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Aks-e-rukh-e-gulbadan Jahan raks kartee hai ruh-e-tamanna Uss hadd-e-manzil pey main aa gaya hoon Khuda bakshey meri nigaahon ko himmat Qayamat sey main aaj takraa gayaa hoon (I have reached those bounds of the destination where the soul’s desires dance; may God bestow courage upon me for today, I have taken on the apocalypse itself).
Zakir is a sensitive and simple soul. These traits were evident even when he had first penned his thoughts in verse: Aasmaan ki bulandiyon sey nadeem Ek roshan sitara toot gaya Merey haathon sey jaam-e-mustaqbil Farsh-e-maazhi pey girkey phoot gaya (A bright star has fallen from the heights of the sky; the goblet containing my future has crashed on my past’s floor and shattered) Or take this contemplative qita that wistfully dwells upon what all he has missed out on: Meri jawani bahaaron mein bhi udaas rahi Fiza-e-zeest tamanna ko raas aa na saki Khushi uffak pey khadi dekhti rahee mujh ko Usey bula na saka khud woh paas aa na saki (My youth remained sad even in the spring, my desires couldn’t go well with the breeze of life, happiness kept watching me from the skies, I couldn’t call out to her and she couldn’t reach me by herself). Yet, he never allowed the dark thoughts to overwhelm him, as evidenced by these lines: Lafaz lafaz zinda hai meri har kahaani mein Saans saans khushboo hai meri khush bayaani mein Waqt kee amaanat hain meri saari tehrirein Main yakeen rakhta hoon iskee hukumraani mein (Every word of my story is alive, every breath fragrant with my happy narrative, my writings are owed to Time in whose sovereignty I believe). He is capable of conveying most profound observations in simple language, which tells us a lot about the excellence of his craft. For example the following couplet: Zindagi ek kehkaha dekar Aansuon sey hisab leti hai (After providing one guffaw, life extracts a price in terms of tears). He was greatly impressed with Mir Taqi Mir’s style and learnt a lot from Asar Lakhnavi. Yet, he managed to chisel out his own distinct style right from the beginning of his writing career. The following couplet from his first ghazal was greatly appreciated by Asar: Tera tow intezaar raha mujh ko raat bhar Mera bhi intezaar hai, jaaney laga hoon main (I waited for you the whole night; I am going as I too am being awaited). He is capable of portraying varied moods and hues of life, viz., happiness, sadness, spring and autumn etc with equal ease, using sparse language: Lafzon sey tehrirein roshan hotee hain Lafzon sey takrirein roshan hotee hain Duniya waalo lafzon kee tazeem karo Lafzon sey taqdirein roshan hotee hain (Writings and speeches brighten up with words. O people respect words for they brighten up fortunes) In his own words, each of his works highlights an aspect of his life: Mainein Zakir saath baras sey iss gulshan ko seencha hai Qatra qatra khoon diya hai saru-o-suman ko seencha hai Yaaro mujh sey meri hikayat kya poochogey rehney do Mainein kalam kay dariaayon sey vaadi-e-phan ko seencha hai (For sixty years, I have cultivated this garden; with drops of my blood have I irrigated trees and flowers. O friends, don’t ask for my story, I have watered the valley of craft with the rivers from my pen). As they say in Farsi: Dareen
chey shaque (There is no doubt in it)!
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The
above lines aptly describe Kashmiri Lal Zakir’s 60-year-long
literary journey that has culminated in a Padmashri. The 90-year-old
Zakir, despite his age, is energetic and young at heart. No wonder, he
has about 100 books to his credit and is still writing. An
accomplished litterateur, he writes prose and poetry with equal
felicity. His novels, short stories, plays and essays appeal both to
one’s heart and the mind. His poetry – be it ghazal, nazm or
qita – never fails to convey a profound message.