Urdu Poetry Workshop: A Poet at Night

Zabt-e-paighaam-e-muhabbat se jo ghabraata huN

Tere taabindah sitaroN ko sunaa jaata huN

The message of love,

When I can no longer keep it to myself,

I come and tell it to your shining stars.

***

In tribute to winter darkness, join us in the close reading of three of Allama Iqbal’s nazms inspired by the stillness of night on Saturday 15th February at the Royal Asiatic Society.

Steeped in the celestial beauty of the night-time, these works provide a glimpse of the poet at his most unguarded and brazen as he bares his soul to the darkness. Like countless other poets, the night proved to be a source of endless mystery and wonderment for Iqbal with nightfall stirring much soul-searching. The moon, in particular, appears to have held the poet especially captivated and in these poems is cast as a steady companion for those listless hours after dusk. Unsurprisingly, he leaves behind a vast canon of poetry in ode to those small, slumbering hours.

Known as Shair-e-Mushriq (the Poet of the East), Allama Iqbal's poetry written mostly in Urdu and Persian is regarded among the greatest of the modern era. Knowledge of Urdu is required - material will also be provided in English/Urdu/Romanised Urdu.

The workshop will be conducted by Tasnim Firdaus, Director of Language & Literature Programmes at The Mehfil. Tasnim's academic interests include classical Urdu and Persian poetry and Persian in the Indus valley. Tasnim has worked as a lecturer of Urdu and Persian language and literature in Pakistan and has a teaching career spanning over 30 years.

The workshop will be held on Saturday 15th February from 2pm-4pm at the Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HD. Tickets are £15 and are available here. ***Refreshments will be provided during tea breaks. Doors open at 1.45pm and the session will begin promptly at 2pm***