{"id":6910,"date":"2017-12-31T06:05:42","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T06:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/?p=6910"},"modified":"2018-01-01T00:39:12","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T00:39:12","slug":"parveen-shakir-a-poetess-for-the-modern-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/parveen-shakir-a-poetess-for-the-modern-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Parveen Shakir: A Poetess for the Modern Age"},"content":{"rendered":"

Born in 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan, Parveen Shakir (\u092a\u0930\u0935\u0940\u0928 \u0936\u093e\u0915\u093f\u0930) was a renowned poet in her lifetime and beyond. In addition to her career as a poet, she also served as a teacher and a civil servant of the Pakistani government. Remarkably, she began to display a talent for writing early in life, so it was not surprising that her first volume of poetry, \u0916\u093c\u0941\u0936\u092c\u0942<\/em>\/Khushboo<\/em> (Fragrance<\/em>), was published with great critical esteem in 1976. She went on to publish several more volumes of poetry in her lifetime, including \u0907\u0902\u0915\u093e\u0930\/Inkaar<\/em> (Refusal<\/em>) in 1990, in which the poem I’ve translated below is featured.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by Chris Sorge on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

A highly educated woman with two Master’s degrees in English Literature and Linguistics, she is remembered for her subtle, meticulous verse and, perhaps most importantly, her contribution of the female voice and experience to a literary world almost exclusively inhabited by male writers and dominated by male experience. Although seemingly trivial, her inclusion of the word “\u0932\u0921\u093c\u0915\u0940\/larkee” (girl) in many of her poems and her use of the feminine, first-person pronoun were revolutionary at the time, as these words insisted on the importance of the female perspective in a poetic universe that made little mention of such phenomena, preferring to designate the “aashiq” (\u0906\u0936\u093f\u0915\u093c or lover) and “maashuq” (\u092e\u093e\u0936\u0942\u0915\u093c or beloved) as male or gender-less. Her printed words insist on the rich personhood of women and others who find themselves marginalized from society. Sadly, she passed away unexpectedly while driving to work in 1994 in Islamabad; the street on which she died has since been named after her.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Image by anoldent on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

The following is a poem from her collection entitled “\u0907\u0902\u0915\u093e\u0930\/Inkaar<\/em>” (Refusal<\/em> or Denial<\/em>), published in 1990:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Hindi Text<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

English Translation and Transliteration<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Urdu Text<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u0938\u0941\u0932\u0917 \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0939\u0948 \u092e\u0947\u0930\u093e \u0936\u0939\u0930, \u091c\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0939\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n\n

Smoldering is my city, burning is the wind<\/p>\n

(sulag rahaa hai meraa sheher, jal rahi hai havaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u0633\u0644\u06af \u0631\u06c1\u0627 \u06c1\u06d2 \u0645\u06cc\u0631\u0627 \u0634\u06c1\u0631\u060c \u062c\u0644 \u0631\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u092f\u0939 \u0915\u0948\u0938\u0940 \u0906\u0917 \u0939\u0948 \u091c\u093f\u0938 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092a\u093f\u0918\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0939\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n\n

What fire is this that melts the wind<\/p>\n

(yah kaisi aag hai jis me pighal rahi hai havaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u06cc\u06c1 \u06a9\u06cc\u0633\u06cc \u0622\u06af \u06c1\u06d2 \u062c\u0633 \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u067e\u06af\u06be\u0644 \u0631\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\ufdfa<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u092f\u0939 \u0915\u094c\u0928 \u092c\u093e\u0917\u093c \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0916\u093c\u0902\u091c\u0930 \u092c\u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924 \u092b\u093f\u0930\u0924\u093e \u0939\u0948<\/td>\n\n

Who is this that roams the grove,\u00a0 dagger in hand<\/p>\n

(yah kaun baag me khanjar badast phirtaa hai)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a0\u06cc\u06c1 \u06a9\u0648\u0646 \u0628\u0627\u063a \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u062e\u0646\u062c\u0631 \u0628\u062f\u0633\u062a \u067e\u06be\u0631\u062a\u0627 \u06c1\u06d2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u092f\u0939 \u0915\u093f\u0938 \u0915\u0947 \u0916\u093c\u094c\u092b\u093c \u0938\u0947 \u091a\u0947\u0939\u0930\u093e \u092c\u0926\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0939\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n <\/p>\n

