Kazi Nazrul Islam
Seeing myself I see the unseen creator
Kazi Nazrul Islam: Known as "The Bidrohi Kobi," "The rebel Poet" for his astonishing masterpiece "The Bidrohi." A furious manifesto of self-conscious against immorality. Sajid Kamal describes the poem as, "A universal proclamation, an affirmation, an inspiration, an invocation, of 'The Rebel' within the hearts of each 'I' of the common humanity which lay oppressed, subjugated, exploited, resigned and powerless." It is said that Nazrul would have been Nazrul even if he hadn't written anything else but "The Bidrohi.
The following is a part of the poem "The Bidrohi."
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I clasp the hood of the snake-king Sajed Kamal (translation) |
The national poet of Bangladesh, Kazi Nazrul Islam was born in Churulia, Burdhaman district, West Bengal in 1899 (1306 Bengali year.) He didn't grow up with the luxury of enjoying his boyhood, rather lost his father in his early life. For financial hardship, he worked as a teacher in a lower "Islamic school," at the age of 9. His education went up to 10th grade but continued learning Arabic and Persian languages. As a boy, he translated Persian ghazals and Arabic writings in Bengali. He also educated himself enough to enjoy the writings of Keats, Shelly and Whitman.
The British rule of India influenced Nazrul to take an active part through his writings in the Swadishi and Khilafat movement. He was imprisoned by the British government for one year of hard labor for his writing "Andamoyeer Agamaney," which appeared in Dhumketu.
Rabindranath Tagore called him "Dhumketu," "The Comet," Mahatma Ghadhi described his poem as, "The song of the spinning wheel" and "Nazrul is the ultimate spirit of the spinning wheel and freedom runs through his vein."
Nazrul wrote 50 books of poetry and songs, 6 books of stories and novels, 3 books of translations, 53 plays, verse-plays and operas, 2 movie scripts, 5 books of essays and 4000 songs and ghazals. (Source: Nazrul Institute, Bangladesh.)
Nazrul holds the world record of recorded songs, most of which, the music were composed by Nazrul himself. (Source: Nazrul Institute.)
The Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, not only refused to compromise with the unjust, but carried on so much of agony throughout his entire life. His first son Krishna Muhammad died in less than a year of his birth; his second son Bulbul also died in his childhood. Broken-hearted Nazrul wrote his first Bengali gazal...
He also wrote:
His wife Pramila became paralyzed from her waist down in 1938. Nazrul found himself more hopeless and depressed. Starting in 1942, he felt loss of speeches and finally became mentally dysfunctional and lost his speech completely in a short time.
The rebel poet Nazrul, in his poem "Bidrohi," once said....
I will stamp my footprints on the chest of God He also wrote....
Bury me by a mosque, so that I can hear "The Ajan" in every dawn
As his final wish, in 29th of August in1976, The national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam was laid to eternal rest by the mosque of Dhaka University.
Edited by Qwest - 18 years agoWho are you, my friend, searching for God in heaven and the underworld? Who are you—searching through the wilderness and mountain peaks? It's a pity—O Rishis and Dervishes, you go on searching for Him from country to country while holding the Jewel of the Heart in your own heart! The whole creation looks at you while your own eyes are shut. You search for the creator instead of searching for your self. O self-inflicted Blind—open your eyes, look at yourself in the mirror. You'll see—His shadow falls on your body. |
Kazi Nazrul Islam: The
unconquerable spirit
by Muhammad Zamir
Kazi Nazrul Islam : Letters of his hardship in life |
Letter II: Letter III: Source: Nazrul Rochonaboli, Vol. 4, 1996, pp. 371/382/388 |
Kazi Nazrul Islam: On Proverty |
