Popularising poetry

                     Poems and Poets

                      9. Popularising Poetry

A friend has questioned me why I cite  Hindi verses from the celluloid poets while dealing with the great ones. Before I deal with this, it will be worthwhile considering how poetry , and literature in general spreads at all.

We read that poetry was published in the literary magazines  and came to public attention through reviews and criticism, before they were published in book form. In India, we have not had such dedicated literary magazines with popular appeal. In any case, I have not read English poems by Indians ( except Tagore and Sri Aurobindo).) Nor for that matter, English novels by Indian writers ( except R.K.Narayan.) This is not prejudice but my personal preference. I don't feel comfortable with Indians writing serious literature in English. I don't think they have a genuine feel for the language- may be they can write technical stuff, or bureaucratic notes, but not literature. The only English writing by Indians that I like are Sri Aurobindo and Dr.S.Radhakrishnan. I may be wrong, but this is what I feel. No offence is meant, but my personal preference.

 Aldous Huxley once wrote:

We who are speakers of English and not English scholars, who were born into the language and from childhood have been pickled in its literature- can only say,with all due respect....that Poe is not one of our major poets.

  If this is the position of Poe, what about others? This applies to any language, not just English. Somehow, Indian literary writing in English, especially poetry, is not my cup of coffee.

And this applies to translations too. There is such a great wealth of literature, especially poetry ( prose being a late entrant) in Indian languages that most of it just cannot be translated. Translations are no doubt made, by 'academic scholars' but in my opinion, they are not readable. Because of the academic system and its connections and entrapments, these books are read in closed circles,.But those who read the original and the translations know the difference. The same will apply to Shakespeare or Milton or any of the great English poets.

In India, we are exposed to English poetry in the school. Till the sixties, we had the concept of 'liberal education' which included a generous dose of English literature-both poetry, prose and invariably, Shakespeare. But this has since been replaced by 'professional' education and technical courses where  English literature is not considered necessary or useful. The irony is, at the same time, English  has become the medium of instruction in all but the govt run schools.What little literature they are exposed to contains a big chunk of Indian writing. And our education mostly stops with schooling or college. ( education being confused with schooling or literacy) So most people do not read serious literature after leaving school or college.

Even when poetry is taught in the school, it depends a lot on the teacher. Not all of them are competent, or have genuine love of poetry. I was taught 'Iphigenia and Agamemnon' of Walter Savage Landor  in college by an English priest Rev.Father J. McGuire SDB. He was an Oxonian. It was an experience to listen to him. He would in fact act out the roles, drawing the figures on the blackboard. The story itself is so moving, the teaching was so full of feeling, there was not an eye which was dry at the end of the class. I have listened to our own professors, all lovers of Shakespeare and Milton, who could recite hundreds of lines just like that, ( especially with a drop too much in them) but I could not get that old experience. Unfortunately, Fr.McGuire left for England just after a year. It is teachers like him who sow the seeds of love of poetry, without resorting to 'learned' lectures.

Our leading newspapers do not devote much space for literature. Most regional languages are better, but what they publish could only be considered 'pulp'. In the 60s there was a monthly magazine 'Imprint'  ( edited by Arthur Hale and Gloria Edwards Hale) which was wholly dedicated to literature, serialising or condensing new works of fiction and other writing. They had a special section for poetry. I had read Nevil Shute ( Trustee From The Tool Room) Harper Lee ( To Kill a Mocking Bird) J.B Priestley (Saturn Over The Water), Alistair Maclean ( Ice Station Zebra), Helen Mcinnes ( Double Image),  Alan Moorehead (The Blue Nile),  Hammond Innes (The Strode Venturer)  and many other writers and books. I think even Nissim Ezekiel's poems were published there.Alas, it changed hands and with it, its character.

So, how does poetry or literature in general spread at all? People do not discuss literature the way they discuss politics, movies, weather. Nor will any poet be as popular as the cine stars. I wonder if any of them will even win a local election.

Most serious original literature in India in almost all subjects is in Sanskrit. But in the last 800 years or so, most popular literature, including the religious, has risen only in the regional languages.The saint-poets who appeared in the different regions recreated the original Sanskrit religious literature in the regional languages, not just translated them. Thus the original ideas were kept alive. Most of them were itinerant devotees and their works spread by word of mouth. We learn how Ram Charit Manas of Tulsidas (16th-17th Century) was read in public squares and people used to write it down as it was being read. Literacy was not necessary to appreciate poetry or philosophy.

Before the introduction of English education, our system relied mainly upon oral learning, direct from the teacher. And it was exclusively in poetry,whatever the subject. So, our people had a natural ear for poetry.This was not just oral reading, but chanting to particular tunes. So some music was also involved. Even today, this is how elderly people 'recite' a scripture like Ramayana or the Gita or even other secular poetry. We recite the sloka, not just read the lines.

