's none of your sowing, <br />
nevertheless I'd like to know<br />
what you are doing and where you are going.</div>Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-30446229024480882482012-06-30T21:54:00.000-07:002016-05-22T16:16:43.931-07:00More Mehdi Hassan - "Allah Agar Taufeeq Na De"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We are fortunate that Mehdi Hassan has left us thousands of live and studio recordings of his peerless performances. Even for devoted fans it is not unusual to come across a gem that has never been experienced before. That happened to me today as I was browsing iTunes and saw an unfamiliar live album titled "Mehdi Hassan - EP" that was released in India earlier this year. Here I share the beautiful ghazal "Allah Agar Taufeeq Na De" which is the second recording in that album. The poet is unidentified. The piece is long (34 minutes) but the patience of true fans will be amply rewarded. My appreciation goes out to the person who has posted this on youtube so I can share it in this space. The ghazal's Urdu lyrics below the video have been transcribed by me. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MmNieVWnwC4" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Allah agar taufeeq na dey insaan ke bas ka kaam nahiN<br />
Faizan-e-mohabbat aam sahi irfan-e-mohabbat aam nahiN<br />
<br />
Ya Rab yeh maqaam-e-ishq hai kya go deeda-o-dil ka kaam nahiN<br />
Taskeen hai aur taskeen nahiN aaram hai aur aaram nahiN<br />
<br />
KyuN mast-e-sharaab-e-aish-o-tarab takleef-e-tawajjoh farmaaiN<br />
Awaz-e-shikast-e-dil hi to hai awaz-e-shikast-e-jaam nahiN<br />
<br />
Aana hai jo bazm-e-jaanaN meiN pindaar-e-khudi ko tor ke aa<br />
Aye hosh-o-khirad ke deewane yaN hosh-o-khirad ka kaam nahiN<br />
<br />
Zahid ne kuch iss andaaz se pee saaqi kee nigaheN parne lageeN<br />
Mai kash yahee ab tak samjhe thhe shaista-e-daur-e-jaam nahiN<br />
<br />
Ishq aur gawara khud kar lay bay shart shikast-e-faash apni<br />
Kuch dil kee bhi un kay saazish hai tanha yeh nazar ka kaam nahiN<br />
<br />
Update - May 22nd, 2016:<br />
<br />
1) It is always gratifying to read comments on anything I write. Often, in addition to appreciation, you learn something new. A reader corrected the third sh'er and informed me that the correct phrase here is "awaz-e-shikast-e-jaam" not "jaan". From the context "jaam" indeed seems to be the correct word.<br />
<br />
2) I don't have confirmation of this from any other source but at least 2 commenters have mentioned that the poet is Jigar Muradabadi.</div>
Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-37515209425876085392012-06-16T16:26:00.000-07:002012-06-16T17:01:54.162-07:00Mehdi Hassan: The "Voice of God" is no more<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The legendary Pakistani singer Mehdi Hassan, universally acknowledged as "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal" (King of Ghazal), died on June 13th, 2012 after a protracted illness. The outpouring of grief and the subsequent torrent of tributes testify to the influence of Mehdi Hassan on lovers of music and Urdu ghazal all over the world. The world of music has lost an irreplaceable asset. I wrote a <a href="http://writtenencounters.blogspot.com/2009/11/khan-sahib-mehdi-hassan-some-immortal.html" target="_blank">blog post in November 2009 on some of my favorite Mehdi Hassan pieces</a> along with a biographical sketch (I am proud that several people have borrowed facts from that original piece for which I worked hard to dig up authentic information on the maestro's life). <br />
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With Mehdi Hassan's passing, most of the formative influences on my musical tastes since childhood have now passed into history with the notable exception of Lata Mangeshkar and Farida Khanum (may they both live long and prosper!). I can never be thankful enough to have been born in a family whose primary mode of interaction to this day are conversation, debate and argument about politics and history and discussion and enjoyment of literature, film, sports and music. This cultural environment and the economic struggles of a<em> "sufaid-posh"</em> middle class family are my dominant memories of growing up. Mehdi Hassan is the quintessential voice of that upbringing. His imbeccable diction, mellifluous voice and <em>sureela-pan</em> will always live in the hearts of those who love semi-classical Ghazal (a genre of which he is a virtual creator).<br />
