Quote: June 30, 2009

To say "I love you" one must first be able to say the "I."

-Ayn Rand

Birthday Poems

Long time back, I think about fifteen years now, she who was like a sister to me, had asked me to write something to her for her b'day. She said that's all she wanted for her birthday. I don't remember what I may have written but she read it out loud. A few girls later told me that they were jealous that they did not have a friendship like that. Who would have known that like everything else, time will take a toll on this on too!

Last week, I called someone to wish him happy b'day and he said, "j - write a poem for me; about me; four lines". It was his b'day - I could not let the demand go unfulfilled. I have really not known him all too well but there are a few things I know of him - there is a child like exuberence and impatience in his demeanor. It can be quite unnerving at times but when I started writing, his demeanor guided me and the poem came out sounding like a children's read; something an older sister or mother would write. Here it is:

A perpetual twinkle in his eye

A little naughty, a little shy

A little impatient like a boy

Makes me laugh with a sigh

Someone tell those pretty girls

Who cross his path

Oh! Never mind those curls

Just watch your heart

But I fancy all his whims

A little proper, a little prim

He is all that and a pie

He is the apple of my eye

-jm

Brain is also important

Shareworthy email forward:

A little known fact....

The first testicular guard "Cup" was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.

It took 100 years for men to realize that the brain is also important.

Hazrat Amir Khusrau -- Concert in Mumbai

If you are in the vicinity ----

Poet who died over half a millenium ago, comes alive this Saturday

Mumbai hosts a rare concert that brings together 6 performing groups, 3 languages and a celebrated Sufi poet-warrior-mystic

This concert is full of rarities. To begin with, the organiser spent over a year researching on Sufi poet Hazrat Amir Khusrau.

Next, it features almost extinct forms of poetry like Gul, Kalbana, Naksha, Mukarniyan, Nisbatein, Paheliyan, Dosakhune and Dhakosle.

And then, the compositions span at least three languages Persian, Khadi Boli and Hindi.

The idea is to unveil before Mumbai audiences, the person that Hazrat Amir Khusrau was through his works.

Khusrau's layered personality

"Most people know Khusrau as a Sufi poet and mystic. Some might even know him as the inventor of the Sitar, Tabla, Qawwali and Khayal.

But he created a dozen forms of poetry like Gul and Kalbana. He was a court poet to seven kings, and an accomplished warrior.

On one hand, he hung around with royalty. And then he effortlessly managed to write a simple song to reflect the agony of a woman who is married in a land far away from her maternal home.

It shows the sensitivity of the poet," says Nandini Mahesh, director of concert organiser Banyan Tree Events.

It was when Nandini was researching for a 2-CD compilation of Khusrau's works for their sister concern music label, that she conceived this concert and decided to gather musicians from across the country.

Transcending language

Khusrau was quick at picking up languages. Even though Persian was the prevailing language at the time, he also wrote in Urdu, Hindi and Khadi Boli.

"In fact, there is a Ghazal in Hindi that we discovered in an original manuscript that we are going to present at the concert," says Nandini.

Another interesting composition that will be presented by Pt. Vitthal Rao from Hyderabad is Zehal-e miskin makun taghaful, duraye naina banaye batiyan (Do not overlook my misery by blandishing your eyes, and weaving tales). This is made up of alternating lines in Persian and Brij Bhasha.

Father of Qawwali

With so many forms attributed to Khusrau, he also takes the credit for enriching Hindustani classical music. Famous qawwal Sarfaraz Chishti says, "Qawwali as a form wouldn't exist without Hazrat Amir Khusrau Sahab. Our performance begins with kaul, an ibadat to God, which is also attributed to Khusro.

He has given us a treasure of compositions which we sift through to find works we can perform even today." Ustad Aslam Khan, adds, "He gave so much to Hindustani classical music; we only build on what he created.

What we will present at the concert will be Hindustani classical music in its purest, unadulterated form."

On: Today at 6.30 pm. At: Nehru Centre Auditorium, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli. Call: 24964680. Tickets: Rs 500, Rs 400, Rs 300, Rs 200 (also available at Rhythm House: 22842835, Landmark (Andheri): 26396010)

About Hazrat Amir Khusrau

Hazrat Amir Khusrau is considered one of the most popular Sufi poets and mystics. However, not many know that he was also an accomplished linguist, skilled warrior, a prolific writer and great musician.

He has also been credited with creating the Tabla and Sitar, two instruments that have become indispensable to Hindustani classical music. He was a court poet for several kings and wrote in Persian, Khadi Boli and Hindi.

Who will perform what?
>>Chishti Brothers from Muradabad to perform Qawwali and Rang
>>Ustad Aslam Khan to perform Swela, Khayal and Tarana
>>Pt Vitthal Rao from Hyderabad to perform Persian Ghazal and Swela
>>Shubha Joshi to perform Sawan Geet and Lok Geet
>>Dilraj Kaur to perform Ghazal in Hindi and Sufi Dohe
>>Rafat Khan on Sitar and Jayanti Ghosar on Rabab, a Persian string instrument

WIN Free passes to the concert
Mail us your correct answer to theguide@mid-day.com

Which instrument was created by Amir khusro?
1) Flute 2) Sitar 3) sarangi
Winners will be selected through a random draw and contacted on phone

another "cliched" fool

What a fool - following footsteps

not knowing

they were not leading the way

but walking away!