With English education has come book-learning, and dependence on the school system, govt fixed curriculum, syllabus, text-books, etc. So, most people who have to go through this education to qualify for a certificate as a ticket to employment have no choice.

In the last century, with the rise of the movie as a cultural medium we witnessed a new phenomenon. The first movies were mythological,heavily musical, later turning  to social themes.Those who came to write the dialogues and lyrics were learned, and the musicians were classically trained.So, quality music and lyrics literally rained on the people. Some old Tamil movies used to contain dozens of songs, one even boasting of 64, all set to classical tunes. Hindi movies gained an all-India audience over the years and set the standard in many areas. Lyrics for the Hindi films were heavily based on Urdu, as the music was mainly classical. This position ( the primacy of lyrics and music) continued till about 1960, when the commercial culture took over and bulldozed all delicacy of feeling and sense away. Sri Aurobindo wrote in 1917: 

At present, however, it is the Vaishya who still predominates, and his stamp on the world is commercialism, the predominance of the economic man, the universality of the commercial value or the utilitarian or the materially efficient and productive value for everything in human life. Even in the outlook on knowledge, thought, science, art, poetry and religion the economic conception of life overrides all  others.

 Goldsmith wrote of poetry having become "my shame in crowds" even in 1770! 

Any one with a ear for poetry will realise what a beautifully poetic language Urdu is. Most of the lyricists of the early period were real poets. Though they had to write lyrics to suit a story situation, much of what they wrote will stand alone as sheer poetry, which can be enjoyed without reference to the movie context- just as we can enjoy the  English songs "Que sera sera" or " What will this day be like, I wonder- I have confidence in confidence alone)" as pure poetry, out of  the movie context. Only, there are hundreds of such songs in Hindi movies. So when I quote a celluloid poet, I quote real poetry. Let us see some samples.

Sankaracharya wrote a beautiful Sanskrit hymn "Bhajagovindam" . Ostensibly, it is in praise of Lord Govinda, another name for Krishna, but in fact, it has deep philosophical import. One day during his wanderings, he came across an old Pandit, trying to master some intricate rules of grammar. He took pity on him and said: "you are already very near kicking the bucket; will this grammar rule save you? Take the name of the Lord" Take the name of the Lord- this is the refrain. There are many stanzas in this beautiful hymn, but I will quote three here for the purpose in mind.

Bhajagovindam bhajagovindam 

Bhajagovindam moodhamate

Sampraptesannihite kaale

Nahinahi rakshati dukrunjkarane

         ( meaning:  O you fool! Praise the Lord repeatedly!

           When death approaches you to take you away, will this rule 
           of grammar save you?)

           

Baalastaaavat kreeda sakthaha

Tarunastaavat tarunee sakthaha

Vrudddhastaavat chinta sakthaha

Pare brahmani koapina sakthaha

           ( meaning: Childhood is whiled away in play. Youth is spent in pursing the other sex. Old age is spent in worries. Alas, there is no time to think of God!)

              

        

Dinayaminyau saayam praataha

Shishira vasantau punaraayataha

Kaalakreedathi gachchat aayuhu

Tadapi na munchat aashavaayuhu.

               ( meaning: Day and night come and go repeatedly. pre-monsoon time and Spring come and go repeatedly. Time plays with us and the appointed life-time is getting reduced steadily. Even then one's desires are not given up )

Now let us see how the celluloid poets have rendered this in simple Hindi, in  popular movie songs.

1. Sajanare jhoot mat bolo- Lyrics by Shailendra ( 1966)

Ladakpan khel mein khoya,

Jawaani neend bhar choya

Budhapa dekh kar roya

Sajanare jhoot mat bolo

Khuda ke paas jaana hai

Na haathi hai na ghoda hai

Vahan paidal hi jana hai

tumhare mahal chaubaare

yahi rehjaayenge saare

akad kis baat ki pyare

sirto phir jukhaane re

Sajanre jhoot mat bolo......

Meaning: Childhood is spent in playing, youth is spent in (a kind of) long sleep; with age comes worries.

Your palaces and all- everything will remain here. What is there for you to get proud about? In the end you have to bow your head.

Don't tell lies. You will have to face God in the end  ( go to Him when you die). You will have to go walking- neither your elephant  nor horse will take you there. (your  wealth or position will not count) So what are you proud about?

2. Raat gayi-    Shailendra (1953)

Raat gayi phir din aata hai

Isitarah aate jaate hi

 Ye saara jivan  jaata hai....

Khela bachpan, hasin jawani

magar budhaapa tadpata hai

Meaning: Night has gone, again day has come.

