Shaheryar Ali
“Every Kiss Begins With Kay Jewelers”
With Pakistani Liberal’s new found love for Capitalism during General Mushraffs golden age of “Enlightened Moderation” Valentine Day has become the latest new festival in Pakistan. Now Islamists and religious fanatics in their usual opposition to any thing western have opposed Valentine’s Day on the premise that it promotes “obscenity”. The expression of Love is outrageous in their eyes and it erodes the moral and social fabric of the society, which if I decode means “that some how it dilutes the forced ‘gender segregation” in the Pakistan. Religious Right in Pakistan is not the only one in this their counterparts in India the Saffron brigade behave similarly
This opposition is not on Valentine’s Day rather it is to some thing which this day is thought to be representing that is Love and opposition to War, Violence and State authority. Modern day practices of Valentine’s days have nothing to do with the spirit of this day. Like every thing else Capitalism has converted this expression of Love into its anti-thesis. On onside Capitalist consumerist degeneration has resulted in “commoditization of Love” essentially equating love with wealth. The card industry, cosmetic industry, Diamond industry, Fashion Industry, the media Industry all in order to exploit the most beautiful of human emotion have contributed in building stereotypes, promoting prejudices and cultural hegemonies. The first victim of this is Love itself which is reduced to the category of a commodity which can be bought. This assault on Love is compounded by the market built sexism and promotion of highly loaded “stereotypical gender roles”. A general survey of the promotion campaigns around the world on Valentine Day reveals that it promotes a very shallow and sexist role of a woman. Most of it is based on the premise that woman can be wooed into love by showering her with expensive gifts. Diamond and Gold monopolies have shamelessly promoted this image of woman virtually equating love with a form of prostitution. Overall this approach enhances the already existing male chauvinist attitudes towards the women who are considered commodities themselves and “pleasure-toys” which can be bought by a DeBeers ring.
Muslim Gay Pride
A shameful example is this commercial which states “every kiss starts with Kay Jewelers”. In most of the promotion activities “men” are shown to be buying gifts for the “women” thus enhancing yet another of male chauvinist myths that “Men are the bread winners” reducing women to a mere dependent of the male who remains happy with a constant supply of diamonds, roses and chocolates. Yet another stereotyping this Valentine’s Day industry is building is what I call the “Jock and the Cheerleader” complex. A particular image of a boy Jock and a Cheerleader is repeated over and over again. This creates a complex in other boys and girls who don’t subscribe to this image. The societies governed by capitalism live on “conformity” carefully constructed resemblances which assures ones survival at social and economical level. There is an immense pressure on young people especially teenagers to “fit-in” otherwise they fall in “nerd”, “sissy” , “freak” and other “un-kool” categories. These in advanced countries have resulted in high teenage suicide rate, campus violence and murder. This complex is than banked upon by the “cosmetic mafia”, the “fashion industry”, “drug trade” and medically unregulated and monstrous “cosmetic surgery industry”. All these mafias are busy in their exploitation in Pakistan’s Valentine day boom. The hair transplant and plastic surgery clinics have mushroomed in Urban Pakistan and are unregulated and engaging in malpractice. They perform procedures ranging from liposuction to hymenoplasty. This to provide the Pakistani males the “Virgins” they want to marry. The image of male which is portrayed on Pakistani Valentine related media is a fair post teen urban male clad in Levi with an expensive multi media mobile phone, bulging muscles and an Ipod listening to western music. He is surrounded by admiring females they too fully urban dolls manufactured in some latest in vogue saloon. This is against which most young Pakistani has to compete and look up to the result is frustration, street crime and campus prostitution.
When the problem of sustenance of capitalism was being discussed in Western Europe after the war it was identified that Capitalism also operates in the realm of ideology by creating conflicting identities and it is the key to its sustenance. This “operation in contradiction” is visible in the pseudo-conflict between the pro-capitalist seculars and Islamic fascists around the Valentine’s Day. It is to be noted that forces like Jamate Islami in Pakistan and Hindu Nationalists in India who are notorious for their disruption of Valentine Day’s activities are vehemently Anti-communist and Anti-Left and pro-Capitalism. Jamate Islami has been on the forefront of resisting anti capitalist reforms of PPP in 70s and has supported “free market economy”. Thus first they allow the capitalization of Love and than protest on its “cultural manifestations”. The extreme fear, violence and confusion this phenomenon creates results in “de-humanization”, “dejection” and a sense of “de realization”. A poetic expression of this de-realized love in time of violence has been done by Awais Aftab the brilliant young Pakistani blogger. By expressing his torment on loss of love in age of violence and confusion Mr Aftab has emerged as an “alternate voice” in otherwise cooperate and Jihadi dominated discourse on Valentine day. The poem is called “Vitriolage” and it opens with these lovely lines
No Shiv Sena threatens me
Nor do Talibans bind my hands
Yet in the miasmatic world
In which i breathe
There is no Valentine’s Day
For you, for me
The entry can be reached here. Whilst the Pakistani blogsphere is conformist to a strangulating degree, a dear friend “freethinker” has deconstructed Valentine’s discourse by celebrating Love and Subversion..
