peer-e-tasmaa-paa


Here’s an amazing nazm by Kaifi Azmi entitled Peer-e-tasmaa-paa (the old man of the sea who would ask the travellers to drop him across the water on their shoulders and with really strong legs, he would choke his carriers)

Kaifi’s nazm really talks about a much deeper meaning where he identifies himself with the carrier, the traveller who is being asked to carry the old man on his shoulders.  Here’s the nazm:

Peer-e-tasmaa-paa

mere kaaNdhe pe baiThaa koi
paRhtaa rahtaa hai
makkhiyaaN kaan meiN bhinbhinaatii haiN
zaKhmi haiN kaan
apni aavaaz kaise sunouN?

Raana hindu tha Akbar musalmaan tha
Sanjay vo pahla insaan tha
Hastinapur meiN jisne qabl-e-maseeH
Telivizon banaayaa
aur ghar baiThe ek andhe raajaa ko
yudh ka tamaasha dikhaayaa
aadmii aaj chaaNd par utaraa to kyaa
ye taraqqii nahiiN
ab se pahle, bahut pahle
jab zarra TuuTaa na thaa
chashma jauhar ka phooTaa na thaa
jaa chukaa hai koi
yah aur aisii bahut si baateiN
mere kaaNdhe pe hoti haiN
kaaNdhe jhuke jaa rahe haiN
qad mera raat din ghaT rahaa hai
sar kahiiN paaNv se mil na jaaye


Kaifi Azmi

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