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Zindagi Ke Sheeshe Mein (Poetry collection)
Shokh’s complaint against hate-spreading religious leaders too has a touch of irony and is likely to be echoed by most Indians: "Dekh li deeno dharam ki bhi kayadat hamne; Ye to jab laye hame jango-jadal me laye." While many of Shokh’s poems revolve around the traditional themes of Urdu poetry – love and longing, desires and feelings, he also has some sharp words to say on other matters like corruption and lack of justice. "Katil bach kar saaf gaya; jaane kahan insaf gaya." Love for Urdu and Persian made Shokh study these languages, an unusual choice in the mid-seventies in these parts, and his efforts brought him recognition in his lifetime. The Haryana Urdu Academy awarded the second collection of his poetry in Urdu, Munnakkash Khandar Zabin (Furrowed Forehead). Most of his poetry has a touch of philosophy. Most poems in the collection can be enjoyed even by those with just a slight knowledge of spoken Urdu. They can seek help from the meanings and explanations provided in the footnotes. Some of his more philosophical poems, however, will require an effort to be understood. While it must be said that Shokh’s poetry has substance, one must also say that being a scholar of Urdu and Persian, he sometimes gets carried away and creates an intricate imagery. He seems to forget Milton’s classic touchstone for poetry — simple, sensuous and serious. |
THIS collection of poems by Rajeshwar Prasad Shokh,
translated into Hindi from Urdu and published posthumously, gives the
rich flavour of classical Urdu though his context is often contemporary.
To wit, his comment on the present-day politicians: "Ye panch
saal tak ab maangne na niklenge; bahut amir hain is daur ke fakir
naye". That the poet has a poor opinion of politicians may be
seen elsewhere too "Sirf voton pe nazar rakhna siyasat ho jahan;
sach vahan kya hai siyasat to nahin bolegi."
