By Aymen Zaheer

RIYADH — Pakistan Writers Cub (PWC) and members of its Ladies Chapter (PWC-LC), an association of the Pakistani expatriate writers, poets and journalists, hosted one such sitting to remember Poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz on his 108th birth anniversary. The get-together, where every member was noticeably pleased by Faiz’s endeavors, was marked with verve.

PWC President Prof. Fayyaz Malik chaired the literary sitting and Yousaf Ali Yousaf — GS moderated the evening. The proceedings of the gathering got under way with the recitation of verse from the Holy Quran by Zubair Bhatti.

Starting with the Ladies Chapter; Deputy Convener Shumaila Malik read out some beautiful recitation of Faiz’s epic poetry lines “Aaj bazar mein pabajolan chalo / Chashm-e-nam, jaan-e-shoreeda kafi nahin / Tohmat-e-ishq-posheeda kafi nahin.” She drew the audience’s attention towards the dark period of his life and mentioned that even in the hardest days he found glittering hope.

Qundeel Aymen expressed that Faiz is one of the most read poets in Urdu language. His poetry took a revolutionary turn and left a great legacy for Urdu literature. “His work will be unforgettable for generations,” Qundeel added.”

Tahira Kashif said that his poetry is a great blend of romance and lively interpretation of the present world, while Dr. Naghma Rehan remarked that Faiz’s revolutionary couplets became immortal. “His poems are great work of art,” Naghma added.

Madiha Noman highlighted that Faiz was a very visionary poet. He has not only beautifully written his pieces, but has made them interesting and full of emotions for the readers. Shaheen Javed mentioned, Faiz is a Marxist poet, and his poetry is the message of peace and compassion.

Ambreen Faiz said that poets like Faiz are born in centuries. He was a revolutionary and a romanticist at the same time. “His ghazals are a delight to read and the ghazals turned into melodies are evergreen,” Ambreen added.

Adviser to Convener Madiha Malik said that Faiz in 1963 became the first Asian poet to be awarded the Lenin Peace Prize, the Soviet Union’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. He was also the recipient of other awards, including the Nigar Awards, HRC Peace Prize, Nishan-e-Imtiaz and Avicenna Prize.

Convener of Ladies Chapter Dr. Farah Nadia acclaimed that Faiz was a recognized poet at 18, one of the founders of the Progressive Writers Association at 24, a colonel in his thirties, editor of a national daily at 37 and a Lenin Prize winner at 50. Even 34 years after his death he lives on.

Aymen Zaheer mentioned that Faiz was a legendary romanticist poet and author. He is a very emerging and progressive poet of Asia who gave a new life to literature. “His work remains a landmark in Urdu literature,” Aymen added.

Zubair Bhatti paid rich tributes to Faiz and described his feelings in his own poem, a satire, on this eve that was applauded by the audience, while Shahjehan Sherazi expressed that Faiz is a great source of inspiration for everyone and appreciated his work a lot.

Naveed Ur Rehman also spoke on Faiz. He mentioned that Faiz remains a towering figure in Urdu poetry and Pakistan’s cultural and political history. He noted: “Poetry and politics preoccupied Faiz more than anything else.”

Ashiq Hussein highlighted that Faiz was a ground-breaking poet and his poetry is a companion of our loneliness.

Abdul Rauf Mughal said that Faiz was one of the greatest Urdu poets in the last century. His poem Subh-e-Azadi “the Dawn of Independence” was one of the driving force in the battle of partition of Subcontinent in 1947.

Patron-in-Chief Faiz Al-Najdi said, “Faiz was a legendary poet. Like any other good person, he was loved and hated at the same time. Those who did not like or understand his poetic works hated him. On the contrary, he was liked, loved and admired by those who understood the underlying message of his works.”

Yousuf Ali Yousuf described Faiz as a great poet and an equally great personality, and stated that he too loved and liked the poetry of Faiz. He in fact quoted from few famous poetry lines to highlight Faiz’s greatness.

PWC President Fayyaz Malik wrapped up the evening by highlighting that the poetic work of Faiz is a significant example of a global stance built upon the local context of contemporary nature. “He skilfully turned his personal sufferings into a macrocosm of human existence,” Malik added.

The sitting ended with a sumptuous dinner followed by the mesmerizing melodies from an invited budding singer Ahsan Naveed Mirza. He sang some classical and popular numbers and won the hearts of the audience.