A word about letters
By Kazy Javed
Defending the ghazal
If Shehzad Ahmad is better known as a poet than as a prose writer, it is because poetry is still valued more than prose in our society. He is, no doubt, one of the foremost Urdu poet, but his books on theoretical psychology, philosophy and related subjects outnumber his values of verse.

"If you want to assess what popular literature is," said famous screenwriter William Goldman "you look at what books Hollywood is adapting to the screen. It's that easy." From the X-Men, Batman, the Fantasic Four and now the Watchmen, the comic book and the graphic novel is all the rage in Hollywood.

Watchmen was the first graphic novel of its kind in the comic book world, one that went beyond the boundaries of what are seen as comic book stereotypes. It is a prime example of how the comic industry, known for its campy and wholesome image, has tried to cross its constrictions and become more than just entertainment, highlighting the problems of the real world instead of the mindless escapism it has become associated with. It also points to a transition Hollywood has gone through with regard to the superhero genre, a transition that mirrors its progression as a literary genre.

The first major adaptations from paper to the screen were Superman and Batman, two of the biggest icons of the comic book world. Superman was the first "superhero" per se to reach iconic status in the comic book category. Superman's qualities were defined not just in his superpowers, but also in his character: morally upright, humble in his approach, true to his word, chivalrous, gallant, fearless, and tireless in his pursuit of justice. If morality was defined in black and white, Superman exemplifies the whitest of white. His qualities made him a big fan amongst adults and children, and when his movie adaptation became an astounding success, there was little surprise.

Similar to this was Batman's triumph in the comic and film world. The success of the comic character eventually led to the phenomenal TV series in the 1960's, and later a highly lucrative film adaptation in 1989. However, the Batman we know of now (particularly Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight) is nothing like the Batman which had been epitomised on the screen previously. The previous conception was a rather safe, idealistic and moral driven vigilante. In fact, all comics followed similar concepts due to the Comic Book Code, a list of rules that were to be followed in all comic book adaptations. The rules can be summed up as:

- Good must prevail over evil

-Morality must be clearly defined

-No use of blood or brutal violence

-No elements of sexuality or explicit acts

Based on this, the superheroes of old may have been a success, but they were seen as far from the real world. The genre itself was seen as an idealistic fantasy, where conceptions of morality were clear. There was a self-theorisation of the genre, where heroes and villains were clearly defined, where heroes had to be heroes in nature, and not have to struggle with it, while defeating the "bad guys", who deserved what they got because they were irredeemable. The superheroes were flawless in their characters, without thinking twice about their actions. As a result, they were perceived as campy, unrealistic and childish.

In an attempt to bring realism into the superhero mould, writer Stan Lee partnered with artists Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby to create characters that felt uncomfortable in their own skin. Prior to them, most heroes were perfectly comfortable with dichotomising their heroism, but not with the new generation of comic book characters. Their efforts resulted in Spiderman, Hulk, Fantastic Four and X Men, heroes that felt uncomfortable being heroes. These were heroes that felt ambiguity in their actions, and had real problems which could be related to an audience beyond children. This is referred to as the Golden Age of Comic Books, when a concerted attempt was made to bring realism into a fantasy genre.

The comic book genre's revolution was aptly portrayed on screen, with three major successes in Blade, X-Men and Spiderman. The last two in particular became noticed due to their depiction of heroes as everyday people, with flawed characters and problems outside of their costumes.

However, even these adaptations were not seen an entirely realistic for a number of reasons. The characters were still based on the comic book code, which made their plots simple and unambiguous.

However, the second half of this decade has seen a marked attempt to bring even more realism. This has stemmed from a move made in the comic book industry to make the characters even more real. This arguably began in 1985, with the advent of Watchmen. With a plot featured in shades of grey, heroes without moral centres, and little "happy endings" if anything, Watchmen changed the way superheroes were seen. Its symbol, a smiley face with a blood stain, says it all.

