~ Wind-chime Laughter ~

When I laugh, he says,
I remind him of… wind chimes -
Bright, brassy, plinking pipes…
dancing to every whim every nuance of the breeze.
Bumping, clinking, clangoring…
Spinning… like a thousand barefooted metal ballerinas
pirouetting on a floor of ice.
When I laugh, he says,
I remind him of… wind chimes -
Crystal orbs in rainbow colours…
Conch shells stringed together…
Bamboo flutes, shiny discs and glass bottles…
Silver spoons, soda cans and cowboys…
Shimmering steel mermaids swimming in the wind…
When I laugh, he says,
I remind him of… wind chimes -
Rusty green copper bells,
that people hang on a Bodhi tree
near the old Tibetan monastery
that he often visits…
in his dreams.
When I laugh, he says,
I remind him of… wind chimes….
I remind him of… the seductive tinkling of ghungroos,
of rustling golden autumn leaves,
of softly humming waterfalls,
of singing birds, fairy giggles and baby babbles…
of soothing lullabies from his childhood.
When I laugh, he says,
I remind him of… his late fiancée….
and it haunts him.

- Sidra Ashraf

© 2012

Divine Poetry

You say that you are… destined.
Bound… to your fate.
Chosen.
To make poetry.
To be a poet.
Yet, you force the words.
From your heart,
from your lips,
from your pen.

That which can be conquered
through reason or rhyme alone…
That which is corrupted
by worldly gain….
That is not
poetry… sanctified enough.

You are,
from head to toe,
poetry.
The embodiment
of a Divine song…
Echoing
through timeless Time.
Suspended…
within eternity.

If you pause to listen
to the rhythm of your heart.
You will find it there.
The song
of eternity… trapped
like a fire-bird,
in a glittering golden cage.
Fluttering, beating, whispering…
Screaming
its way out,
from the dark abyss
of your selfish soul.
Blinded… by your greed.
Chained…. by self-doubt.
and thirsty… for freedom.

Be silent.
Heed your soul-voice.
Let the inner eye see.
There are secrets
hidden inside your heart.

And this?
This isn’t
poetry.
I am.
You are.
We all are…
Poetry.

- Sidra Ashraf

© 2012

Ba’raan – The Rain

Just finished watching Majid Majidi’s ‘Baran’ (Rain) – the second time!…. :) 
It was magic – all over again!! ♥

~

The world is only just awakening to the charisma of Iranian cinema. Most people have been introduced to this beautiful film establishment only after the recent success of ‘A Separation’, at the Oscars. Little do they understand the full scope and potential of Persian cinema. Little do they know of Majidi’s genius.

Although I enjoyed watching ‘Jodai-e Nader az Simin’ (A Separation) by Asghar Farhadi, I was still rather disappointed…. because after having watched some of the finest Persian movies of all-time, Farhadi’s attempt seems very mild…. almost bland… in comparison. It was nothing compared to all the Majidi movies I’ve been irredeemably hooked to since the past 15 years. The magic that Majidi evokes through his movies is not only overpowering but all-consuming.

Majid Majidi is one of the greatest film directors ever! Yes, even outside of Iranian cinema. He has been Blessed with the Medas touch…. any script he touches, turns to gold :) I’ve absolutely loved watching each and every one of his movies : Children of Heaven, The Colour of Paradise, Pedar (Father), The Song of Sparrows, and most of all – Baran!

Majidi is truly a maestro, a cinematic magician – par excellence…. and he deserves to win an Oscar. Perhaps he will have better luck next time :) ♥ He lost to Italian director Benigni, when he was nominated for the Oscars in 1998.

- Sidra Ashraf

Haiku-nama!

Warm, sensuous, brown
like his eyes… sweet Nirvana.
My cup of cocoa!

- Sidra Ashraf 

© 2012

~

Horseku

A precious maiden
of fiery spirit, wild hair.
The young gypsy mare.

- Sidra Ashraf

© 2012

~

My first time writing a haiku :)

 

Book Review

Arranged Marriage 

- Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

~

A mesmerising volume of thought-provoking and haunting short stories penned by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the skilled Bengali tale-weaver. Each story revolves around the life circumstances and cultural perceptions of a female protagonist who has left her native India to pursue the ‘American dream’.

This American-Indian author knows not only how to spin ethnic-flavoured, splendidly alive tales out of what, seemingly, are the most mundane of objects… but also how to tell each one of them with an acute precision and subtle poignancy that leaves you with a dull void, aching for more. Enough said. This is an absolute must-have and must-read affair!!

