My friend, Pandit Ji [not pandit by profession] came excited. Yesterday was his holiday and he had read Faiz' poem 'Raqeeb Se' and pronounced the judgement 'Boh't khubsurat nazm likhi hai, kyaa baat hai, kis tarah raqeeb ko yaad kiya, koi nahin likh sakta...'
Then we all discussed Faiz. I read the nazm again. The concept of Raqeeb in Urdu poetry is unique. Raqeeb is one's rival in love, the person who is also in love with your beloved.
It is a strange relationship with several emotions and elements involved but this particular poem 'Raqueeb se' is different.
Here the poet looks at Raqeeb with the nostalgia and remembers the raqeeb for also loving his beloved, competing with him for the same love, sharing the same emotion and addressing him as a person who alone can understand his plight and passion.
See these stanzas:
'aa ki vaabasta hai us husn ki yaadeN tujhse
jisne is dil ko pariikhaana bana rakhaa thaa
jiski ulfat meN bhulaa rakhii thii dunia hamne
dahar ko dahar ka afsaana bana rakha thaa
tuu ne dekhi hai voh peshaani, voh ruKhsaar, voh honT
zindgi jinke tasavvur meN luTaa dii hamne
tujh pe uThi haiN voh kho'ii kho'ii saahir aankheN
tujhko maa'luum hai kyoN umr ganvaa dii hamne
It's indeed a beauiful nazm, a long one. And the complete
verse I have pasted HERE
आ कि वाबस्ता हैं उस हुस्न की यादें तुझ से
जिसने इस दिल को परीख़ाना बना रखा था
जिसकी उल्फ़त में भुला रखी थी दुनिया हमने
दहर को दहर का अफ़साना बना रखा था
तुझ से खेली हैं वह मह्बूब हवाएं जिन में
उसके मलबूस की अफ़सुरदा महक बाक़ी है
तुझ पे भी बरसा है उस बाम से मेह्ताब का नूर
जिस में बीती हुई रातों की कसक बाक़ी है
तू ने देखी है वह पेशानी वह रुख़सार वह होंट
ज़िन्दगी जिन के तसव्वुर में लुटा दी हमने
तुझ पे उठी हैं वह खोई खोई साहिर आंखें
तुझको मालूम है क्यों उम्र गंवा दी हमने
Read Faiz Ahmad Faiz' Ghazals and Nazms at BESTGHAZALS