What fear is this that paints the wind a different face<\/p>\n

(yah kis ke khauf se chehraa badal rahi hai havaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u06cc\u06c1 \u06a9\u0633 \u06a9\u06d2 \u062e\u0648\u0641 \u0633\u06d2 \u0686\u06c1\u0631\u06c1 \u0628\u062f\u0644 \u0631\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\ufdfa<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0936\u0930\u0940\u0915 \u0939\u094b \u0917\u092f\u0940 \u0938\u093e\u091c\u093c\u093f\u0936 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0915\u093f\u0938 \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u0939\u0928\u0947 \u092a\u0930<\/td>\n <\/p>\n

On whose command is an accomplice born<\/p>\n

(shareek ho gayi saazish me kis ke kehne par)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u0634\u0631\u06cc\u06a9 \u06c1\u0648 \u06af\u06cc\u0674 \u0633\u0627\u0630\u0634 \u0645\u06cc\u06ba \u06a9\u0633 \u06a9\u06d2 \u06a9\u06c1\u0646\u06d2 \u067e\u0631<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u092f\u0939 \u0915\u093f\u0938 \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u093c\u0924\u0932 \u092a\u0947 \u0905\u092c \u0939\u093e\u0925 \u092e\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0939\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n\n

Whose murder is this, at which the wind wring its hands<\/p>\n

(yah kis ke qatl pe ab haath mal rahi hai havaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u06cc\u06c1 \u06a9\u0633 \u06a9\u06d2 \u0642\u062a\u0644 \u067e\u06c1 \u0627\u0628 \u06c1\u0627\u062a\u06be \u0645\u0644 \u0631\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/td>\n\n

\ufdfa<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u092a\u0930\u093f\u0902\u0926\u0947 \u0938\u0939\u092e\u0947 \u0939\u0941\u090f \u0939\u0948\u0902 \u0926\u0930\u0959\u094d\u0924 \u0916\u093c\u094c\u092b\u093c \u091c\u093c\u0926\u093e<\/td>\n\n

Birds frozen in fright, trees bent in terror<\/p>\n

(parinde sehme hue hain darakht khauf zadaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u067e\u0631\u0646\u062f\u06d2 \u0633\u06c1\u0645\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u06d2\u0674 \u06c1\u06cc\u06ba \u062f\u0631\u062e\u062a \u062e\u0648\u0641 \u0632\u062f\u06c1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\u092f\u0939 \u0915\u093f\u0938 \u0907\u0930\u093e\u0926\u0947 \u0938\u0947 \u0918\u0930 \u0938\u0947 \u0928\u093f\u0915\u0932 \u0930\u0939\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0939\u0935\u093e<\/td>\n\n

What intention is this, with which the wind emerges from the house<\/p>\n

(yah kis iraade se ghar se nikal rahi hai havaa)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u06cc\u06c1 \u06a9\u0633 \u0627\u0631\u0627\u062f\u06d2 \u0633\u06d2 \u06af\u06be\u0631 \u0633\u06d2 \u0646\u06a9\u0644 \u0631\u06c1\u06cc \u06c1\u06d2 \u06c1\u0648\u0627<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s test your grasp of register, which I\u2019ve been discussing for the past three blogs. Please provide alternative words (that is, synonyms or partial synonyms) for the following and designate the source language (if known). Answers are below:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u092c\u093e\u0917\u093c\/baag (masc. noun, Persian): garden.<\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0\u0916\u093c\u0902\u091c\u0930\/khanjar (masc. noun, Arabic): dagger (usually curved).<\/li>\n
  3. \u092c\u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924\/badast (adverb): \u201c\u092c\/ba\u201d is simply a Persian prefix meaning \u201cwith\u201d and \u201c\u0926\u0938\u094d\u0924\/dast\u201d is a Persian word meaning \u201chand.\u201d Taken together, these words mean \u201cin hand.\u201d<\/li>\n
  4. \u0916\u093c\u094c\u092b\u093c\/khauf (masc. noun, Arabic): fear.<\/li>\n
  5. \u0936\u0930\u0940\u0915\/shareek (masc. noun, Arabic): accomplice, confederate, comrade, partner.<\/li>\n
  6. \u0938\u093e\u091c\u093c\u093f\u0936\/saazish (fem. noun, Persian): collusion, conspiracy.<\/li>\n
  7. \u0915\u093c\u0924\u0932\/qatal (masc. noun, Arabic): murder, killing.<\/li>\n
  8. \u092a\u0930\u093f\u0902\u0926\u093e\/parindaa (masc. noun, Persian): bird.<\/li>\n
  9. \u0938\u0939\u092e\u0928\u093e\/sehmnaa (verb, Persian): to feel fear.<\/li>\n
  10. \u0926\u0930\u0916\u093c\u094d\u0924\/darakht (masc. noun, Persian): tree.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"\"<\/a>