I first read this book in 2003, and have read it no less than thrice ever since – each reading leaving me more enriched than the last, with the great depth of thought that has gone into the making of this indispensable gem of a book.

Happy reading!

 

‎~Sands of Time~

 

Ah, what joy ’tis!

To bond with the past
and rediscover, roots of ancient royalty.

To transcend
the threshold of history
into a forgotten era, an abandoned realm.

To touch the intangible.

To walk under fragile vaults,
roam derelict corridors.

To feel the damp stone crumble
ever so slightly
beneath each feathery graze.

To shiver with forbidden ecstasy.

To merge with antiquity,
be one with time and presence.

To surrender
and to
be lost…

 

- Sidra Ashraf 

© 2012

  

 

On Ghalib

 

Mirza Asadullah Baig Ghalib is widely considered the greatest Urdu poet that ever lived – but I, for one, beg to differ with this rather pretentious assumption. I am not a die-hard Ghalib fan… never have been. In fact, it would not be entirely inappropriate to state that I am not a Ghalib-fan at all. Although I enjoy some of his poetry, he is by no means a favourite with me, nor do I regard him as the greatest Urdu poet of all-time. 

However, certain would-be Urdu fanatics seem overzealous to endorse Ghalib as the ‘God of Urdu’. At times, this makes me wonder what it is about Ghalib that others appreciate and I do not. The fact remains that Ghalib’s poetry has never had that profound effect on me. His intricately woven lyrics come across as shallow and pointless, when their distracting facade of glamorous expression is razed. Even philosophically speaking, his words are hollow - devoid of any real meaning. Quoting Alice Walker, “Deliver me from writers who say the way they live doesn’t matter. I’m not sure a bad person can write a good book. If art doesn’t make us better, then what on earth is it for.”

The only Urdu poets for me are Iqbal and Faiz…. who burn, burn, burn. I always find myself profoundly moved by Iqbal’s penetrating insight and Faiz’s eloquence. Their poetry inspires in me a quiet reverence. Ghalib’s has consistently failed to do that.

Allama Iqbal’s shrewd analysis of Islamic concepts, and their pertinence to the state of affairs in contemporary times, never ceases to amaze me. I am a huge fan of his sincere, succinct and poignant expression.

I will never feign a preference for Ghalib, even if only to make myself acceptable to self-proclaimed ‘heirs’ of Urdu poetry. I have very different tastes and priorities, and a mind of my own. Ghalib’s poetry is over-rated as far as I’m concerned. Even though I comprehend his twisted, oft-unintelligible diction and his perplexing ideas, I still do not consider his poetry worthy of the inflated praise and cult-following it has managed to achieve.

Some believe that Ghalib was the first to legitimise Urdu poetry. I strongly disagree with these unsuspecting and naïve novices. Mir Taqi Mir is to be credited with popularising Urdu poetry, and is responsible for expanding the Urdu language itself. Ghalib was after Mir’s time, and was a self-professed Mir-fan himself. Enough said.

Since this post is relevant to poetry, I would also take the liberty to state some of my personal preferences here. Urdu derives heavily from several languages (including Farsi) and is, hence, a much more versatile language than Persian (Farsi). I personally hold Urdu in high esteem, however, my favourite language as far as poetry is concerned is neither English nor Urdu, but Persian.

Although I only speak English and Urdu fluently, I do know quiet a bit of several other languages, owing to my fondness for linguistics. Still, I hold preferences when it comes to the various aspects of any language – the poetry, the literature etc. But of course, to each their own. Everyone is entitled to their own views and choices – I respect that.

I will soon be sharing some of my favourite Persian poetry (with English translations) on this blog. Keep following! Till next time… Adios.

 

 

 

On Destiny

      

The concept of Destiny is one that has puzzled Mankind since time immemorial. I do not know whether atheists and agnostics believe in Destiny, and what their views are regarding this matter. But I do know, for certain, that all theists believe in a Fate, Fortune, Destiny, Kismet, Karma, Taqdeer…. whatever they choose to call it. Being a practising Muslim myself, I will only concentrate on the Islamic concept of Destiny, in this post.

For those readers who are not acquainted with Islamic ideas and terminology, I have tried to simplify things as much as possible. A short introductory note: Muslims, like other theists, believe in God – and more importantly, in the ‘Oneness’ of God. Muslims mostly refer to God by His Arabic name, ALLAH.

