At a time when the politics of otherisation is occupying the cultural space, it took poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar to speak the language of love and use Urdu as a balm, soothing the core of human emotions. “This is a language of synthesis, one which emerged from Sufism, where the creator and the creation are one and is, therefore, imbued with humanism. It is in no way rooted in Semitic traditions. It has emerged from life as we have felt and lived it in the sub-continent to create a blended culture and communicate in a manner that we all understand. That’s why Mirza Ghalib was only possible in India. That’s why Urdu disproves the two-nation theory,” he told an audience that had gathered to celebrate the Rekhta Foundation’s launch of a book on translations of Urdu love poetry in the Capital on Wednesday.
If there was any doubt about the relevance of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, the full house at the Taj Ambassador was a thundering reaffirmation. As the author of the book, Love, Longing and Loss in Urdu Poetry (Rekhta Foundation; Rs 499), Sanjiv Saraf said, “No other language traverses the arc of human love, from youth to old age, or articulates its ardour, frenzy, passion, longing, desire, submission, reconciliation and parting, as movingly as Urdu. Mainstream Hindi films have always relied on Urdu in their dialogue, script and song lyrics. That’s why I have chosen the simpler of Urdu couplets and compositions that can be understood by everybody. I have chosen love poetry to demonstrate how Urdu is eloquent, elegant and perfect for emotional expressions.”
In fact, the book has a “with-it” format, with meanings of more difficult words listed in the margin alongside the English text. “The book is more a transcreation than a translation, where the English text distills the essence of the emotion embedded in Urdu words. And readers, particularly the young, have a spirit of inquiry, which I have sought to address through the annotations and meanings in the sidebars,” he adds.
Sanjiv Saraf (left) said, “No other language traverses the arc of human love, from youth to old age, or articulates its ardour, frenzy, passion, longing, desire, submission, reconciliation and parting, as movingly as Urdu.”
Akhtar supported Saraf’s effort, saying, “No time is as right as now to rescue Urdu. Perhaps no other language captures the essence and moods of people’s festivals like Holi and Diwali better than Urdu. There’s a peaceful communion of thoughts and ideas and an interdependence that defines us as a people. When you understand it, it feels Hindi. When it is complex, it sounds Urdu. But the fact is this language has always been a part of our daily lives.”
He even outlined how Urdu was a better communicator of love than English despite its own tradition of love poetry. “English has a crispness and sharp focus because of its syntax. The punch in the finish lends English to prose. But Urdu doesn’t have a definitive flourish but a soft-fadeout that captures the delicate layers and indecision between emotions, like yeh hai bhi or nahin bhi,” he said. He also reminded listeners how each Urdu couplet was replete with metaphors, how each word had a history, ethos and resonance, and how each was rich in allusion.
Saraf, who has been trying to demystify Urdu over the years through his flagship event Jashn-e-Rekhta, now relies on the digital platform to amplify his message. Through Aamozish.com, Rekhta hopes to become the world’s largest online Urdu learning platform in a user-friendly format that can help people access poetry. “Thanks to social media, we have millions of followers across 172 countries. In fact, Twitter, with its 140-word limit, lends itself to Urdu couplets which are not more than 160 words anyway. So there’s a fast conversion of what is considered a slow language,” argues Saraf, the Founder of Rekhta. The Rekhta website itself now has over 25,000 ghazals and 4,500 nazms by over 2,500 poets with content in Urdu, Devanagari and Roman scripts and innovative features like video-coaching and recitations.
Though Saraf is taking Rekhta to Dubai soon, he hopes to bring back a physical event in Delhi in December. Besides, he is using translation and educational software to tap into the richness of regional languages and take their literature to the digital age. He’s beginning with Rajasthani and Gujarati. Does he feel that Jashn-e-Rekhta could be constricted in the current context of cultural scrutiny? “Not at all. I have always stayed away from religion and politics. And there’s a bigger world outside of them,” he says.
However, is Urdu poetry relevant in the time of a fast-paced language of communication, among shortened words and abbreviations? As usual Akhtar had the best answer: “Well technology has killed the feeling of pining and expectation in love. Can you imagine Romeo climbing a balcony today to meet his Juliet? Yes, the vehicle of communication has changed, so has companionship. We did place a premium on masochism as evidenced in the glorification of Devdas. Today everybody wants to be a winner or appear to be a winner. Loss is not a virtue… so no sad songs in our films today. But relationships need equity today and izzat. In any relationship, two people have to take care of each other. Why does this equation change when we become husband and wife or partners? Urdu understands this.”
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Muzaffar Ali,
Sanjiv Saraf, Javed Akhtar and others at the Rekhta Foundation’s launch of a book on translations of Urdu love poetry. 
Sanjiv Saraf (left) said, “No other language traverses the arc of human love, from youth to old age, or articulates its ardour, frenzy, passion, longing, desire, submission, reconciliation and parting, as movingly as Urdu.”
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