Poverty Kazi Nazrul Islam Translation: Kabir Chowdhury] O poverty, thou hast made me great. Thou hast made me honoured like Christ With his crown of thorns. Thou hast given me Courage to reveal all. To thee I owe My insolent, naked eyes and sharp tongue. Thy curse has turned my violin to a sowrd. O proud saint, thy terrible fire Has rendered my heaven barren. It has prematurely dried beauty. My feelings and my life . Time and again I stretched my lean, cupped hands To accept the gift of the beautiful. But those hungry ones always came before me. And did snatch it away ruthlessly, Now my word of imagination is Dry as a vast desert. And my own beautiful! My yellow-stalked pensive desire Wants to blossom like the fragrant shafali. But thou cruel one Dost ruthlessly break the soft stalk As the woodcutter chopsthe branches Off the trees. My heart grows tender Like the autum morning It fills with love Like the dew-laden earth. But thou art the blazing sun And thy fiery heart dries up the tiny drop of the earth I grow listlessin the shadowy skirt of the earth And my dreams of beauty and goodness vanish! With a bitter tongue thou askest, "What's the use of nectar? It has no sting, no introxication, no madness it. The search for heaven's secred drink Is not for the in this sorrow-filled earth. Thou art the surpent, born in pai . Thou will sit in the bower of thorns And weave the garland of flowers. I put on thy forhead the sing Of suffering and woe." So I sing, I weave a garland, While my throat is on fire, And my serpent daughter bites me all over! O unforgiving Durbasha! thou wanderest From door to door with thy beggar's bowl. Thou goes to the peaceful abode of Some sleeping happy couple And sternly callest, "O fool, Knowest thou, that this earth is not anybody's Pleasure bower for luxury adn ease. Here is sorrow and separation And a hundred wants and disease. Under the arms of the beloved There are thorns in the bed, And now must thou prepare To savour these." The unhappy home Is shattered in a moment, And woeful laments rend The air. The light of joy is extinguished And endless nights descends. Thou walkest the road alone Lean, hungryand starved. Suddenly some sight makes thy eyebrows Arch in annoyance and thine eyes Blazeforth-firesof anger! And lo! famine, pestilence and tornado Visit the country, pleasuregarden burn, Palaces tumble, thy law Knows nothing but death and destruction. Nor for theethe license of courtesy. Thou seekest the unashaamed revelation of stark nakedness. Thou knowest no timid hesitation or polite embarrassment Thou dost raise high the lowly head. At thy signal the travellers on the road to death Put round their neck the fatal noose With cheerful smile on their faces! Nursing the fire of perennial want in their bosom They worship the god of death in fiendish glee ! Thou tramplest the crown of Lakshmi Under thy feet. What tune Dost thou want to wiring Out of her violine? At thy touch the music turns into criesof anguish! Waking up in the morning Iheard yesterday The plantive Sanai mourning those Who had not returned yet, At home The singer cried for them and wept bitter tears And floating with that music the soul of the beloved Wandered far to the distant spot Where the love anxiously waited. This morning I got up And heard the Sanai again Crying as mournfully as ever. And the pensive Shefalika, sad as a widow's smile, Falls in clusters, spreading A mild fragrance in the air. Today the butterfly dances in restless joy Numbing the flowers with its kisses. And the wings of the bee Carry the yellow of the petals, It's body covered with honey. Life seems to have sprung up suddenly On all sides. Asong of welcome Comes unconciously to my lips And unbidden tears spring to my eyes Some one seems to have entwined my soul With that of mother-earth. She comes forward And with her dust-adorned hands Offers me her presents. It seems to me that she is the youngest daughterof mine, My darling child! But suddenlyI wake up with a start. O cruel saint, being my child, Thou weepest in my home, hungry and stoned! O my child, my darling one I could not give thee even a drop of milk No right have I to rejoice. Poverty weeps within my doors forever As my spouse and my child. Who will play the flute? Where shall I get the happy smile Of the beautiful? Where the honeyed drink I have drunk deep the hemlock Of bitter tears! And still even today I hear the mournful tune of the Sanai. |
Kazi Nazrul Islam(1898-1976):Poet-icon of Bangladesh
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on the 25th May 1898 at Churulia in the district of Burdwan, West Bengal, India. This partiot, poet, composer writer, political figure or the myriad minded man edited a politico-cultural magazine "Dhumketu". The poet died at Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh as National poet on the 29th August 1976. Nazrul Institute, an institution works for research and propagating the poets life, works and ideals, is situated in Dhaka with several branches in divisional towns. Bangla Academy has published collected works of the poet to celebrate the poets birth centenary in the year(1999).
