JAVED AKHTAR KI SHAYARI MEIN JAADU HAI , JAAN HAI , MOHABBAT HAI JAHNAM BHI HAI AUR JANNAT BHI HAI.....BY Ali Peter John

I must confess that I was a great and even ardent admirer of the poetry of Javed Akhtar eversince I was in college. My admiration for him grew manyfold when he presented me with his collection of poems titled “Tarqash" -  Ali Peter John

He had written about his early experiences with life in Mumbai in a place very close to where I was born and brought up and I could identify with all that he had written about.

My admiration for his poetry only continued to grow, not only as a literary poet but also as a lyricist of films like“Mashaal",“Main Azaad Hoon",“Silsila"and he never gave me any reasons to be dissatisfied with his poetry...

However, a couple of personal experiences with him, especially the two occasions when he who spoke about the highest qualities of life royally ditched me after making a solemn promise to release two of my books, made me both angry and bitter, the experiences were so painful that I did not care to even look at his poems (incidentally, I had the same kind of experiences with the other great poets, Gulzar).

This bitter feeling lasted till this morning when I out of the blue heard him at his poetic best when he was reciting a very sarcastic and symbolic and yet sensitive poem.

I have been living with those lines all day and have been trying to get the exact words. It was only now when I am sitting with my young friend, Rajan Deep Singh who knows how to work magic with mobile which is as good as any other toy for me without someone like Rajan to help me.

So, here goes the original great Javed Akhtar and I am also thankful to Rajan for finding me a English translation of the same poem.

KISI KA HUKM HAI ...

Kisi ka hukm hai

Saari hawayein
Hamesha chalne se pehle batayein
Ke unki samt ( direction) kya hai
Hawaon ko batana yeh bhi hoga
Chalengi jab tto kya raftaar hogi
Ke aandhi ki ijazat ab nahi hai
Hamari ret ki yeh sab faseelein (ramparts)
Ye kagaz ke mahal
Jo ban rahe hain
Hifazat inki karna hai zaruri
Aur aandhi hai purani inki dushman
Ye sab hi jaante hain

Kisika hukm hai
Dariya ki lehren
Zara ye sarkashi ( strong headedness) kam kar lein
Apni hadd mein thehrein
Ubharna phir bikharna
Bikhar kar phir ubharna
Galat hai unka ye hungama karna
Yeh sab hai sirf vehshat ki alamat (signs of insanity)
Baghavat ki alamat
Baghavat tto nahi bardasht hogi
Ye vehshat tto nahi bardasht hogi
Agar lehron ko hai dariya mein rehna
Tto unko hoga bas chupchap behna
Kisika hukm hai
Is gulsitaN mein
Bas ab ik rang ke hi phool honge
Kuch afsar honge
Jo ye tai karenge
GulistaN kis tarha banna hai kal ka
Yaqeenan phool ikrangi tto hongey
Magar ye rang hoga kitna gehra kitna halka
Ye afsar tai karenge
Kisiko ye koi kaise bataye
GulistaN mein
Kahin bhi phool ikrangi nahi hotey
Kabhi ho hi nahi sakte
Ki har ik rang mein chupkar
Bahut se rang rehte hain
Jinhone baagh ikrangi banana chahe thay
Unko zara dekho
Ke jab ik rang mein sau rang zahir ho gayein hain tto
Woh ab kitne pareshaN hain
Woh kitne tung ( harassed )rehte hain
Kisiko ye koi kaise bataye
HawayeiN aur lehreN
Kab kisika hukm sunti hain
HawayeiN
Hakkimon ki mutthiyon mein, hathkadi mein qaidkhano mein
Nahi ruktin
Yeh lehren roki jaati hain
Tto dariya kitna bhi ho pursukoon ( calm)
Betaab hota hai
Aur is betaabi ka agla qadam
Sailab (flood )hota hai.
Kisiko ko ye koi kaise bataye

P.S:- I could feel how Javed Saahab (please note, how the Saahab has come back in my addressing the poet, Javed Akhtar) felt during the time he campaigned for some of the candidates whose feelings he felt close to.

I was especially moved when he at his own expense travelled to Begusarai to campaign for the young, fiery and the enlightened rebel who some charged with being anti-national even before a FIR was registered against him.

I sincerely hope that Javed Saahab doesn't give me anymore opportunities to have any kind of differences and feelings of bitterness against him.