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Here are a few of the obituaries and articles on Mehdi Hassan published since his death. RIP Maestro!! Your music will live forever!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jun/13/mehdi-hassan?newsfeed=true" target="_blank">The Guardian - Obituary</a><br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/14/mehdi-hassan-pakistan-india" target="_blank">Ali Sethi in The Guardian</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/arts/music/mehdi-hassan-ghazals-voice-of-god-dies-at-84.html" target="_blank">The New York Times - Obituary</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18421080" target="_blank">BBC - Obituary</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Music/Bollywood-remembers-immortal-Mehdi-Hassan/Article1-871986.aspx" target="_blank">Hindustan Times - Reactions</a><br />
<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/393037/ghazal-maestro-mehdi-hasan-passes-away/" target="_blank">Express Tribune - News and Initial Reactions</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theworld.org/2012/06/legendary-singer-mehdi-hassan/" target="_blank">Public Radio International - Tribute</a><br />
<br />
Let's conclude a tribute to the King in the most fitting manner with his immortal music. For the ghazal selection, here is a slightly lesser known beauty. Close your eyes, listen to the words of Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali and the masterful rendition by Khan Sahib. This is an out of the world experience.<br />
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<i>Aage barhe na Qissa-e-Ishq-e-ButaaN se hum </i><br />
<i>Sab kuchh kaha magar na khule raazdaaN se hum</i></div>
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Here's a gem of a film song from the Pakistani movie "Pehchhan". Nisar Bazmi composed the music. My eight year old growing up in a very different time and place loves this song and often requests it in the car. Here is hoping that Mehdi Hassan's music will be discovered and loved by many generations yet to come. <br />
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P.S. I will mention it here to remind myself but will write some other time about my passing encounter with Mehdi Hassan when I was a young boy and he stopped his car at seeing my father and I standing by the side of the road near our VW beetle that had just broken down on us!!</div>Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-55552122626807531432012-05-28T13:27:00.001-07:002012-05-28T13:30:36.192-07:00Memorial Day, Alta Mesa Cemetery & Billy Collins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Alta Mesa Cemetery, very close to my home, is one of my favorite haunts (pun intended). I often walk or ride my bike through the leafy lanes lined with headstones, every now and then, stopping to read the engraved names, dates, inscriptions and images that represent the few lasting historical clues to the lives of the departed.<br />
<br />
Life is represented in all its colors here: the joyous inscriptions of lives fully lived "Joanne Smith (1941 - 2004): she made every day feel like Saturday" and the somber laments on children's graves "Jose Antonio (1972): of such is the kingdom of God". All are equal in this final resting place. Steve Jobs and David and Lucille Packard are buried here but their burial sites (which I have not come across yet) are no different than anyone else's. Headstones have Stars of David, Crosses and Crescents, inscriptions in English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Farsi but all rest peacefully next to each other in the shadow of oak trees. They all understand each other.<br />
<br />
Memorial Day is a good day to remember the dead. Today Alta Mesa is full of potted plants, freshly cut flowers, floral wreaths, rainbow pinwheels and little American flags. <br />
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Here are some photographs I have taken in Alta Mesa Memorial Park during my visits.<br />
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The former American Poet Laureate Billy Collins has a wonderful poem called "Cemetery Ride" in his collection <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400064922" target="_blank">"Horoscopes for the Dead".</a> It is hard to better Collins's evocation of a ride through a similar cemetery.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cemetery Ride </strong><br />
<br />
My new copper-colored bicycle<br />
is looking pretty fine under a blue sky<br />
as I pedal along one of the sandy paths<br />
in the Palm Cemetery here in Florida,<br />
<br />
wheeling past the headstones of the Lyons,<br />
the Campbells, the Dunlaps, and the Davenports,<br />
Arthur and Ethel who outlived him by 11 years<br />
I slow down even more to notice,<br />
<br />
but not so much as to fall sideways on the ground.<br />
And here's a guy named Happy Grant<br />
next to his wife in their endless bed.<br />
Annie Sue Simms is right there and sounds<br />
<br />
a lot more fun than Theodosia S. Hawley.<br />
And good afternoon, Emily Polasek<br />
and to you too, George and Jane Cooper,<br />
facing each other in profile, two sides of a coin.<br />
<br />
I wish I could take you all for a ride<br />
in my wire basket on this glorious April day,<br />