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The rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was crowned in 1972 as the national poet of Bangladesh. He was living a seclusive life with no care in a shabby, nasty and crowded cottage in Calcutta. West Bengal government did not even arrange a bed in any convalescent home for the poet who was suffering from irreversible brain-damage and living nearly a vegetative life. Under the auspicious of Bangladesh government of Sheik Mujibur Rahman, the poet was moved to Dhaka, capital of newly liberated Bangladesh situated 125 km west of Trishal a small township in Mymensingh district where Kazi Nazrul Islam spent several years during his boyhood. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman arranged round the clock nursing, physiotherapy since his arrival in Dhaka. The picture used in this page is from 1972 taken on his birthday. Firoza Begum, the famous Nazrulgeeti-singer in Bangladesh, who was acquainted with the poet during her youth, had the opportunity to sing infront of him on his birthday or popularly called Nazrul jayanti in 1972.The ailing poet being able neither to speak nor to hear became overwhelmed with joy which radiated from his face, this rare moment of the poet's life was camera freezed by my friend, an ametaur photographer and now a physician in Dhaka, Mamunar Rashid (Madan) , he even arranged my entrance at Nazrul' s residence at Dhanmondi at the outskirt of Dhaka at the same occasion. Bangladesh postal authority issued a set of 2 postal stamps on the occasion of the first death anniversary of the national poet of Bangladesh. Indian government issued a stamp on the centenary birth anniversary of this great man in 1999.
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Professor Rafiqul Islam speaks on
The revolutionary and secular Nazrul
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose birthday we celebrate on May 25, came to the literary spotlight in 1921 with his iconoclastic poem of the unstoppable rebel hero, 'Vidrohi'. Set in a heroic metre and invoking images from both Hindu and Muslim mythology, the poem epitomizes the rebellious side of the poet as well as the romantic, gentle aspect. Apart from poems, however, Kazi Nazrul Islam also wrote editorials, essays, short stories, novels and plays. Professor Rafiqul Islam, at present Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Liberal Arts and one of the foremost authorities on Kazi Nazrul Islam, speaks to Robab Rosan about our national poet
Professor Rafiqul Islam is one of the foremost authorities on Kazi Nazrul Islam in Bangladesh. His debut publication on Nazrul was Nazrul Nirdeshika, a bibliography of the poet, which, apart from publications, also lists Nazrul's recorded songs. Professor Islam's second book on Nazrul was his 1972 biography of the poet, perhaps the first comprehensive biography of Nazrul. This was followed by Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jiban O Kabita (1977), based on his doctoral thesis. The book includes a short biography of the poet as well as a brief discussion of some selected poems.
In 1990, an expanded edition of Professor Islam's Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jibon O Sahitya was published from Kolkata. In this book Professor Islam included a discussion of the poet's novels, stories, essays and plays besides poetry. A subsequent edition of this book, published under the title Kazi Nazrul Islam: Jibon O Srishti, also included discussions of Nazrul's music. Professor Islam's various articles on Nazrul, published in dailies, literary magazines, periodicals and journals, have been anthologized in Nazrul Prasanga, published by the Nazrul Institute.
Professor Islam is at present revising his biography of the poet to cover the last years of the poet's life.
Professor Islam regrets the lack of interest in Nazrul. He points out that much more work should have been done on Nazrul. 'While it is true that during the centennial celebrations in 1999, a number of books were published from Dhaka and Kolkata—many of them providing much new information on the poet—no remarkable work on the poet has been done subsequently.'
About some of his findings, Professor Islam says, 'It was generally accepted that. "Jodi ar banshi na baje" was Nazrul's last lecture, I have discovered that there were two other important essays written by the poet after this one. Nazrul wrote a long poem on the communal riot in Dhaka. I had got one page of the poem, but was later able to get the entire piece.'
'We do not have complete information about his music. We do not know how many songs Nazrul wrote nor do we know all the changes that were made in them, when they were recorded or printed. The poet himself often changed the lines of some of his poems, when he compiled them for books. Changes made by his disciples after his illness amounts to distortion.'
'I have been able to gather much information from both Dhaka and Kolkata for my revised biography of Nazrul. Unfortunately, I have not been able to collect all copies of the newspaper Nava Yug, with which Nazrul was associated. In 1941, Nazrul was the chief editor of the paper. Apart from poems he had also written editorials for the paper. However, we have the complete files of Dhumketu, Langal, and Ganovani.'
About the songs of Nazrul, Professor Islam said that it is not possible to identify all the lyrics of Nazrul, as many of them have been passed off as the work of others. 'However, we have got a lot of information on Nazrul's lyrics and their tunes. A Kolkata scholar, Brahmamohan Thakur, has worked on this subject very seriously and carefully. I should also add that a few songs were considered to be by Nazrul, but aren't. We have identified these lyrics and corrected the misinformation.'
