|
BRIJ NARAIN CHAKBAST
(1882-1926) |
|
__________________________________________________________________ |
Chakbast's ancestors hailed from Kashmir and had settled in Delhi, U.P. and Bihar in 15th century A.D. His father, Udit Narain Chakbast, was born at Lucknow in, probably, 1843. Brij Narain was born at Faizabad in 1882. After the death of his father in 1887 the family shifted to Lucknow. It was here that the boy poet received his education which included, apart from a thorough grounding in Urdu and Persian, an LL.B. degree also. Chakbast married in 1905, but lost his wife and first child in 1906. He married again in 1907, and settled down as a practising lawyer at Lucknow. He was also actively involved in social and political affairs, and was an ardent champion of the Home Rule. He lived for just 44 years and died of a paralytic stroke in 1926.
Chakbast is primarily a poet of the nazm. He began his poetic career with a nazm in 1894, and ended, in 1925, with a nazm again. His famous poems are: "Khak-e-Hind", "Ramayan ka EK Scene", "Nala-e-Dard", and "Nala-e-Yaas". He also wrote a Masnavi entitled: "Gulzar-e-Naseem", and a play named "Kamla". He wrote no more than 50 ghazals, but most of them are remarkable for the beauty of their thought and the lucidity and urbanity of his style. Much of his verse is didactic, patriotic and aphoristic. He uses impressive, Persianised diction, in the manner of Ghalib and Aatish, by whose poetry he was deeply influenced. Chakabast is among the few early Urdu poets who had the benefit of a university degree. He is also distinctive for not his ghazals-which perhaps shows the humility and modesty of his temperament.
Chakbast's collected works are available under the title: Subah-e-Watan, which title, incidentally, correctly reflects the central concern of his mind and art, for many of the poems included in this volume are inspired by the feeling of patriotism. Lines like: "Hamara watan, dil se piara watan," and "Watan ko hum, watan hum ko mubarak," have by now made a permanent place in the minds and memories of the educated Indians. Similarly, his poems, "Khak-e-Hind" and "Aawaaza-e-Qaum" bear testimony to the poet's love for his motherland, and respect for her ancient glory. He has also written a memorable poem on the cow, whom Hindus hold in reverence. It contains such beautiful lines as: "Doodh se tire larakpan mein zaban dhoi hai," (With your milk in childhood we have washed our tongues.) The poem selected for translation describes a scene from the Ramayana, when Ram goes to his mother to seek her blessings, and her permission to go on his epic 14-year exile. The dialogue of the mother and son is deeply moving, appropriately expressive of the character and situation. The poem is written in the poet's favourite measure: "musaddas", a six-line stanza, composed of a quatrain and a couplet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
******************
|
