Holi, Nazeer Akbarabadi and these times

Holi has always been a festival of human interactions of all religions with colours of love, complete with gulal. It announces a new weather as much as a mix of fall and winter. Urdu Poet Nazeer Akbarabaadi whose rhythmic and rhymed poetic creations glorified even vegetables such as lady finger (bhindi) as Laila ki ungliya (fingers of famous Indian heroine of love Lalia), has also penned an unparalleled work of art on holi.

Here is how he suggests the viewers to see holi, as the dance of the weather, naughty boys and dancing girls with colours of holi as their makeup. He talks of food, teasing, fights with sticks in mud of hues, young dreams, aspirations, teasing, nautch girls, and drinks till it brinks. Have a look at the beautiful poem on the occasion of the festival of colours, now dried up due to environment and pollution calls, which however, has taken away the fun of this festival and its most important aspect – meeting friends and foes with the excuse of applying colours of unity.

With such a call and no solutions, will our generation next ever know Holi as actually a festival of colours and unity?

Think about it as you enjoy this amazing visual poem on Holi by Nazeer Akbrabadi, whose full name was Wali Mohammad Nazeer but he used his last name the name of his city in Agra, to make it famous called himself Nazeer Akabarabadi. Born (1740) to a mother whose father was the governor of Agra Fort, Nawab Sultan in the 18th Century. Nazeer was born in Delhi and died in his native place, Agra in 1830.

Urdu Poet Nazeer Akbarabadi (1740-1830)

jab phāgun rañg jhamakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

aur daf ke shor khadakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

pariyoñ ke rañg damakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

ḳhum, shīshe, jaam, jhalakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

mahbūb nashe meñ chakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

ho naach rañgīlī pariyoñ kā baithe hoñ gul-rū rañg-bhare

kuchh bhīgī tāneñ holī kī kuchh nāz-o-adā ke dhañg-bhare

dil bhūle dekh bahāroñ ko aur kānoñ meñ āhañg bhare

kuchh table khadkeñ rañg-bhare kuchh aish ke dam muñh-chañg bhare

kuchh ghuñghrū taal chhanakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

sāmān jahāñ tak hotā hai us ishrat ke matlūboñ kā

vo sab sāmān muhayyā ho aur baaġh khilā ho ḳhvāboñ kā

har aan sharābeñ dhaltī hoñ aur thaath ho rañg ke dūboñ kā

is aish maze ke aalam meñ ek ġhol khadā mahbūboñ kā

kapdoñ par rañg chhidakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

gulzār khile hoñ pariyoñ ke aur majlis kī tayyārī ho

kapdoñ par rañg ke chhīñtoñ se ḳhush-rañg ajab gul-kārī ho

muñh laal, gulābī āñkheñ hoñ, aur hāthoñ meñ pichkārī ho

us rañg-bharī pichkārī ko añgiyā par tak kar maarī ho

sīnoñ se rañg dhalakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

us rañg-rañgīlī majlis meñ vo randī nāchne vaalī ho

muñh jis kā chāñd kā tukdā ho aur aañkh bhī mai ke pyālī ho

bad-mast badī matvālī ho har aan bajātī taalī ho

mai-noshī ho behoshī ho ''bhadve'' kī muñh meñ gaalī ho

bhadve bhii, bhadvā bakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

aur ek taraf dil lene ko mahbūb bhavayyoñ ke ladke

har aan ghadī gat bharte hoñ kuchh ghat ghat ke kuchh badh badh ke

kuchh naaz jatāveñ lad lad ke kuchh holī gāveñ ad ad ke

kuchh lachke shoḳh kamar patlī kuchh haath chale kuchh tan bhadke

kuchh kāfir nain matakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

Holi nazeer says is about teasing too

ye dhuum machī ho holī kī aur aish maze kā jhakkad ho

us khīñchā-khīñch ghasītī par bhadve randī kā phakkad ho

mājūn, sharābeñ, nāch, maza, aur tikiyā sufā kakkad ho

lad-bhid ke 'nazīr' bhī niklā ho kīchad meñ laththad-paththad ho

jab aise aish mahakte hoñ tab dekh bahāreñ holī kī

Souece: Rekhta/Book : intekhab naziir akbaraabaadii