Coming and going like this, the entire life time goes away.

Childhood is spent in playing, youth is spent in ( meaningless) laughter. But old age comes with its troubles.

3 Zindagi ke safar mein- lyrics by Anand Bakshi. 1974

Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaaten hain jo makam

Vo phir nahi aaten , vo phir nahi aaten.......

Subah aatihai, shaam jaati hai, yuhin

Waqt chaltahi rehtaa hain, rukhta nahin

Ek pal mein ye aage nikal jaate hai

Aadmi theek se dekh paathe nahin

Aur parde pe manzarbadal jaate hain

Ek baar chale jaatein  hain jo din-raat,

                                Subah o shaam

Vo phir nahin aatein , vo phir nahin aatein.

Meaning: The places you pass by ( the aims you miss ) in this life

will not come back, will not come back.

Morning comes, evening goes away. In this manner , time is constantly passing, does not stop. Time moves away in an instant. Man is not able to understand this properly. His view keeps changing. The day and night, morning and evening- once they have passed they will not come back, they will not come back.

Now we can clearly see how the ideas expressed by the great 8th century philosopher in majestic Classical Sanskrit have been rendered in simple Hindi ( Urdu mix). I have reproduced only part of the lyrics- the whole are worth reading. These lyricists are really taken up with this idea. Shailendra used it in two movies made 13 years apart- one was his own! Which shows the idea really captured his mind. In the process, these ideas have reached crores of our people in all corners of the country. I really doubt  that as many people in this country would have read the Sanskrit original in all these centuries! This is an example of how classical/ philosophical ideas have been spread by popular poetry. We need not take it as a demerit that the lyrics were used in movies- movies are the main popular cultural medium today; like anything modern, it can be used constructively or other wise. The lyrics here are excellent, as any knowledgeable person can testify. My own mother tongue is not Hindi, but I have learned to appreciate these, and such other lyrics. They are so good--that is why I quote them where relevant. After all, how many people read  or knew about" the woods are lovely....I have miles to go before I sleep"  before these lines were made popular by association with a politician - John Kennedy? Especially outside the States?

These lyricists  also introduced us to some other classical poets and their ideas by using their poems partly in their own works. I will give just two instances.

1.Saint Kabir's words: used by Shailendra in his song "Zindagi Kwab hai".1956.

Rangi ko naarangi kahe
Bane dudh ko koya;
Chalti ko gaaadi kahe
Dekh Kabira roya.

Meaning: Kabir is punning here. Rangi means colourful. Na-rangi means colourless. But in Hindi orange fruit is called 'Narangi'. So here, this line means: People call what is colourful as colourless.
Dudh is milk, koya is a kind of sweet made by boiling and condensing milk. But koya also means 'lost'. So, the line means: what is (made of) milk is called 'lost'. Chalti is what moves.Gaadi is vehicle. But in Hindi, it also means 'stationary'. So, the line says: What remains unmoving is called a vehicle. Seeing all this ( ie how topsy-turvy the world is) Kabir feels like crying! The words used here are  in the dialect, not standardised, modern Hindi.
In Shailendra's lyrics, this verse is used as introduction to his own composition.


2. Mirza Ghalib's words: Used by Shailendra in his song: 'Mujh ko yaaro maaf karna' 1959

Zaahid sharab peene de
Masjid mein baithkar
Ya woh jagah batade
Jahan par khuda na ho

Meaning: O Advisor ( learned man), let me sit and drink in this masjid; Else, show me a place where God is not present!
God is everywhere, not just in the mosque; if it is wrong to drink in the mosque, it is wrong to drink anywhere on earth!

Thus we see that these lyricists were men of consummate taste and great poetic ability. It was just that they got scope for their talent in the movie media, not in the print media.

Incidentally, this idea of God being present anywhere is supplemented by the idea of God being present always. When a Mussalman boasted before Eknath, the 16th century Saint from Maharashtra, that he set apart five times a day for his namaz, Eknath retorted:

 Kya,Paanch vaqt namazon ka,
Toh  baaqi waqt choron ka?

Meaning; What, you spend five periods praying; then  what do you do rest of the time? Steal?

This is good enough sentiment to stop with for now. Next we will see how some prayers have been composed, which do not compromise our traditional philosophical ideas.

In the meantime, here is something from Alexander Pope on how time passes!

Years foll'wing years steal something ev'ry day;
At last they steal us from ourselves away.
In one our frolics, one amusements end,
In one a mistress drops, in one a friend.
This subtle thief of life, this paltry time,
What will it leave me, if it snatch my rhyme?
If ev'ry wheel of that unwearied mill
That turned ten thousand verses, now stands still?


From: Horace, Epistle,II ii, lines 72-79