    Image by Susanne Nilsson on Flickr, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0<\/p><\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Answers:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \u092c\u0917\u093c\u0940\u091a\u093e\/bageechaa (masc. noun, Persian), less formal than \u201c\u092c\u093e\u0917\u093c\/baag.\u201d<\/li>\n
    2. \u091b\u0941\u0930\u093e\/churaa (masc. noun), less formal and specific than \u201c\u0916\u093c\u0902\u091c\u0930,\u201d this word refers to a large knife, dagger or blade. An alternative is \u201c\u091b\u0941\u0930\u0940\/churi,\u201d (fem. noun) which specifies a smaller blade. You will notice this pattern in Hindi whereby larger objects are designated with the masculine \u201c\u0906\/aa\u201d ending as in \u201c\u091b\u0941\u0930\u093e\u201d and smaller objects are designated with the feminine \u201c\u0908\/ee\u201d ending as in \u201c\u091b\u0941\u0930\u0940.\u201d \u201c\u091a\u093e\u0915\u0942\/chakoo\u201d (masc. noun) is also a common word for a knife (such as one would use for eating).<\/li>\n
    3. \u0939\u093e\u0925 \u092e\u0947\u0902\/haath me. \u201c\u0939\u093e\u0925\/haath\u201d (masc. noun) is the most common word for hand in Hindi.<\/li>\n
    4. \u0921\u0930\/dar (masc. noun, Prakrit): most common word for \u201cfear\u201d in Hindi. \u092d\u092f\/bhay (masc. noun, Sanskrit) also means fear, less common than \u201c\u0921\u0930\u201d but you should still know it.<\/li>\n
    5. \u0938\u093e\u0925\u0940\/saathi (masc. or fem. noun): companion (usually with a positive connotation). If you would like to denote a negative connotation, you could use a word like \u201c\u0938\u0939-\u0905\u092a\u0930\u093e\u0927\u0940\/seh-apraadhi\u201d which means something like \u201cfellow criminal\u201d or, in other words, accomplice. Just as \u201c\u092c\/ba\u201d is a Persian prefix that means \u201cwith,\u201d \u201c\u0938\u0939\u201d or \u201c\u0938\u201d are prefixes in Sanskrit that denote the same thing. \u201c\u0938\u0939\u0915\u093e\u0930\u0940\/sehkaari\u201d is another partial synonym that means \u201cone who does alongside\u201d or companion, confederate, etc.<\/li>\n
    6. \u0937\u0921\u094d\u092f\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930\/shadyantra (masc. noun, Sanskrit): conspiracy. Uncommon. Kudos to you if you guessed this! \u201c\u0937\u0921\u094d\u201d is a prefix in Sanskrit meaning \u201csix\u201d (referring to the six systems of Indian philosophy) and \u201c\u092f\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930\u201d is a masc., Sanskrit noun meaning \u201cinstrument, device, machine.\u201d<\/li>\n
    7. \u0939\u0924\u094d\u092f\u093e\/hatyaa (fem. noun, Sanskrit): murder.<\/li>\n
    8. \u091a\u093f\u0921\u093c\u093f\u092f\u093e\/chiriyaa (fem. noun, Prakrit): bird. \u092a\u0915\u094d\u0937\u0940\/pakshi (fem. noun, Sanskrit) is a more formal way of saying this. Another common word is \u201c\u092a\u0902\u091b\u0940\/panchi\u201d (fem. noun).<\/li>\n
    9. \u0921\u0930\u093e \u0939\u094b\u0928\u093e\/daraa honaa, \u0921\u0930 \u0932\u0917\u0928\u093e\/dar lagnaa, \u0921\u0930\u0928\u093e\/darnaa: to feel fear.<\/li>\n
    10. \u092a\u0947\u0921\u093c\/per (masc. noun): tree. Another, more formal way of saying this is \u0935\u0943\u0915\u094d\u0937\/vriksh (fem. noun, Sanskrit).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

      Born in 1952 in Karachi, Pakistan, Parveen Shakir (\u092a\u0930\u0935\u0940\u0928 \u0936\u093e\u0915\u093f\u0930) was a renowned poet in her lifetime and beyond. In addition to her career as a poet, she also served as a teacher and a civil servant of the Pakistani government. Remarkably, she began to display a talent for writing early in life, so it…<\/p>\n

      Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":6924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3792,1],"tags":[475636,9410,475526,10163,475680,475631,475630,475681],"class_list":["post-6910","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hindi-language","category-uncategorized","tag-ghazal","tag-hindi-literature","tag-hindi-poetry","tag-pakistan","tag-parveen-shakir","tag-urdu-literature","tag-urdu-poetry","tag-womens-writing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6910"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6926,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6910\/revisions\/6926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hindi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}