This
book presents an English translation of some of the selected works of Shaikh
Ayaz, the renowned poet from Sind. Ayaz was born in 1923 in Shikarpur. Throughout
his life Ayaz was faced numerous challenges. He was banned by the government,
imprisoned and declared a traitor. Later, he was also given Sitara-i-Imtiaz (an
award by the government in recognition to his services). Initially, Shaikh Ayaz
was a lawyer based in Sukkur. Later, during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government Shaikh
Ayaz was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Sind University.
According
to the author Ayaz moved from his left-of-the-center leanings and later began taking
interest in religion and metaphysics. Ayaz was also a translator and had translated
Shah Jo Risalo in Urdu. From this translated
work I wish I could quote all of my favorite ones, but below I do quote some of
the short ones.
Posthumous Reputation
“I
know a time will come
When
suddenly my poetry will be washed by the moon in the rivers of the sky
I
know that time will also come when there will be no prejudice against my
language
Everybody
will be enveloped in my fragrance
When
the town and the path will become one
When
my ideal will come to claim me
I
know that time will also come
When
you will cry over my buried dust hearing some traveler sing my song.”
Next Crop
“You
must remember this
When
I am dead and gone
And
there appears a new poet,
Then
it will be like
The
sugarcane field
When
after one crop
The
new one sprouts by itself
From
the roots of the old.”
Bird
A
poet is a bird from the myths of old
All wings and no feet.
It
keeps on flying
Till it drops dead.”
Some
of the others from Shaikh Ayaz’s work which I like include Home, Rain and Thunder,
Write, The Other Woman, Footsteps to the Sea, A Loss of Hair, Chameleon in the
Fort and Farewell to the Earth. Anyone who wants to explore the works of a poet
writing on different themes, Shaikh Ayaz should definitely be on your list.
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