Category: Inspirations

From Urban Legends Reference Pages: Jack Benny Sends Roses After Death:

Each year he sent her roses,
and the note would always say,
“I love you even more this year,
than last year on this day.

She knew this was the last time
that the roses would appear.
As they were delivered
every year.

She thought, he ordered roses
in advance before this day.
Her loving husband did not know,
that he would pass away.

He always liked to do things early,
way before the time.
Then, if he got too busy,
everything would work out fine.

She trimmed the stems,
and placed them in a very special vase.
Then, sat the vase beside the portrait
of his smiling face.

She would sit for hours,
in her husband’s favorite chair.
While staring at his picture,
and the roses sitting there.

A year went by,
and it was hard to live without her mate.
With loneliness and solitude,
that had become her fate.

Then, the very hour,
as on Valentines before,
The doorbell rang,
and there were roses,
sitting by her door.

She brought the roses in,
and then just looked at them in shock.
Then, went to get the telephone,
to call the florist shop.

The owner answered, and she asked him,
if he would explain,
Why would someone do this to her,
causing her such pain?

“I know your husband passed away,
more than a year ago,”
The owner said, “I knew you’d call,
and you would want to know”.

“The flowers you received today,
were paid for in advance.
Your husband always planned ahead,
he left nothing to chance”.

“There is a standing order,
that I have on file down here,
And he has paid, well in advance,
you’ll get them every year”.

“There also is another thing,
that I think you should know,
He wrote a special little card…
he did this years ago”.

“Then should ever I find out
that he’s no longer here,
That’s the card…that should be sent,
to you the following year”.

She thanked him and hung up the phone,
her tears now flowing hard.
Her fingers shaking,
as she slowly reached to get the card.

Inside the card, she saw that he had
written her a note.
Then, as she stared in total silence,
this is what he wrote…

“Hello my love,
I know it’s been a year since
I’ve been gone,
I hope it hasn’t been too hard
for you to overcome”.

“I know it must be lonely,
and the pain is very real.
For if it was the other way,
I know how I would feel”.

“The love we shared made everything
so beautiful in life.
I loved you more than words can say,
you were the perfect wife”.

“You were my friend and lover,
you fulfilled my every need.
I know it’s only been a year,
but please try not to grieve”.

“I want you to be happy,
even when you shed your tears.
That is why the roses
will be sent to you for years”.

“I have always loved you
and I know I always will.
But, my love, you must go on,
you have some living still”.

“The roses will come every year,
and they will only stop,
When your door’s not answered,
when the florist stops to knock”.

“He will come five times that day,
in case you have gone out.
But after his last visit,
he will know without a doubt,

To take the roses to the place,
where I’ve instructed him,
And place the roses where we are,
together once again”.

Children learn what they live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

Rotian

Jab aadmi kae peat mein aati hain rotian
phooli nahin badan mein samati hain rotian
aankhen pari-rukhon se ladati hain rotian
seene oopar bhi haanth chalati hain rotian

jitne maze hain sab ye dikhatee hain rotiyaan

(poet: Nazir Akbarabadi )

Mir Muhammad Taqi ‘Mir’ (1724-1810)

The “Shehenshaah” of Urdu Gzazal ? Mir Taqi Mir was called so because Mir was the “chief” architect responsible for giving Ghazal the beauty it has. With him started the Golden Period of GHazal. He gave it the present form, and induced the “dard” and “nazaakat” in Ghazal. His Shayari was simple and elegant. It never fails to touch the strings of my heart.

baad marane ke, meri Kabr par wo aayaa ‘Mir’
yaad aayi hai, mere Isaa ko dawaa, mere baad

Sahir once said “raat bhar ka hai mehamaaN andheraa”. And indeed, the concept of morning is always used to denote a happy begining, or end of unhappiness.

Guess, not everybody feels so:

gor kis diljale ki hai ye falak
shola ik, subah yaaN se uthata hai

Apart from Ghazals Mir has written two Masnavi’s (masnavi is a long narrative poem rhymed in couplet form) These two masnavis, Mu’amlat-e ‘ishq and Khwab o khyal-e Mir are written in the first person. The former describes a passionate love affair, ending in separation, between the narrator and a married woman who is apparently related to him; while the latter describes an attack of madness suffered by the narrator, characterized by his obsession with the face of a beautiful woman which he sees in the moon.