The writer of the series Alan Moore, previously perceived as a comic genre Prima Donna, became an inspiration for several aspiring artists and writers, who wanted to bring more realism into the superhero genre. One of these artists was Frank Miller, who became an icon in the comic industry for revamping the genre.

Miller made his name through a revision of Batman that had been in process since the early 80's to change the "campy", friendly image of the character. The result was The Dark Knight Returns and its follow-up Batman: Year One, featuring a harsher, brutal hero, one that was terrorised in his past, and struggled with his psyche. It was this Batman that provided the inspiration for Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and sequel The Dark Knight. It showcased how moral ambiguity was seeping into the genre, and the flaws became more psychologically driven than physically limiting.

Batman Begins may have begun the tradition of challenging the superhero archetype, but it truly pushed the envelope with The Dark Knight. The film and especially the depiction of its villain the Joker, was inspired by the comic The Killing Joke, an introspective account of the villain's life by the Joker himself. That comic changed the way the Joker was perceived, and helped to bring humanity into villainy itself.

The comic was written by Alan Moore, the creator of Watchmen, and it is of no surprise that the film adaptation of the comic would extend the boundaries of the superhero genre. The film persuades us to think of humanising the superhero, for they are people not just under their costumes, but also without. They can be brutal and flawed. They can rape and kill and still be hailed as heroes. The perfect ending may be death and destruction for ending. And alas, that in the real world, there is no such thing as Deux Ex Machina.

Watchmen has helped to make a transition from normative (what ought to be) to positive (what is) influences in the comic book genre. It has been successful in bringing those sensibilities to Hollywood as well. But most of all, it has brought art closer to life, by making life the inspiration for the comic world, and not the other way around. By depicting reality in its brutal Hobbesian self, we are seeing a rebirth of a genre that began with the Satires and Leviathan. Such revisions will do to the entertainment industry what Machiavelli's The Prince and Sun Tzu's The Art of War did to politics. And this is just the beginning.

Contemporary Punjabi poets are trying to revive their literary heritage by writing the kafi, It is an attempt to eliminate the alienation produced by the colonial period. With a 500 years old classical tradition, its acceptance is a part of Punjab's collective unconscious. The best writers of the present age have chosen it for their creative venture. The contemporary kafi poets are trying to give a new form to the Punjabi genre to secure for it a status in the age of the computer. It is a very welcome effort for Punjabi literature.

What is the etymology of the word kafi? What is its historical background? Researchers have divergent views on it. Kafi is a thath and a raga of music. You may sing a kafi in any raga (may be Bherwein). In other words, there is no definite relationship between raga and kafi.

"One argument that is forwarded in relating the poem kafi with the raga kafi is that kafi thath is source of many ragas and all of them have been popular. Among the holy saints, which include Moen-ud-Din, Nizam-ud-Din, Amir Khusro and Bulhe Shah, these have been very popular. Common people are their audience and it is not strange that for the transmission of their poetry they used the most popular raga, kafi. But there is one thing that goes against it. Many kafis of Shah Hussain do not fall in the category.

Syed Ali Abbass Jalal Puri writes "kafi is a well known genre of Punjabi poetry, which Shah Hussain has composed in ragas and which Bulhe Shah and Ghulam Farid carried to sublimity. There is a tradition that earlier its name was kami (related to kam or sensuality and love). This later changed into kafi. Majority believe that kafi meant kamil or perfect.

Sharif Kunjahi traces its origin to Kav which is a Sanskirit word. Even before the arrival of Muslims in the Sub-Continent this word was used for poetry. The passage from kav to kafi is not improbable. It is difficult to arrive at a definite conclusion about the origin of the word.

What is the form of kafi? Dr. Nazir Ahmed opines "kafi is usually a rhymed composition of five or seven and sometimes more verses. At times it has a climactic line. But the content is usually mystical. The term kafi is generally used with reference to the work of Muslim mystics."

