Poet Mumtaz Renu: “Creator” of Mere Soorat Tere Aain (My Face – Your Mirror).
Excerpts from a review by Poet S.A. Khan formerly of U.P (Original Article in Urdu) renowned Urdu poet of Indian sub-continent.
Translated into English by Abu Aqueel
Dear Readers,
Now let me say something about Mumtaz Renu. Before 2002, I was not aware of her name nor was any detail about her known to me. One day I went to meet Bengali poet Asad Chowdhury in his house and was talking to him about future of Urdu literatures in Bangladesh. I have old relation with him. Asad Chowdhury is known as the strongest well wisher of Urdu language in Bangladesh. During our conversation his telephone rang. He picked up the receiver and was talking to the other end. I became alarmed when he said to the caller that a good Urdu poet was sitting in-front of him.
Then he gave me the phone to talk with Mumtaz Renu. After exchange of pleasantries she asked me to meet her at their house and then she explained me the location of the house. The whole conversation with Mumtaz Renu was in Bangla. This was my first meeting with her over phone. From the house of Asad Chowdhury I went straight to the residence of Mumtaz Renu. At the gate, I asked the guard to convey the message to Begum Sahiba that I have come to meet her. A few moments later I met her in a decorated room. I told her that I have already talked to her over phone. She was pleased. It was a long meeting with her. She told me about her explicitly and sought my help. After hearing her narration I thought that there are seven wonders in the world. But Mumtaz Renu looks like the eighth wonder of the world. I am telling this because if a person does not know the language and composes poetry in the same language, is it not amazing?
Mumtaz Renu brought a stock of files and papers and put before me. In most papers Bangla and English poems were written. Also, I saw some writings in Urdu and Persian languages. On my query, she told me that in Jeddah some poems I wrote in Bangla and English Languages, those were translated in Urdu by a friend Mr. Nizam, who was belonged to Hyderabad. Some of the hand-writings were familiar to me. These were written by Nayeem. Mumtaz explained that these are her Urdu and Persian verses and Nayeem had written them in Urdu and Persian languages.
When I asked her that if you are ignorant of Urdu and Persian languages, not to speak of writing, you also cannot read then how could you compose these Urdu and Persian verses? Her answer was surprising. She said that this situation has been prevailing over her since 1992. Often, I feel loss in myself and have no sense of vicinity. At that moment voices of an unseen person whisper in my ears. Strangely, when I come out from that situation, I still remember those words and sentences that I was told by the unseen person. Then I write these words and phrases in my mother language. I came to know later that these sentences are in fact, verses of poems. This is also surprising that I am quite ignorant of Urdu and Persian languages but what the unseen person says to me I memorize them. I also can understand their meanings.
This was my first face to face meeting with Mumtaz Renu. I fixed some of my leisure time for writing her poems in Urdu. After several visits, I found that her folded personality was revealing to me. During this time we debated several times and I told her about the mistakes in her poems in the context of meters, syntax and rules of poetry writing. I wanted to correct these mistakes but Mumtaz Renu was adamant for not making any change. She said “I have written these verses in its original forms as it came to my heart and mind. Therefore, there is no scope for any change.” She said if there is grammatical mistake; keep it as it is because she does not want to displease the unseen person.
