Pearls from the past

NARRATIVES related to the era of Urdu’s classical poets stand testimony to the fact that it was a time when even roadside vendors had better grip on poetic nuances than many who move around as poets today. It was a sign of times more than anything else. Away from the never-ending — and almost meaningless — debate over better or worse, it was a different era where poetic taste, if not finesse, was part of human existence in the subcontinent.

Two recent books have once again underlined the quality of poetry churned out by people who were not fulltime poets in those days of yore. Mauj-i-Darya is a compilation of the creative output of Abdur Rahman Ansari Darya Lakhnavi, who was a lawyer by profession back in the early 20th century, but took part in poetic gatherings alongside the glittering lights of Baikhud Dehlavi, Jigar Muradabadi and Seemab Akbarabadi.

Interestingly, he was born in Lucknow and lived his life mostly in Gwalior, but when it came to poetry, he preferred the Daagh School of rendition that is associated with Delhi. Tutored by Muztar Khairabadi in the art and craft of ghazal, Darya soon started earning a name for couplets that were tailor-made for success in poetic gatherings. For instance:

Two recent books once again underline the poetic creativity of laypersons in the days of yore

As can be seen without much of an effort, it is the classical mould that defines Darya’s creativity and it is quite understandable against the backdrop of the era in which he was living. Traditional subjects expressed through traditional idioms with traditional beauty is what sums up Darya and his work. It is not too difficult to imagine him reciting his work in poetic gatherings that comprised people in hundreds, and running away with the show with couplets like:

The current compilation has 85 ghazals that have been published for the first time as Darya, a true maverick that he seems to be, had never himself given much weight to posterity which was something that made much more sense to Malka Jaan, a Calcutta-based courtesan who had her collection published in 1886. Makhzan-i-Ulfat Malka, which hit the shelves recently, is a reprint of the original.

This pearl from the past was unearthed by Vikram Sampith in India who was actually working on his book on the life and times of Gauhar Jaan, who was the first singer in the subcontinent to have recorded her voice on gramophone in 1902. Sampith came across some rave reviews about the poetry of Gauhar’s mother, started looking around for it, and finally located a copy of it in the British Library in London.

Those who have an interest in classical Urdu poetry would be grateful to Vikram for having recovered the collection. As is the case with Darya’s poetry, Malka needs to be read and enjoyed in the context of the period in which she plied her trade.

Urdu was not Malka’s mother tongue. Born Adeline Victoria Hemmings to a Hindu mother and a Christian father, Malka went around with the nickname of Biki. She married a British engineer and had a loving marriage which came to an end rather abruptly, and it was then that a Muslim young man, Khursheed, struck a deal with her that led first to her religious conversion and then to lessons in Urdu, Persian, music and dancing. Having lived a colourful life, Malka died when she was just 49.