Life's little ironies ...

-jm

Summer of '09

Ah! Its summer!

I am a summer baby but truly dread summers – perhaps not as much now because of where I spend my days; a beautiful beach city.

But growing up, nobody would forget my birthday; it was the last day of school mostly and in fact my High School graduation fell on my birthday too.

Till I was in India, I spent my birthday studying for some exam – except the summer of 1986. The exams had to be cancelled due the political unrest in the state. My father who was in the Army, got his posting in Pathankot, Punjab. Punjab was amidst the post-1984 turmoil and being there at the time would remain of the most unforgettable experiences for me.

State of Punjab was more a State of Emergency for many years after the 1984 fiasco; curfew became a norm and army rule was imposed. My dad used to be out of station most of the time.

How could anyone remain untouched during such a time? At eleven years of age, I was really not complaining about the effects on my life; my exams had been cancelled because going to school was deemed too dangerous for the students. Even before the school was shut down for the summer, we had not done much. Most of the days we went to school only to find a note at the gate saying, “school closed”. The market which was about half a mile from the school premises was the main target for any kind of “terrorist” activity. I vaguely remember hearing bomb blasts one afternoon in the classroom. Soon one of the sisters/nuns came to the classroom to ask us to call someone and make arrangement to go home. It was a small city, the news of the bomb blast had already spread and we had someone waiting to pick us up at the gate. We did not go back for many months.

That year as my birthday approached, my mom did not know how to celebrate since arranging a decent party would require a trip to the market which was out of the question. One afternoon she opened her jewelry case and pulled out little trinkets which she thought would be suitable for an eleven year old to play with. Rummaging through her treasure, I found a pair of old silver anklets which she was reluctant to even let me touch at first but maybe the glow on my face must have melted her mother’s heart.

The silver had lost all its shine due to the oxidization and one of the anklets was missing the little tinker bells which hang from them and make a sweet cham cham cham sound. Mom told me that those were given to her by her dad when she turned fourteen and they are very special to her but if I like, I can play with them for the rest of the day.

Too big for my feet, I double wrapped them around my wrist, and walked with a certain bounce so that they would be my musical companions producing the cham cham cham sound.

That afternoon, I spent sitting by her as she painted. Soon I realized, that the summer was too long and the anklets not entertaining enough for the time span.

That summer was spent playing cricket, riding the bike endlessly in circles around the park, climbing the amrood (guava) and the mango tree in our backyard and hearing devastating discussions of the world outside our secure army cantonment. Just that one wall surrounding the cantonment made a world’s difference – I learnt when I returned back to school the following school year from students who lived outside those walls.

Besides all the other activities, that summer I discovered my love for reading. One day I found my father’s copy of Pride and Prejudice. I asked my mother what is was about and she told me it was the story of four sisters. That was enough to motivate me to give such a big book a shot (remember I am eleven at the time). By the time the story was over, I like most of the women who have read it since its publication, was in awe of Mr Darcy and wanted to emulate Elizabeth.

(I think it was around 1987-88, Doordarshan started a thirteen-episode show, Trishna, based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.)

I just celebrated yet another birthday. I love growing old. It gives me an opportunity to not only look forward but also something to look behind at. Lot of memories go into growing old. So many different people we come across who come into our life with some purpose and leave teaching us a lesson so we are ready for a new chapter… just like that summer of 1986, when we did not have TV, Video Games, and other fancy toys, we kept quite busy – if we really pay close attention, life plays plenty of games with us to keep us busy for a long time … I am grateful for it all!

In Search

In Search

In the books of the world, from Asia to Europe,

I wander around seeking the definition of perfection.

It's like decoding the mystery of the isotopes,

so the search continues eluding satisfaction.

If not a Buddhist text, then maybe a Confucian [1],

or maybe Thomas a Kempis [2] or perhaps Deepak Chopra.

But every new idea only helps build an illusion

of utopia, of paradise, of the heavens, and the strength of Ra [3].

I travel from the doors of the Kings to the stairs of the Shah.

In utter confusion they look to the faces of their holy men

and the ministers. All I learn is blah, blah, and more blah.

I give up, I am going home. So long to yin n' yen.

Finally! There I see the answer to my misery,

standing in my mother's back yard, it's an old lemon tree.

---

[1] Confucius: Chinese philosopher (circa 551-478 BC)

[2] Kempis: German ecclesiastic and writer of devotional literature, most probably including The Imitation of Christ (1426).

[3] Ra: The ancient Egyptian sun god, the supreme deity represented as a man with the head of a hawk crowned with a solar disk and uraeus.

-jm

Quote: June 20, 2009

Life isn't about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself.

- George Bernard Shaw

Quote: June 2, 2009

"If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others?"

- Voltaire, Candide, Chapter 6

***am reading Candide these days; highly recommend if not done so, so far!

surmaii shaam is tarah aaye ...

This song has been playing in my head since morning . . .

I love the silence of the words in this poetry, 

the music, and the voice of the singer (suresh wadkar)...

din ka jo bhi peher guzarta hai,

koi ehsaan saa utarta hai,

waqt ke paanv dekhta hoon mein

roz yeh chaanv dekhta hoon mein

aaye jaise koi khayaal ayee

saans lete hain jis tarah saaye

surmai shaam is tarah aaye ...

lyrics: gulzaar

music: hridyanath mangeshkar

singer: suresh waadkar

film: lekin