Renu Mumtaz wants to present her poetry writing in the same form as she has composed it. This is another aspect of her personality. She does not want to be recognized as a master of language. In my opinion, this is the highest level of her truthfulness, honesty and fairness. I accepted her arguments and kept myself engaged in my work. Later I came to know that Mumtaz Renu has interests in music and regularly does practice. She never sings others songs but play her own composed song. There are many poems and ghazals in her collection, “My face-Your Mirror”
I have studies this collection several times. Despite some mistakes in it, a person does not feel satisfied after its study and he wants to read more and more time. New sides emerges and the reader is bound to think that a poetess whose mother tongue is Bangla, who does not know how to read and write Urdu and who feels difficulties in speaking Urdu, she writes such poems, gives lessons on spiritualism, reveals the secret of reality of love, if she is not the living eighth wonder then what is she? Allama Iqbal says “Sahyeri juzw-e-paghambarist”. Messages are also there in the poetry of Mumtaz Renu. In her poetry one will find resolutions of issues, lessons for love and peace. For example:
Ranj-e-wasl hai asrar.manzar khamoshi meN zindagi hai gham sahna
Zakhm zakhm paimana, gardishoN ki ashkoN maikashi hai, gham sahna
Zindagi hai yeh rangoN ka arz-e-shama hai ehsas piyar ko samajh lena
Ashiqana rahoN meN chandni bhi mahram hai ashiqi hai gham sahna
MaiN huN hastiy-e- mahfil, aap ke kheyaloN k silsily agar tootey
Raqs-e-lahr meN Renu dil ka ayina zakhmi dilkashi hai gham sahna
Zakhmi zakhmi si yadeN haiN teri ek khyaloN meN milney ka armaN
Hai sarab-e-nazar mah-e-kamil merey daman meN kiyoN barsey tarey
Raz-e-tanhai per sayya-e-chandni saans gulzar teri muattar
Raaz-e-ruswayi rah-e-rasayi raaz-e- Mumtaz aksar sitarey
Kitna mushkil hai ankheN milana teri ankhoN se Mumtaz Renu
Teri ankhoN meN haiN unkey jalwey her nazar ki nazar haiN sitarey
–
Haway-e- zindagi kafir, kahiN Khushbu, kahiN aahoN ka naghma,
Yahi pahchan meri,
LaboN per maut phir bhi muskarahat, jaley aankhoN ka jalwa,
Yahi pahchan meri,
Jub bhi miley Renu teri hi dastaan duhrai zamana
Rah-e wasl Khamoosh Jalwa magar hai dard ka rishta
Yahi pahchan meri,
–
Lahar piyar ki, muntazir apni manzil,
KahaN jayeN hum chorh kar apni manzil
Mohabbat ki hasrat meN arman na nikley
Hai sham-e Khamooshi, Sahar apni manzil
Zamin, asmaN, kahkashaN, chand, tarey
Nahi muntashir, muntashir apni manzil
Who Mumtaz, mumtaz hotey nahi haiN
Samajhtey haiN jo apna ghar apni manzil
How good message Allama Iqbal has given. He says:
Nahi tera nashiman qasr-e sultani k gunbad par
Tu shaheeN hai basera kar paharhoN ki chtanoN par
Mumtaz Renu’s this eloquent message is for those who consider their home as their destination. If you want to become celebrity in the world then come out from the four walls of the house and breathe fresh year.
In of her poem she says:
Jin baton se tootey dil phir jhoomey jaisey lahrta badal
Kis ka khayal aakar tarhpayey aankhoN se hai barista badal
KahiN na badal hai na saya aankhoN meN barsat hai phir bhi
Meri rasm-e-judai Renu dil k badl-e dharhkta badal
And think about this verse of the poem:
Aag hi aag hai apni ghata meN kaisey abr-e-armaN barseN
LahreN jub toofan uthayeN garjey sahra tapta badal
Roaring of desert and warming of cloud only Renu can compose.
Kabir Das has said in one of his Doha (poem) that:
Kabir Das ki ulti bani
Barsey Kambal Bhigey Pani
Now read the following lines of the ghazal written by Mumtaz Renu:
Yeh tabassum hai jam zum zum ka ya k naghma hai naghma-e- shiriN
Pi liya hai nishat meN tum ney mil gay-e lub sey jub lub-e kawser
Hai kisi arz ka lahu zum zum muntashir ashk abshar ki lahr
Chandni raat ka yahi asraar, subh-e-rawshan bahar ka manzar
The concluding lines of the ghazal are:
Yeh tamanna-e hijr bhi Mumtaz aik miraj hai mohabbat ki
Meri palkoN k ek ishar-e par saath terey chaley haiN shamso qamar.