In the British period Punjabi language had been thrown out of curriculum. As a result many Punjabis were alienated from Punjabi. After the creation of Pakistan some middle-class intellectuals started thinking afresh about their language and literature. They arrived at the conclusion that true creative activity is possible only in the mother tongue. They were also fully aware of the fact that in order to put an end to the alienation created by the colonial period, they shall have to come back to their literary heritage. Many poets wrote kafis in the classical tradition. But they could not rise above it. kafis have also been written after independence. But the kafis of Mushtaq Soofi, Ghulam Hussain Sajid, Shahzad Qaiser, Khaqan Haider Ghazi, Rifaat Abbass and Professor Sharib have carried this genre forward thematically.

Mushtaq Soofi, in his kafis in Haith Vagay Daria has followed Shah Hussain by repeating every line. He did not bring any change in the form of kafi but he has based most of his kafis on the songs of Sandal Bar. Even some of the climactic lines are actually the songs of the Bar. For his metaphors, landscapes and romance, he chose the diction of the Bar. He regrets that there is no dearth of resources, but there is barrenness in them, of which there seems to be no end. He dreams of an ideal society in his poetry. The beauty of the Bar, the landscape and the romance have been so blended that his work has attained sublimity.

The first poetry collection of Ghulam Hussain Sajid Dunia Phiray Ghamazi includes some kafis beside other poems. But his Pani Ramz Bharay is a book of kafis which he has named Waee. Waee is the name of a collective prayer which is offered to break the stifling force of cruelty and exploitation, when it reaches its extreme. Sajid is the child of the river Ravi. The beauty of the Ravi and the rich culture of the Bar are ingrained in his unconscious. He wishes that the oppression around him ultimately come to an end and a new world blossoms. His approach is subjective in this era of ideological poetry. There is a bitter sweet melancholy that runs deep through his poetry and casts a spell over the reader.

Shahzad Qaiser has published four collections of his kafis. The form and mood of these kafis is classical. His diction is also very close to that of the kafi. His kafi deals with the problems of human existence, the inner barrenness, the relationship between the body and the soul, mortality of man and the blessing of the Murshid.

The two poetic collections of Khaqan Haider Ghazi Band Gali Vich Sham and Dam Dam Nal Dhamal also include some kafis. He has described the agony of his own time through an address to Baba Farid, Sultan Bahoo, Lal Qalandur and Bulhe Shah. This kind of style basically flourishes in a period of intellectual barrenness only when people become callous to the cries of pain. In such a situation the poet address one who has been through such a torture. In the other kafis of Khaqan which have been addressed to Bulhe Shah, the pain of this age has been concentrated in twenty eight stanzas. The agony of time, oppression and cruelty has been so blended in the classical tradition that this kafi has become the representative genre of this generation.

Rifaat Abbass has published two collections of kafis Sangat Veda and Ishk Allah Saien Jagia. Their form is classical. Sangat Veda deals with man from the age of Vedas to the present age. In Ishq Allah Saien Jagia there are two basic metaphors, Ishq and Allah. Apparently these two are the subjects of classical kafi. The poet has beautifully adapted these metaphors to the folk dialect, molding everyday life into beautiful verses is his distinction.

A collection of the kafis of Professor Sharib Koi Androu Dur Kharkavay has been published. The great distinction of his kafi is that he describes the internal problem of human existence in folk tradition. Separation from the beloved, the pain of deprivation and the wailings of separation from the beloved are so beautifully blended with the memory of the landscape of the old Punjab that his kafi becomes a beautiful epitome of form and content. The poet is looking for a person through whom he may explore the internal possibilities of existence. Despite its ugliness, he does not allow the beauty of life to be absent from the mind. His poetry expresses the feeling of unequal distribution of wealth, deprivation and despair. But the spell of the desire for the beloved turns this ugliness into an aesthetic experience.