'Many songs of Nazrul have been lost, particularly, the tunes. If we have collected about two and a half thousand lyrics, we have been able to collect at the most a little over fifteen hundred tunes. The tunes of Nazrul's songs collected from the recording companies are authentic as long as Nazrul was well during the recording. In Dhaka, the noted music director Sudhin Das has worked to make notations of Nazrul Sangeet listening to the original records.'
Professor Islam noted that during Nazrul's birth centenary, the Nazrul Institute had published many books, including poetry, novels, essays and notations, as well as a collection of Nazrul's poems in English translation. In Kolkata, the Bangla Academy published Nazrul's works and a biography. In Dhaka, we were unable to publish a complete biography of Nazrul.'
According to Professor Islam, the perspective of West Bengal scholars differs from ours. 'The frame of reference of the biography published from Kolkata is Rabindranath Tagore. Yet I appreciate their work. They have used much information taken from research done in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, in many places they have not acknowledged the researchers.'
'However, they published a biography during the centennial, which we could not. I was chairman of the Nazrul Institute at the time, but was very busy arranging the programmes. I was also associated with the celebration committees in India, particularly with the Bangla Academy and the Sahitya Academy in Kolkata, Vishwabharati in Santiniketan, the conference in Delhi, the North America Nazrul Festival in Florida and the Nazrul centenary celebrations in East London. During this time a Nazrul Centre was set up in East London. With all these commitments I did not have time to work on the biography.'
Professor Rafiqul Islam described Nazrul as the great revolutionary and secular poet of this region who fought with his writings against both colonialism and communalism. 'Nazrul is the greatest non-communal poet in the Bangla language. He wrote for all communities, for Muslims as well as Hindus. Unfortunately, people who profess to be non-communal tend to be silent about Nazrul. If we want to be vocal against communalism or fundamentalism, Nazrul is the most powerful inspiration.'
Professor Islam regretted that Nazrul was being politicised. 'Another tragedy is that we have declared Nazrul our national poet. We have thus made him a poet of the government, a poet of a political party, a poet of bureaucrats. Instead of poets and writers, bureaucrats preside over the functions on Nazrul only because of the positions they occupy not because of the regard they have for the poet. Nazrul always fought against the establishment but now he has been made a poet of the establishment, which is very unfortunate.'
'We had plans to build a mausoleum on the tomb of Nazrul, but we did not do this. In 1929, Nazrul was honoured with a national reception at which the top social and political leaders of both the Hindu and Muslim communities were present. Nazrul was declared the National Poet of the Bengalis. So, Nazrul is not only the National Poet of Bangladesh, he is the National Poet of all Bengalis. All Bengalis should therefore work on the poet. We should not wait for grants from the government.'
Professor Islam noted that as Bangla is limited to the Bengali community, the study of Nazrul is limited – as is the study of Tagore. However, Tagore has benefited by English translations. 'Similarly, good translations can play an important role in promoting Nazrul's literature. But we do not have good translators.' On an optimistic note, Professor Islam added, that some of Nazrul's poems have been translated into several Indian languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Oriya, Malayalam, and Assamese. Nazrul has also been translated into Japanese and Russian. Some of his works have also been translated into French and Spanish in Bangladesh.
Professor Islam praised the quality of Nazrul's prose writings. 'Though Nazrul's stories are few, they are powerful and socially relevant. His novels too are well worth studying. Nazrul's essays are powerful critiques of imperialism and communalism. Nazrul's views on politics, social stratification, and human relations are manifested in his essays.'
Professor Islam was critical of the neglect of Nazrul's original plays. 'To mark the anniversaries of Nazrul, the satellite television channels adapt Nazrul's stories into plays. However, they are not producing the original plays written by the poet such as Putuler Biye, Madhumala, Shilpi, Aleya and others. They should first produce the original plays, then the adaptations from stories and novels.' He regretted that while we possess almost all of Nazrul's, plays, a play that Nazrul wrote while jailed in Behrampur, is missing.
The British government kept a close watch on writers – as well as revolutionaries. 'Nazrul's police files were perhaps thicker than those on any other writer in undivided India. Shishir Kar, a researcher based in Kolkata collected the police reports related to Nazrul from the police archives and has written a book, under the title Nishiddha Nazrul. Unfortunately, another book of his, "The British Raj and The Rebel Poet of Bengal,'' was not published by the Nazrul Institute.'
