Daily Times

Dedicated to the Urdu Writers’ Society, California, and the driving force behind it, Irfan Murteza, the book titled Sooraj Muthi Mein is the third poetry book by poet Syed Younis Ijaz, recently published by Idara Roodad, Islamabad. He presently resides in the US and recently visited Pakistan where Dr Sughra Sadaf launched his book at the Punjabi Complex in Lahore. Many poets, writers and musicians, including this reviewer, attended the function. In the book’s introduction, he writes that political, social and economic movements do not influence him. Having said that, he has a point of view of his own regarding how one needs to lead their life, which is visible in his poetry.

Syed Younis Ijaz contends that he has never been disappointed in human beings and humanity at large. Usually, it is understood that temporary disagreements adversely affect life but when these disagreements are seen in the larger context of humanity, they seem like trivial matters. That is why Syed Younis Ijaz tries to control his desires, ego and ‘self’ (nafs) and tries to befriend human beings in the wider perception of humanity. In support of his thesis, he writes couplets such as “Khuda kay hum, Toh Khuda aadmi ka aashiq hai/Jahan mein jis ko bhi dekho, Kisi ka aashiq hai” (If humans belong to God, God is the lover of human beings. As wherever one looks, one finds everybody is a lover of somebody). This concept revolves around love between man and God. A common man’s answer to love for humanity is in the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing human kindness, compassion and affection. It seems that is what Younis Ijaz believes in as his concept and ideology of life. In religious connotations, he writes, “Khusha ye hukm keh us kai Nabi (Sallah-o-Alaihi-Wasallam) pe bhaijoon darood/ Khud aik hotey huey bhi, dooi ka aashiq hai” (It is the Almighty who directed humanity to send durood to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and by doing so, despite that He exists, He makes the Prophet (PBUH) His loved one).

After briefly going through the poet’s beliefs about humanity, this reviewer looked for other shades in his poetry. Syed Younis Ijaz spent 23 years of his life in Saudi Arabia and has been in the US for the past 13 years, therefore, a touch of the feelings of an immigrant is found in his poetry as well. He has written on the discriminatory treatment of immigrants in foreign countries, “Sukoot-e-dasht! Zara kaan khol kar sun le/Ke mein akela nahin, Merey saath saaya hai” (I want the wilderness to know that I am not alone as my shadow accompanies me all the time). Syed Younis Ijaz has very intrinsically summarised the dilemma of an immigrant’s psyche in the couplet, “Idhar kay khwaab udhar daikhti hain sab aankhain/Sab apney apney watan mein hein bewatan mujh se” (Many eyes look at dreams for their own countries while living here; Every immigrant like me actually lives in his/her own country). The poet therefore remains insecure in his country of birth. He keeps on dreaming of the betterment of the country he left for better horizons.

Syed Younis Ijaz’s poetic journey spreads over five decades as he started writing poetry during his college days. He started poetry in the ghazal format and wrote in Punjabi as well. His initial style was the classical one but the modern trends did not remain oblivious to him as time passed. He summarises his ghazals, writing: “Riwayat hee ko sab afkaar ka mehwer banata hoon/Naye rastey purani raah ke ander banaata hoon” (Tradition is the main focus of my thought process and perception, I create new paths from the old trail). The book under review is his third one; the author has always preferred quality to quantity.

Syed Younis Ijaz is very inclined towards music. When he recites his poetry in taranum, he mesmerises the listeners. His poetry also emits music like in one particular ghazal in this book with Matla’a “Bahirevin yun rabaab sei nikley/Jaisey khushboo gulab sei nikley” (When raag bhairevin is played with a rabaab, it creates the same sensation as fragrance coming out of a rose). Ijaz’s poetry is full of love themes. One of his ghazals reflects this actuality. He writes, “Ishq ki leher mein, Tum bhi ho, Mein bhi hoon/ Jaanfaza peher mein, Tum bhi ho, Mein bhi hoon” (In this wave of love both you and I exist in this painstaking time). Overall, Syed Younis Ijaz’s poetry is full of different shades ranging from his point of view on life to life itself.

The reviewer is based in Lahore and can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com