The Enchanting Style of Poetry: An Interview with Poet Tahir Faraz

Dr. Shagufta Yasmin
The personality who turned the magical narrative of ghazal into a spellbinding phenomenon, Tahir Faraz, where ghazal is also a tale of heart's business and a lament of the chaos of time, a lament of crumbling cultural values, and a fascinating tale of the beloved's lips, face, hair, and cheeks. Suddenly, he met his real owner. His tragic demise is a heartbreaking reality that struck his fans like lightning and turned the harvest of hearts into ashes; perhaps there is no eye that has not been moistened.

For nearly half a century, the representative poet who introduced the world to Urdu poetry, the Rampur school, and its distinctiveness, known to the world as Tahir Faraz, is loved by all.
Due to his charming personality and the captivating style of his poetry, he held a position of respect and popularity not only in India but worldwide, which was made possible by his God-given talent, personal hard work, and the immense love and devotion of his fans. The land of Rampur has always been fertile, but the formation and construction of Tahir Faraz's personality and art also had an important role of Khanqah Naqshbandia. He was born on June 29, 1953, in Budaun but moved to Rampur in his teens and stayed there for some time.

In an interview, Tahir Faraz, reminiscing about his teenage years, says, "Nawab Rampur had a passion for gathering masters of every art, whether it was music, singing, or wrestling. There was a dangal, and he had a theater as well. I witnessed that cultural era very closely. My taste was nurtured by Nawab Rampur and his court."
Apart from this, the city of Rampur itself has a literary identity, about which he said, "It was the third school between the Delhi and Lucknow schools, whose distinct impressions and effects are also found in the poetry and music here." Raghuvir Saran Diwakar Rai was Tahir Faraz's teacher. All the knowledgeable people would come and sit with him and listen to his conversations.

Tahir Faraz shares an interesting incident, saying, "Someone asked him who he would sit with, and he replied that where he sits, one has to sit in silence." This lesson of silence stayed with him throughout his life, and he also taught the importance of speaking less and speaking at the right time in his poetry. However, he was strongly against silence on matters of truth.

Tahir Faraz believed that an accident or a tragedy is a gift from God. Everyone feels it, but a poet or writer has the power of narration, so he can present his autobiography as a world story. Something similar happened with Tahir Faraz. In his early poems, maturity is evident, and he started his poetic journey with confidence and dignity.

Tahir Faraz was a people's poet, loved by all, and his simple and straightforward language was easy for even a common reader to understand. He had the ability to convey deep meanings in few words. His ghazals had culture, politeness, pain, and passion. When he would recite his poetry in his melodious voice, the soul would be filled with joy.

Tahir Faraz never complained or expressed any grievances. He was a person who remained satisfied with God's will, and this color is also reflected in his poetry. His poetry is a symbol of love, peace, and coexistence, which will continue to convey the message to the world that death is a reality, and one should keep decorating life. Keep doing the business of love; profit and loss will continue to happen.

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