Saturday, July 25, 2009

Shikwa

Yes I'm back
Its been a while
though I did make a few recordings I was not able to upload them or didnt feel like it
the bloggers eqivalent of writers bolck
is there a word for it?

and to start a new phase in the life of this blog i am presenting a poem which is a landmark in the history of Urdu poetry and a pleasure to read out loud

I am talking about Shikwa- the Complaint by Allama Iqbal
In this poem Iqbal complains to God for the troubles of the Muslim nation
In terms of language and expression its a masterpiece
The translation is by Khuswant Singh and is in itself excellent

The only thing I want to say is its so hard to recite properly
he covers so many aspects of the emotional landscape in so few words yet so expansively- its a challenge to make your voice follow the poem
on the other hand the flow of the poem is such and the tone so matching to the thoughts expressed, its a pleasure and give a sense of fullfillment

Please follow this link to listen to it

http://www.archive.org/details.php?identifier=ZAhmedShikwa_TheComplaint_byIqbal