ASAD - 42

Originally posted on rec.music.indian.misc in 1995

Shakeel Badayuni is one of my favourite lyricists. [This doesn't mean that I will come out with flying colours, when an RJGK on him comes :-)] He was also a famous and respected Shayar. I am not presenting his Shers with the usual purpose, but rather to make a totally different point.:-) Hopefully the upcoming Shayars of RMIM would like to ponder on this. :-)

See how Shers of an accomplished Shayar have - that something called "vazan". Even when the ideas are not so novel, their presentation sets him apart from an ordinary Shayar. To make this point, here are 3 shers by him. One in each broad category of metre - short, medium and long.

iqbaal-e-jurm = confession

aur iqbaal-e-jurm kya ho 'Shakeel'
thartharaate laboN par aah to hai

irfaan = knowledge
apani hasti ka bhi insaan ko irfaan na hu'aa
KHaaq phir KHaaq thi, aukaat se aage na badhi

gulacheeN = one who plucks flowers

gulacheeN ne to koshish kar Daali, suni ho chaman ki har Daali
kaaNtoN ne mubarak kaam kiya, phooloN ki hifaazat kar baithe

One of our fellow RMIMers, I am sure, likes the second Sher :-)

- Abhay.
ASAD _also_ stands for "A Sher A Day" !