loneliness

Composed By Mohammad Farooq written by Parven Shaker 1952 – 1994 Settle your solitude in my name / Who will remember me the way you do? In this couplet, the poetess speaks of her beloved's matchless devotion. She says it is difficult to find a lover who makes even his moments of loneliness mine. That is, even when alone, he is never solitary—his solitude blooms with my memories. The heart is a strange city; whoever its door opens to / Let that traveler destroy it from every side. The heart is a sensitive and delicate place. The poetess says that whoever found space in this heart, or to whom its doors opened, treated it like a passing traveler and instead of cherishing it, caused it pain and ruin in every way. I am troubled by my killer's intellect / Each day he invents a new form of death. This verse is metaphorical, where "killer" may mean the beloved or harsh circumstances. The poetess says I do not fear death, but I am amazed at this tormentor's genius—how he finds new ways each day to cause me suffering and anguish. So bewildered by my unwavering refusal / That even the hunter might open my cage door himself. Here the poetess expresses her dignity and self-sufficiency. She says I will not plead for my freedom. Let my silence and my refusal to ask for anything so astound the hunter that he is forced to open my cage door himself. Orders came to rob me of sight / If only some child of darkness would dare desire light. When society forbids seeing truth (robbing of sight), for one born in such darkness to wish for light is a courageous dream. This verse is a quiet protest against oppression. To think freely now is counted among crimes / Only she is innocent who approves of everything. This verse reflects the political and social suffocation of our time. The poetess says that independent thought has become a crime. In society's eyes, only the innocent one remains—she who bows her head to every wrong and calls it "right." When blood speaks against its own witnesses / Let the city's judge finally speak on this matter. This verse is satire on the system of justice. When tyranny exceeds all bounds and the victim's blood itself cries out that the witnesses are false, then the city's judge should break his silence and deliver a verdict for truth. My existence has long rested in her grip / Tell my enchantress now to set me free. In the closing couplet, Parveen Shaker says I have long been captive in someone's spell, my being held in her power. Now the time has come for that sorcerer to free me from her memories and influence so I can reclaim my identity. ________________________________________ Summary This ghazal is not merely traditional love poetry but a brilliant fusion of inner sorrow (personal anguish) and outer reality (social issues). Parveen Shaker has expressed her protest against tyranny and her self-respect with great dignity.