That yearning moment..(ik lamha tha iztiraab ka..)
Shalimar II Ik lamha tha iztaraab ka aur woh ik parat khawab ka hum mushtaq, be-qarar, bey simt ubharatay jugnu-on ki ghultee raat kay…
An Autumnal ghazal (haath mein hijr ki kitaab…)
Rastay manzilen sarab aur dil kitne be-rooh murda khoab aur dil lams ke haath kitne yakh – basta sard- muhri ke kitne baab aur…
The Lost Jewel – Rediscovering Hazrat Ali’s Letter
This is a fascinating story. Pakistan’s premier female poet Fahmida Riaz, read a letter by the fourth Caliph, Hazrat Ali while browsing through a…
Remembering the lost voice – Majeed Amjad
I was thrilled to read about Majeed Amjad‘s amazing poetry on my friend Fawad’s blog. In his post titled Majeed Amjad – The Poet…
“A Strange Problem” by Kunwar Narain
A strange problem By Kunwar Narain I have a strange problem these days The power to hate with all my heart Is ebbing by…
Silhouettes of Intimacy (Waqt ke khandar se jo..)
Shalimar Gardens Waqt Ke Khandar Se Jo Qurb Ke Jharoke Se Lamhe Chand Churae Thay Garm Ret Ki Manind Haath Se Phisalte Hain Aankh…
The Great War for Civilisation
Robert Fisk is the boldest and the most brilliant frontline reporter/journalist of his generation (I have avoided the term ‘war correspondent’ as he dislikes…
Ustad Bismillah Khan is no more
With the passing away of shehnai maestero Ustad Bismillah Khan, the subcontinent is a lesser place – a legend of our times has left…
Urs of Bulleh Shah in Kasur
The annual Urs of Bulleh Shah, the Punjabi mystic poet, commenced yesterday in Kasur yesterday. Bulleh’s poetry reflected his rejection of orthodox hold of…
God – the tangled narrative
A Punjabi quartet by the Sikh poet Mohan Singh Rabb ik gunjhaldar ibbarat, rabb ik gorakhdhandha, Pech aes de kholde, kholde kaafir ho jaye…
Urs of Bulleh Shah
The annual Urs of Bulleh Shah, the Punjabi mystic poet, concluded yesterday in Kasur yesterday. Bulleh’s poetry reflected his rejection of orthodox hold of…
Adieu Naguib Mahfouz
Naguib Mahfouz is no more. He passed away on August 30, 2006 at the age of 94. Mahfouz, was the first Arab writer to…
A ghazal from Jahanuma
Jahanuma sent me this ghazal and I like its mood…. I will try and translate it later.. Naqshe khushboo ko fana kaise karen ab…
Qasmi, literary feuds and national neglect
While responding to the comments on my ATP post on Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi , I rambled a little on the literary feuds among the…
By: amit k bhartari
Dear Raza, From India If all pakistanis are broad minded and inclusive like you. We never want to fight you ,never.…
By: GS
Raza, Amit K Bharati’comment makes me happy as it shows that we can avoid misunderstandings by communicating and interatcing with our neighbours. Let there…
By: Shaista Hussain
What a beautiful collection of poetry and prose! And no Raza, its not cluttered at all…!! Full of energy, lots of ideas all packed…
By: iFaqeer
Just discovered this site. Wonderful space!! What you say about Pakistan defining oneself resonates with me. Of course, it is interesting-though inevitable, really-that those…
By: trystwithgodot
not sure i agree that by “acknowldging our past…confronting our present we can gain liberty”. our past is sordid (for the most part) and…
By: Suzi