I am looking out for these Masnavi’s, so if anyone gets them, please pass them on to me

dekh to, dil ki jaaN se uTHataa hai
ye dhuaaN sa, kahaaN se uTHataa hai

Surprisingly, there are very very few GHazals by Mir which have been sung except perhaps by Mehdi Hasan singing a GHazal by Mir. Mir is perhaps the greatest of all the Shayars. But his GHazals are amazingly simple to understand and appreciate. Also, *music* is integral part of Mir’s Shayari. His style was conversationalist, using more of Urdu and Hindi than Farasi. And the fluidity, the rhythm is always present.

About his style, the great Zauk (a contemporary of GHalib) said …

na huaa, par na huaa, ‘Mir’ ka andaaz naseeb !
‘Zauk’, yaaroN ne bahut zor, GHazal me maaraa !!

In his compilation of “Deewan-e-Mir”, Ali Sardar Jafferey says a lot about Mir’s greatness in just one paragraph.

“Shayar has been given the status of “KHuda ka shishya”, and has been placed as “Paigambar” too. But Mir Taqi Mir is the only Shayar who is called as “Shayari ka KHuda” !! Mir is not the only one to be called as the greatest ever. But still it’s a fact that Mir tops the list of Urdu Shayars. Today, Ghalib and Iqbal are more popular than Mir. Their books sell more, their Shers are more known. But the greatness of Ghalib and Iqbal has been challenged. But no Shayar in any period has dared to challenge Mir’s greatness.”

Here is one by Ghalib …

‘Ghalib’, apanaa to aqeedaa hai bakaule-‘Naasikh’
aap be-bahara haiN, jo motakid-e-‘Mir’ nahiN

Ghalib says “if you are not a worshiper of Mir, then you are stupid !!”

Hakim Muhammad Momin Khan ‘Momin’ was born in 1797. He studied Arabic and Persian. He had a multifaceted personality. Not only was he a renowned physician, he was also well-versed in music, astronomy and astrology. He was also reported to be an oustanding chess player.

Momin’s poetry is free of allusions to mystical love and philosophical thoughts. It is steeped in praise of love and beauty. He used Persian words without making his work cumbersome and difficult to understand.

He never accepted any employment offer from any King or even by the British. His answer – “Gustakhi maaf, ham kisi ki naukari nahiN karate” ! Unfortunately at the age of 55 he fell down from the terrace and died after 3-4 months on 12th May, 1852.

After his death MiyaaN Nazir KhaaN, (a famous Veena player of that time) packed his Veena, saying “ab Delhi me koi rasiyaa nahiN bachaa”.

A noted critic Allama Niyaaz Fatehpuri once said, “If I have all the Deewans, old and new, in front of me, and if I have to select only one Deewaan, apart from Meer’s, then I will say that — mujhe kulliyat-e- Momin de do aur baaki sab uTHaake le jaao” !!

He was referring to the quality of the meter in Momin’s poetry. It seems that people had found faults with respect to meter, in the poetry of almost all the major poets, including GHalib and Iqbal. But not Momin. He is supposed to have written technically perfect GHazals !!

na taab hijr me hai, na aaraam wasl me,
kambaKHt dil ko chain nahiN hai, kisi tarah

ham bhi kuchh KHush nahiN wafaa karake
tumane achchha kiya, nibaah na ki !!

Momin is famous for his legendary “nazaakat”, a quality which at time, was considered as must for becoming a good Shayar. His Shers really touch your heart.

Here is a little Momin gem.

haal-e-dil yaar ko likhu kyuN_kar
haath dil se judaa nahiN hota !!

A rather well-known anecdote related to Momin is that Ghalib supposedly said he would exchange his entire ‘deewan’ for one of Momin’s sher. The sher in question:

tum mere paas hote ho goyaa
ko_ii duusaraa nahii.n hotaa