not a thing as simple as your name, Bill Smith,<br />
even trickier than Clarence Augustus Coddington.<br />
<br />
Then how about just you Enid Parker?<br />
Would you like to gather up your voluminous skirts<br />
and ride sidesaddle on the crossbar<br />
and tell me what happened between 1863 and 1931?<br />
<br />
I'll even let you ring the silver bell.<br />
But if you are not ready, I can always ask<br />
Mary Brennan to rise from her long sleep<br />
beneath the swaying gray beards of Spanish moss<br />
<br />
and ride with me along these halls of the dead<br />
so I can listen to her strange laughter<br />
as some crows flap in the blue overhead<br />
and the spokes of my wheels catch the dazzling sun.</div>Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20989892.post-26184932601985726352012-05-20T12:22:00.001-07:002012-05-20T12:22:27.170-07:00Henry David Thoreau & The "Facebook Effect"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You simply couldn't dodge facebook chatter in the Bay Area over the last couple of months. It has been everywhere: the mural painter who is worth hundreds of millions, the anticipated boom in angel investing, the frantic wealth managers chasing the pimpled millionaires and billionaires, And then there is supposedly the 'facebook effect' on the local real estate. Home owners in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos and towns surrounding Facebook's new Menlo Park headquarters are salivating in anticipation of rising property values illustrated in this "only in the Bay Area" photograph:<br />
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I would happily take some of this wealth if I knew how but instead it made me think of Thoreau and his house on Walden Pond. I picked up my copy of "Walden" (purchased eleven years ago at the Walden Pond Bookstore in Concord) to re-read Thoreau's wonderful account of his time in that modest house and how he came to build and live in it. Let's have Thoreau speak for himself as who else could do a better job:<br />
<br />
<em>"Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have.---Shall we always study to obtain more of these things, and not sometimes to be content with less?"</em><br />
<br />
<em>"I have thus a tight shingled and plastered house, ten feet wide by fifteen long, and eight-feet posts, with a garret and closet, a large window on each side, two trap doors, one door at the end, and a brick fireplace opposite. The exact cost of my house, paying the usual price for such materials as I used, but not counting the work, all of which was done by myself, was as follows; and I give the details because very few are able to tell exactly what their houses cost, and fewer still, if any, the separate cost of the various materials which compose them:</em><br />
<br />
<em>Boards $8.03&1/2 (mostly shanty boards)</em><br />
<em>Refuse shingles for roof and sides $4.00</em><br />
<em>Laths $1.25</em><br />
<em>Two second-hand windows</em><br />
<em>with glass $2.43</em><br />
<em>One thousand old brick $4.00</em><br />
<em>Two casks of lime $2.40 (that was high, More than I needed)</em><br />
<em>Hair $0.31</em><br />
<em>Mantle-tree iron $0.15</em><br />
<em>Nails $3.90</em><br />
<em>Hinges and screws $0.14</em><br />
<em>Latch $0.10</em><br />
<em>Chalk $0.01</em><br />
<em>Transportation $1.40 (I carried a good part on my back)</em><br />
<em> </em><br />
<em> In all $28.12&1/2</em><br />
<br />
<em>These are all the materials excepting the timber, stones and sand, which I claimed by squatter's right. I have also a small wood-shed adjoining, made chiefly of the stuff which was left after building the house.</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>I intend to build me a house which will surpass any on main street in Concord in grandeur and luxury, as soon as it pleases me as much and will cost me no more than my present one."</strong> </em><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fe-mvKhTXnQ/T7lCzZ8u-7I/AAAAAAAAAiI/ZNKOeEK4lEY/s1600/thoreau-replica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fe-mvKhTXnQ/T7lCzZ8u-7I/AAAAAAAAAiI/ZNKOeEK4lEY/s400/thoreau-replica.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replica of Thoreau's cottage at Walden Pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the chapter "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" Thoreau writes: <br />
<em>"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and to reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by exprience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."</em><br />
<br />
Modern life is infinitely distracting but "living deliberately, fronting the essential facts of life" is still all that ultimately matters whether done from lofty mansions in the most desirable zip codes or from a wooden cottage on the banks of a pond.</div>Fawad Zakariya http://www.blogger.com/profile/16008069828182560496noreply@blogger.com0