Shaak Farishtah (Guardian Angel)

Sridhar N.

A friend of mine, Capt. P.V. Vikram died in Kaksar sector on June 2, 1999 while at a forward observation post. He was an officer in the 141st Field Regiment. He was directing fire when a shell exploded near his position and killed him. In his memory I have penned a ghazal. Though I feel the loss of my friend Vikram quite acutely, I realize I am not alone in my grief. So I would also like to dedicate my ghazal to all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country in Kargil. I know my words cannot fully grasp the extent of their martyrdom, but I do wish to render to all of them my personal note of thanks.

As some of you may be unfamiliar with the concept of a ghazal, I briefly discuss the history of the ghazal in India. The ghazal actually began as the qasida, a form of poetry in Persia. Some people speak of its origins going much further than that, but basically the qasida was a rather long poem often written in the honor of a King. The ghazal is a shortened qasida, and it was more popular on account of its brevity and rich themes. With the spread of Persian culture into the Indian subcontinent the ghazal entered India. However Urdu replaced Farsi in ghazals and a rich Indian tradition of poetry was born. Even today in India, the ghazal is a popular art form. More details on the history and technical nuances of the ghazal may be found elsewhere on the internet[1] [2].

In addition to the ghazal itself, I am including a glossary of selected words and an English translation in verse form [3].

Shaak Farishtah

Aasmaan me udta aazaad, koi parinda shaaistah ho
Na duniya se naatah jaise, na gham-o-khushi se rishtah ho

Nibhaaya parbat ki choti pe, bahaaduri ka har paimaan
Shukr-e-vatan paane se pehle, bane kaash! guzishtah ho

Dekhe the khwaab mustaqbil ke, nayi zindagi ke armaan
Jodna tha rishtah ek se, ab saare jahaan se vaabastah ho

Chhod chale tanha tum lekin, shareek-e-ranj-o-raahat ho
Tum paasbaan-e-haq hamare, hamare shaak farishtah ho

Glossary

parinda = bird
shaaistah = gracious/charming/cultured/well-mannered
gham-o-khushi = sorrow and happiness
paimaan = promise / vow / pledge
shukr-e-vatan = the nation's thanks
guzishtah = past
khwaab = dreams
mustaqbil = future
armaan = hopes/desires
jahaan = world
vaabastah = related to / tied to
tanha = alone
shareek-e-ranj-o-raahat = participant in sorrow and happiness
paasbaan-e-haq = Protector of truth/faith/rights
shaak = soldier / guardian
farishtah = angel
 

English Translation

Guardian Angel

Flying free, far above
A gracious, charming bird are thou
Nothing in the world to hold you down
Not happiness, not a letdown

On the roof of the mountain of grit and ardour
Fulfilled all promises of bravery and valour
Wait you didn't for the thanks of a country
Alas! away you rode into the pages of history

Dreams you dreamt of a glorious future
Hopes of a new life, a new overture
Together, a promising, but unfulfilled endeavour
Instead, wedded to the whole world forever

You left us alone, to grieve and brood
Yet you partner us in times bad and good
Protector of truth, of faith unshakeable
A soldier, and a guardian angel

Included below are copies of the ghazal in Devanagri and Persian scripts

[1] http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Literature/Poetry/Forms/Ghazal/

[2] http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~navin/india/songs/ghalib/ghazal.def.html

[3] I would like to acknowledge the great help I received from BR Forum members Carl and Atish in refining the ghazal.