Firaq Gorakhpuri

Allahabad is hosting ArdhKumb at Sangam, near Prayag. There was a time when the city hosted a sangam of the some finest poets of their era - who, by stroke of destiny, had descended upon the city to make their living.

These were Sumitra Nandan Pant(orginally from Almora), Surya Kant Tripathi 'Nirala'(from Unnao), Mahadevi Verma(from Farrukhabad), Harivansha Rai 'Bachchan'(from Allahabad itself), and perhaps the most talented and eccentric amongst these - Firaq Gorakhpuri (originally Raghupat Sahai from Gorakhpur).

I don't know why greatness usually comes with eccentricies, perhaps only Nirala might have match with Firaq here, but that's probably because he had become schizophrenic. The popular as he may be, he was a Muhphatt as well. He had no small opinion about his looks, knowledge and poetry.

Like Bachhan senior, he too was an English professor at Allahabad University, and had once remarked - "In this country, only two and half people know English - Me, S Radhakrishnan, and the half one is Nehru." Later he took back the half Nehru from the list. Though I also remember one more comment about S Radhakrishnan, don't know by whom, that - "What Radhakrishnan speaks is English."

Another notorious comment attributed to him was unleashed when Amitabh Bachhan was born. Harivansh Rai Bachhan was a protege of fellow professor Amarnath Jha, and former's wife Teji was very close to Mr. Jha. On Amitabh's birth, at full public view and hearing, Firaq said, tongue in cheek, to Bachchan - " I am not sure whom to congratulate - you or Mr. Jha."

Some call it dry wit.

Ok enough about his oddities and eccentricies, here is a famous Gazhal by Firaq.

ये तो नहीं कि ग़म नहीं
हाँ मेरी आँख नम नहीं।

तुम भी तो तुम नहीं हो आज
हम भी तो आज हम नहीं।

अब ना खुशी की है खुशी
ग़म का भी तो अब ग़म नहीं।

मौत अगर चे मौत है
मौत से ज़ीस्त कम नहीं।

ज़ीस्त is Life.