People often obsess over the concept of Destiny – undoubtedly a complex and confusing subject. Intense life situations tend to shatter their prior notions and force them, once again, to put things into fresh perspective and start questioning anew - as to what Destiny really is and what implications it bears for their worldly lives. What follows in this post, is my own view of the matter… take it or leave it – it is up to you…. but this is the one conclusion I have always arrived at through all my experiences and research, and it is a highly satisfactory working solution to the majority (99%) of questions that I’ve ever had regarding Destiny. It is also prudent to mention here that it is completely in accordance with all aspects of the Islamic Faith.

Destiny… Destiny is what we get after we’ve done all that we are capable of, tried all possible means and Prayed all we can. Destiny isn’t pre-destined – we draft our Destiny, but God does all the crucial editing. Remember, the only power we have in this world is the power of our decisions. With Destiny, it is foolish to suppose that we are entirely helpless or entirely autonomous – it is a precarious gambling… some we win, others we lose. God asks us to work hard, strive for the things we want and to Pray to Him…. but He also states that He alone determines the final outcome and its measure, and that everything that happens against our plans is for the best because God knows and we don’t.

The ’Preserved Tablet’ (Lauh-e-Mahfooz, mentioned in the Quran) and God’s Knowledge of our ‘future, present and past’ do not in any way imply that whatever happens to us is ‘pre-determined’. The entity of Time does not exist in the context of God – He is the Creator of Time and not bound to it. His Knowledge is all-encompassing with no possibility of the slightest doubt. God knows all that we are doing, have done or are going to do because He, not being bound to the entities and dimensions of Time and Space, knows all that constitutes the ‘future’ for us. Quoting Abraham Cowley,

“Nothing is there to come, and nothing past,
But an eternal ‘now’ does always last.”  (Davideis, Book I, 302)

This is especially true of God. All that comprises the past, present or future for us is in fact an eternal ‘now’, an eternal ‘present’ – in God’s realm. God knows our future but does not pre-determine it. It is entirely up to us what we do and what we don’t. The outcome of our choices is determined by God, but the choices always remain ours.

Consider this: had we been subject to a ‘pre-destined/pre-determined fate’, would it be fair for God to hold us accountable for our actions on the Day of Judgement??! No! And ALLAH is Most Just, Most Merciful. Surely, He could not have created us helpless like marionettes if we are to be Judged. Hence, it is obvious that the choice is ours… and with the freedom of choice comes the huge responsibility of bearing its consequences – rewards and punishments.  

We have been armed with the wisdom to recognise our Supreme Lord and that He is One, for ALLAH says repeatedly in The Holy Quran that the Universe is replete with Signs for those who believe. We’ve been sent Divine Word and Guidance through the Prophets and Holy Scriptures. We have been bestowed the intellect to judge right from wrong… we have been given freedom of choice to decide what we want to do…. and most importantly, we have the liberty to act upon our choices. Now it is up to us to determine the course of our fate through our choices, decisions and actions. So, start bearing responsibility for your actions… your actions are your deeds that will direct your Destiny. Seek repentance and live like there’s no tomorrow!

 

P.S. : I will also be doing a post on the root of the Quranic (Arabic) word for Destiny: Taqdeer or Qadr… Keep following the blog!

 

Vagabond Reflections

"If you want light, you must light a fire." - Persian proverb

 

Ilaaj Aatish-e-Rumi k Soz meyn hai tera
Teri Khirad pe hai ghalib firangi’yon ka fasoon

 - Allama Muhammad Iqbal
(Baal-e-Jibril; Gabriel’s Wing)

 

the fire of Rumi’s poetry holds your cure;
your intellect is overwhelmed with godless ideology.

 Translated by:   Sidra Ashraf 

 

 

نگہ الجھي ہوئي ہے رنگ و بو ميں 
خرد کھوئي گئي ہے چار سو ميں 
نہ چھوڑ اے دل فغان صبح گاہي 
اماں شايد ملے ، اللہ ھو ميں

- Allama Muhammad Iqbal (Gabriel’s Wing)

 

thy vision is promiscuous
thy reason stranded, in myriad pursuits.
forsake not, O anguished heart, thy sighs of wonder
hidden perhaps therein is salvation for thy soul.

Translated by: Sidra Ashraf

 

 

Bazeecha-e-Atfaal Hai Dunia Meray Aagay
Hota Hai Shab-o-Roz Tamasha Meray Aagay

- Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib

‎

the world is a children’s playground in my sight.
performances take place in front of me, day and night.

Translated by: Sidra Ashraf