ZOHRA SEHGAL x FAIZ AHMED FAIZ
In this short video, actress Zohra Sehgal recites one of my favourite poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Mujse pehli si muhabbat mere mehboob na maang, (Do Not Ask Me, My Love, For That Love Again).
Teri surat se hai aalam mein bahaaron ko sabaat Teri aankho’n ke siwa duniya me’n rakha kya he?
From your beauty poured into the world an eternal spring What exists in this world apart from your eyes?
You can also listen to the much older version sung by Noor Jehan here.
The rich Urdu opens up such deep crevasses of emotion, and there are many similarities between Sufism and Faiz’s expressions of love.
Its a shame (for those of you unable to read/understand Urdu) that so much depth is lost in the translations of his poems.
- A x
Who are your favourite Urdu poets?