A word about letters

If Shehzad Ahmad is better known as a poet than as a prose writer, it is because poetry is still valued more than prose in our society. He is, no doubt, one of the foremost Urdu poet, but his books on theoretical psychology, philosophy and related subjects outnumber his values of verse.

He is a great defender of the ghazal and believes that the ghazal is not written by an individual poet. In fact, whole communities participate in its composition. Hence, it gives vent to the feelings and aspirations of the society.

Seventy years ago, progressive literary critics rejected the ghazal as a rough and raw genre. Some of them are still reluctant to accept this genre that has been most popular with the people. Shehzad Ahmad says that the opponents of the ghazal lack the classical cultural training which is necessary for its appreciation.

I remember a conversation with him one evening at the Pak Tea House some eight years ago, during which he explained that the ghazal re-emerged as the most popular form of Urdu poetry after the 1960s because poets and critics had succeeded in developing a new metaphysics suitable to its requirements.

Despite his love for the ghazal, Shehzad Ahmad also writes nazms. In fact, he has been giving indications of getting more inclined towards nazms during the recent years.

He had a stroke once in 1984, and now, after a quarter of a century, he is up and around. He took over the reins of the Board for the Advancement of Literature in 2006 and is running it smoothly.

Shehzad Ahmad celebrated his 77th birth anniversary in the second week of April.

Wings of Words

Muzaffar A. Ghaffar who is widely acknowledged as a gifted translator particularly for his English translation of classical Punjabi poets like Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain Lahori, has now come up with an English translation of Shehzad Ahmad's selected verse.

Published by the Multi Media Affairs of Lahore, the volume is titled On the Wings of Words. It carries 37 poems in original as well as in English translation. Muzaffar A. Ghaffar explains in his preface to the volume: "The bilingual reader may enjoy the original and, if so inclined, grapple with the translation. No attempt is made at the easy-way-out of "rendering" the poems. These are translations. This book carries originals of very fine verse, and translations deliberately kept as close to the original language as possible. This may irk those who are ready with an idiom in English. But usually idioms of another language impose a different response."

The following is the English translation of one of Shahzad Ahmad's poems taken from On the Wings of Words

We and the Wind

Drinking waters of many

places has been my destiny:

You too have seen the world

Yet wherever we meet

We talk with innocence of

children

You say,

"the likes of you were not

found before"

I say,

"I have searched for you in

every face"

You say,

"My heart is like virgin earth"

I say,

"I am virgin earth's first rain"

But the wind laughs at us,

With affection embraces us,

And says:

"I too have moved for the first

time"

Jocelyn recited

Born in Brisbane, Australia, Jocelyn Ortt-Saeed has been living in Pakistan for the past thirty years. Many of these years were spent at Jaranwala, a small rural town in Punjab, where her husband worked as an engineer in a sugar mill. She established a day-care centre in Jaranwala for the sugar mill employees. The centre has now flowered into a college.

Jocelyn Ortt-Saeed is a poet. The first collection of her poetry was published in the 1970s under the title Where no road goes. The slim volume carried poems that were mostly composed in the small town. In those days she used to visit the Philosophy Department of Punjab University every now and then and recited her poems to the students who immensely enjoyed her poetry as well as the fine style of her rendering.

Distant Horizons is Jocelyn's second volume of verse which also includes some poems of her first collection.

An evening with Jocelyn was arranged recently at Alhamra Art Centre in Lahore where Maryam Ortt-Saeed, her eldest daughter, Shahina Arif and Faryal Gohar recited Jocelyn's poems from her recently published second collection. Painter and educationist Shahnawaz Zaidi has translated some of her poems in Urdu which he presented there.

The event concluded with Jocelyn Ortt-Saeed's recitation of some of her poems including Recalling the Days and Remembering the War Days.

Death of a poet

Malik Iqbal Hassan Bhapla, one of the popular literary figures of the Seraiki speaking region of the Punjab, died recently at the age of 67. He was known for his poetry but he also authored novels such as Mehro, Basanit and Visvas key Phool.