Reza Ali Wahshat who is known as Ghalib of his time and whose verses are on the tongue of the people says:
Khayal tak na kiya ahl-e-anjuman ney kabhi
Tamam raat jail shamma anjuman k liyey
But Mumtaz Renu is not like other common people. She says:
Fasana-e-bazm-e-dil meN Mumtaz chiragh-e- mahfil hai tera rukhsaar
Kiya bicharhney k baad maiN ney bhi intezar aiy bahar-e- mausam
The following ghazal is one from my selection. Read and enjoy:
Ashk-e-shabnam peh hansti haiN purwaiyaN, shouq se kijye bazm araiyaN
Un ki utthi nazar, her nazara jala, raqs karti haiN gulshan meN purwaiyaN
Kitney razoN meN poshidah hasti rahi, yad-e-manzar magar phir bhi sajti rahi
Raah-e-gham wasl-e-gardish huwey humsafar, phir bhi haiN bazm dar bazm raanaiyaN
Zakhm nasoor fasl-e-bahar-e-chaman, ashk shabnam se jhulsey haiN kalyoN k tan
Nazr-e-gul se tapakta hai jisdum lahu, sehn-e-gulshan meN roti haiN tanhaiyaN
Lajawab husn-e-rukhsaar saaz-e-ghazal, ashk Mumtaz bhi mauj-e- husn-e- aazal
Jub bhi taroN ney Mumtaz awaz di, toot kar rah gayeeN dil meN angrhaiyaN
Lord of speech, Meer says:
Patta patta, boota boota haal hamara janey hai
Janey na janey gul hi na janey Bagh to sara janey hai
When I read this poetry of Meer, I recalled the poem of Mumtaz Renu. The poem is as follow:
Ek zamaney hi se jal rahey
Teri aankhoN k sheeshey agar
MaiN bhi bun bun k tara magar
Jal rahi aik tanweer si
Piyasi rishtey ki hai
Chandni, chandni
Kis zamaney k anjaney arman they
Ek zamaney se lekin bicharh hi gayey
Zindagi aik andesha hai,
Aur andesha hi zindagi
Meri purchaiyeeN Mumtaz Renu magar
Khud hi saya tera
Janey kiyun phir talash-e- nigah se teri
Gul bicharhtey rahey
Asadullah Khan Ghalib alias Mirza Nawsha admires the power of arm of his beloved in this way:
Nazar lagey na kahin us k dast-o-bazoo ko
Yeh log kiyuN merey zakhm-e-jigar ko dekhtey haiN
But Mumtaz Renu has said in a different way.
Tujhey bhi andaz-e-mahram-e-raaz haiN ghair k zakhm kitney gahrey
Yeh tera ehsan Renu beshak haiN ishq meN beqrar kitney
In one place she says:
Andaz-e-ruswayee nahi ulfat ki gahrayee k zakhm
And Mirza Ghalib says:
Qaid-e-hayat o band-e-gham asl meN donoN aik haiN
Maut se pahley aadmi, gham se nijat paye kiyuN
And Mumtaz Renu says:
Main gajra-e-shabnam be mausam, hijraN k sabhi gham apney gham
Aiy mahram-e-raaz-e-tanhayee, tu aur kahiN main aur kahiN
Mirza Ghalib writes:
RagoN meN daurney phirney k hum nahi qayel
Jub aankh hi se na tapka to phir lahu kiya hai?
Being not aware of the movement of blood, Mumtaz writes:
Wasl ki saugat to aankhoN ki haiN ranaiyaaN
Kub lahu ki lahr ko aaye qarar kiya khabar
In one place Ghalib has written:
Dair nahi haram nahi dar nahi aastaN nahi
Baithey haiN rahguzar pe hum koyee hameN uthaiy kiyuN
But Mumtaz Renu says:
Naaz ki zanjeer meN Renu bahal kar rah gaye
Kaun ab rokega kis ki rahguzaar kiya khabar
Sahir Ludhyanwi in one of his poem compared blood with oppression and said:
Khoon phir khoon hai bahta hai to jum jata hai
Zulm phir zul hai barhta hai to mit jata hai
Mumtaz Renu in her own style says:
Barish-e-sung meN Mumtaz tabassum lub per
Zulm ki khaak Urhi aankh se jub chalka ghum
A beautiful ghazal of Mirza Ghalib is:
Yeh na thi hamari qismat k wisal-e-yaar hota
Agar aur jitey rahtey yahi intezaar hota
Mumtaz says:
Dil kab se muntazir hai yeh raat dhal na jaye
Ab yaad-e-wasl terey hi ghum se jal na jaye
It will be not enough whatever you write about the depth of her personality. One thing I want to mention that her most poems begin with four or five single lines of poetry. She calls these lines as the title of the poem and names them “Rubayee”. The Rubayee is composed in a fixed meter. The beauty of these lines is this that they bring forward the sum and substance of the whole poem. In other words it is the essence of the poem.
Dear readers!
I want to say something about the last poem of Mumtaz Renu- “Najoom-e-Bari”
After reading the background the poem becomes understandable. But she in many places of this poem seeks help from Allah in the Jihad (fight) against the Batil (wrong) and advised people to walk on right path. She also asks Satan to throw out evils and pray to Allah for his mercy. On the other hand, she also prays to Allah for His mercy on Satan. She has a soft corner in her heart for the damned Satan and prays to Allah to forgive him. Her heart is filled up with the feeling of kindness. She does not want to see anyone in distress. She is very kind hearted and treat people very kindly. “Najoom-e-Bari” is the last poem of “My face-Your mirror” which is in fact a reflection of her heart.