Lucknow :
Here’s an Urdu couplet that has crossed realms of usual shayri for an extraordinary reason: It describes in part the message of Bhagwad Gita—”Mera janm aam logon ke jaisa nahi… ki main khaas hoon, aisa waisa nahi…”
Poet Anwar Jalalpuri who has translated the entire Gita in Urdu couplets gives insight into the couplet saying, “The sher connotes the shlok wherein Lord Krishna unfolds the secret of his personality to Arjun.” Jalalpuri will receive Yash Bharti Samman from chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, it was announced here on Sunday.
An official release stated that the book, titled ‘Urdu Shayari Mein Gita’ not only translates verses into couplets but also successfully recaptures its essence and meaning in totality. Yash Bharti award is given to eminent persons from the state in the fields of art, culture, sports, literature, medicine, journalism and social service.
Talking exclusively to TOI, the poet said, “The award has honoured my mission to nourish Avadh’s Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb. I hope my book facilitates better understanding of Gita which largely stresses importance of karma or action.”
It took the poet almost 32 years to pen his book. “The matter dates back to 1982 when I enrolled for a PhD programme on critical analysis of Urdu translations of Gita. In two years, I realised the vastness of the subject and gave up the idea of doctorate,” recalled the poet, who has also translated Rabindra Nath Tagore’s Geetanjali and Omar Khaiyyam’s Rubais, besides penning 14 other books.
He added that his love for Gita’s philosophy refused to wane despite failure to achieve doctorate. “Soon, I decided to convert shloks into shers. It remained snail-paced in the beginning but caught momentum after 2002,” he said. The book was published and released in May 2014. “I am now ready to launch an audio-CD of the book…The shers have been sung by Anoop Jalota and Mithlesh Lakhnavi,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Shailvee Shards, TNN / July 13th, 2015