Commenting on the present condition of Nazrul scholarship in Bangladesh, Professor Rafiqul Islam noted that our attitude is revealed by the way we have allowed the houses associated with Nazrul to fall into disuse. The house in Comilla where Nazrul used to live has been demolished. 'Apart from Darirampur, the other places have not been preserved. However, in West Bengal, the places associated with Kazi Nazrul Islam have been preserved. The jail cells where Nazrul stayed have been turned into museums.'
'It is a matter of great satisfaction that a number of young scholars have done important research on Nazrul and obtained M.Phil and Ph.D degrees,' Professor Islam concluded.
Some Poems
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When some one talks about Bangla literature, first of all two names come in front of us, Rabindranath and Nazrul. Kazi Nazrul Islam is popularly known as rebel poet (Vidrohi Kabi). He was an exceptional talented person in bangla literature. When still a school student in his teens Nazrul joined the newly recruited Bengali regiment (1916) and sent to Mesopotamia some months before the armistice. The resiment was not given a chance to face battle but all the same Nazrul got his fill of the fighting gusto which later-found expression in poetic effusion and warmth. His first two significant poems, Pralayollas (Exhilaration at the Final Dissolution) and Vidrohi (Rebellion)appared early in 1922 and his furst book of poem Agnibina (The lute of fire)was out before the year was over. The book was received with an enthusiasm never experienced in India before or since. After he joined the Kollol group and wrote mostly deft and pungent verse and songs galore. Nazrul Islam wrote a good numbers of valuable poems, songs, novels, dramas. He had a good command on classic indian song. He could sing, recite and act with considerable proficiency. Nazrul was an emotional soul, but his emotion was unstable and volatile. Those who came in personal contact with him were moved by his irresistible enthuasiasm and sincerity. But his literary output falls far short of his merit, except the early poems in Agnibina. After Agnibina his best known books of poems and songs are Dolonchampa(1923), Biser Bansi (The poisonous flute, 1924), Bhangar Gan (Songs of break-up, 1924), Puber Haoya (The east wind 1925) and Bulbul(1928). |
Rabindranath Tagore's dedication to Nazrul
and recognition of him as a "POET"
Studying Nazrul's life one finds that just like Nazrul revered Rabindranath as the "master-poet", Rabindranath also unreservedly reciprocated by recognizing and blessing Nazrul's poetic talent. Rabindranath sent a statement of blessing when "Dhumketu" started publishing, he was very anxious when Nazrul was on hunger strike, and he honored Nazrul by dedicating his drama "Boshonto" to him.
Upon request from Rabindranath, Pabitra Gangopadhdhay went to personally deliver a copy of Boshonto to Nazrul at Alipur central jail. In this context what Rabindranath conveyed to Pabitro G. reveals his high thought about Nazrul's creative works. Pabitro G. wrote:
"Nazrul was imprisoned at Alipur Centra Jail at that time. I used to visit him every week. Somehow Rabindranath must have known about it, otherwise he would not have instructed me to see him at Jorashako. He said: 'Nazrul has ushered in Boshonto (Spring) in the life of the nation. That's why I have dedicated my recently published "Boshonto" drama to him. I would have been very happy if I could deliver this to him personally, but since I am not able to do it, please deliver this book to him on my behalf. ...
I have dedicated "Boshonto" to Nazrul and in my dedication I have addressed him as "Poet". [note: Rabindranath did not recognize many others by addressing them as "poet". This meant something very special.] I know that some of you might not approve of it. I believe that they hold such attitude without reading Nazrul's poems. And, even if they have read, they did not do so in search of beauty and creativity, rather they looked down upon him. ... Also many of you insist that there should not be noises of swords in poetry. But when the whole nation's heart is tuned to this etho, when the sound of sword creates jhangkar and a feeling of unison is observed, it is naturally expected to find expression in poetry. IF I WERE YOUNG TODAY, MY PEN WOULD HAVE PLAYED SIMILAR TUNE...'
Someone brought two copies of "Boshonto" to the poet. He signed one copy and gave it to me saying, 'Please tell him, he should not feel sad that I was not able to deliver this to him personally. Wholeheartedly, I am blessing him without reservation. Also tell him, he must not stop writing poetry under any circumstances. Soldiers are always available, but we also need poets to inspire them."
... Due to his personality traits, Rabindranath used to call him "Uddam