I enjoyed getting into the skin of the soul-stirring poetry of Nasreen Syed, a poet of Urdu and Punjabi languages and also a singer. There is flow, control and beauty of an unknown flower that is cared by a gardener of sincerity. In this age when poetry is in the hands of novices, she emerges as an archetype.
Nasreen Syed belongs to a family that had roots in Jalandhar, Punjab, India, that has produced eminent artists, including actor and singer K.L. Saigal; famous ghazal singer Jagjit Singh; and Urdu poet Ibn-e-Insha. Nasreen Syed was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan. This area has also produced famous poets and artists, including Nusret Fateh Ali Khan, Mala and Rysham, a film actress. Obviously, Nasreen has inherited the heritage of both the lands that can boast of producing notable personalities.
I got interested in Nasreen’s poetry when I read her poem “Vo Poochtey Hen” (They Ask). In this lyric, she expresses her belief in the creed of love and humanity. She does not go to any place of worship, because that temple is right in her heart. She explains this simple belief in a direct and forceful language. Beauty of this poem is not in Embellishments, rather it is in a simple idea clothed with a simple expression woven with the hands of catholicity of a simple message that is the bedrock of the Sufi mystics. She believes that religion is a personal matter.
Simple message is the centre of the creation of poet Nasreen Syed. In another poem, “Kash” (I Wish), she desires to write some episodes with the colours of butterflies. She longs to write a new song. In “Ham Nafas” (alter ego), she dreams of writing songs of peace. Using fresh images, Nasreen conveys that peace is the legitimate child of tolerance and understanding. That is the tenet of The Family of Heart, an organization of artists and other intellectuals, she belongs to.
For years, I have not read any literary work for self-pleasure because of my serious literary and non-literary pursuits. Because of this I have almost forgotten the rainbows of my life. My visit to the artistic gallery of Nasreen Syed was an interval that scattered ominous clouds to reveal the temple of truth and beauty, affording a relief from my routine. I have heard her on her web site as a reader of her poems, as a singer and also as a master of ceremony, along with other roles. Every word is clear with almost no ambiguity. For the palate of every taste, there is every dish in the gallery of her web site that she has prepared with the ingredient of peace and love. I enjoyed one of her songs “Sagar Roey” (Sea Weeps) in her pleasing voice. Sagar Roey is a symbol wombed in a unique pearl of mysteries.
Nasreen’s interest in poetry was awakened during her college days. Through the inspiration of a teacher she continued her voyage of self-discovery. During her college days, she was honoured with the best writer award that encouraged her further in her voyage. Since then she has not looked back.
Nasreen has published her book “Terey Khayal ki khushboo”, a collection of Urdu poems, and “Bindi Chamke” a CD of songs, to her credit. For the non-Urdu readers, the first title may be translated as “The Aroma of Your Thoughts”. The title of her music CD as “Adornament on the Forehead Glitters”. Her poems have been appearing regularly in Jung, a prestigious daily publication from Pakistan. In Canada, where she lives, her poetry has appeared in most Urdu print media. She has been interviewed and the videos of her songs have been played nearly on all Pakistani and Indian radio and TV channels. She is now working on her second collection of poems.
Nasreen Syed has attempted both free and non-free verses. I believe that it is much difficult to write a good free verse than to write a non-free verse, especially a ghazal. Free verses are not as free as some readers and poets assume--it has its own canons. Nasreen Syed’s poem “Vo Poochtey Hen (They Ask) is an epitome of the free verse that flashes truth and beauty through fresh images. Here is the web site of the poet:
www..nasreensyed.com