Gay Valentine stereotypes
The dominant discourse on Valentine’s Day around the globe is “segregationist”, “totalizing’ and “de-humanizing”. This is extremely hegemonizing defining love in a strict “heterosexual” relationship. Love is only an emotion which is present between a “biological male” and a “biological female”. This corporate capitalist agenda disenfranchises whole of Homosexual humans. Reducing them to the status of “perverts” and “deviants” they are deprived of their humanity and rights, the political expression of this corporate and capitalist bigotry can be seen especially in United States where the corporate and its political allies the Moral Majority and Republicans have started a witch hunt against homosexuals by “defining” categories like “marriage”, “inheritance” and “family” in strict heterosexual terms. This in this sense becomes a strictly “fascist phenomenon”. By bombarding retinas and minds with pictures and visuals of love as a “heterosexual only” phenomenon, minds are being slowly transformed for annihilating a whole deviant population. Unfortunately even the self proclaimed “liberals” and “secularists” of Pakistan are insensitive to politics of gender and sexuality and even their notions of “human rights” and “pluralism” are plagued by essentialist prejudices of modernity. None of the major aggregation of Pakistani bloggers or Blog-zines has dared to challenge the conformity or protest at the segregationist interpretation of Love on Valentine’s Day. Across the border situation is batter. Blogbharti the aggregator of Indian Blogosphere published an article by an Indian Gay blogger Crazy Sam on Valentine’s Day. By doing so Blogbharti subverted the segregationist and exclusionary discourse on Love. Blogbharti should be congratulated for this act. Sam’s passionate plea is for “Equal Love”, he speaks about the segregated society and segregated love, reminding the straight heterosexual couples that the “fear” they feel on Valentine’s Day due to threat from the fascist goons is everyday reality of Gay of Life in India.
“Now just think about a small percentage of population who always has felt this unfairness that you are all feeling right now, every single day! Yes I’m talking about gays. For us gays, we could never think of celebrating Valentine’s Day with our special person in open places because we never felt secure to express our love. There is this fear always echoing in our minds (and not on Valentine’s Day alone) about what others would think and react if they see us holding hands or sitting across a table looking into each others eyes or giving a peck on the cheeks. It is not a good feel to always search for a secluded place to exchange such small tokens of love” Read the full article here
Sam maintains his own blog by the very “deconstructive” name of “The Straight Friendly Gay Blog”. It must be understood that
Jihad For Love
“exclusion” is the sole of a fascist society. Nothing is more dangerous than “exclusionary discourse” especially in Pakistan. Taliban couldn’t be defeated by pseudo-secularist discourse which is conformist and exclusionary. The Liberal Muslim’s insistence on constructing an “enlightened spiritual Islam” fails precisely because it becomes apart of dominant “Islam is the greatest and most democratic and liberal religion in the world” discourse in which Taliban and Liberal Muslims are united. The subversion is thus not achieved and all resistance becomes futile. This discourse insists on keeping “the others” invisible, the invisibility slowly evolves into amnesia and at this stage Genocide begins. How these apparently contradictory discourses merge can be demonstrated. While the Islamic Fascist says Homosexuals must be killed or there are no homosexuals in muslim world thus pushing gays towards genocide. This will result in protest by many even from western world who will focus on Islam’s objection to homosexuality. The Liberal muslim while vehemently oppose to Taliban will brand it “Islamophobia” and Euro-centricism giving examples of historic tolerance of homosexuality in the Past. To the general public which hears to “consensus opinion” message goes “Its all west’s fault they are enemies of Islam” because this is what both Mullah and secular is saying. The marginalized group is forgotten and keeps becoming victim of the dominant discourse. Ahmedin Nijad declared there are no homosexuals in Iran. This is a dangerous exclusionary discourse. Muslim Gay filmmaker Pervez Sharma has subverted this by making documentary recording “same gender love” in Muslim Societies. The film has got critical acclaim and awards and it challenges exclusionary discourse as well Islamophobia. The title itself is deconstructive “A Jihad for Love”
“Fourteen centuries after the revelation of the holy Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islam today is the world’s second largest and fastest growing religion. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels the many worlds of this dynamic faith discovering the stories of its most unlikely storytellers: lesbian and gay Muslims.
Filmed over 5 1/2 years, in 12 countries and 9 languages, “A Jihad for Love” comes from the heart of Islam. Looking beyond a hostile and war-torn present, this film seeks to reclaim the Islamic concept of a greater Jihad, which can mean ‘an inner struggle’ or ‘to strive in the path of God’. In doing so the film and its remarkable subjects move beyond the narrow concept of ‘Jihad’ as holy war.”
The film has been criticized for not challenging the theological objections to homosexuality but at least it has tried to challenge the strangulating invisibility imparted on Muslim Gays by Ahmedinijad and likes.
The Pakistani secularists or liberals who becomes tear eyed at the “barbarity” of ignorant Mullahs who wont allow the “love” who hate flowers and chocolates should keep in mind while they defend a corporate degenerative, exclusionary, stereotypical caricature of Love , they can Love even in most fascists of the societies, Taliban’s Afghanistan didn’t banned straight marriage nor did Hitler but in Iran these two teenage boys were hanged only because they loved each other and with Sharia in place in Swat this is the fate which awaits us , the Pakistani Gays if you people remained conformists
Hanged for Love, Iranian gays
Sherryx's Weblog 
February 19, 2009 at 8:13 am
Hymenoplasty… i didn’t even know it existed; necessity sure is the mother of invention!
February 19, 2009 at 8:17 am
Thriving business in Lahore
February 19, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Whoa… this post was loaded with criticism…of late capitalism, of Pakistani society, of Valentine’s day here and abroad, of dominant paradigms and persecution, and of subversion and reclamation.
That hymenoplasty article, by the way, is Amir Mir’s piece…read it on MEtransparent.com a few weeks back. The blog you linked to apparently only does copy-pastes spiced up with sexual images.
February 19, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I’m not one to bother with a reply to a post but that was excellent!
February 20, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I am honored than Heath
February 20, 2009 at 9:27 pm
I agree with you that Valentine’s day is overly commercialized and doesn’t really celebrate “love”… but I don’t think that’s necessarily as big of a problem as you make it out to be. If you don’t like it, don’t celebrate it… but a lot of people, just need another excuse to party and be happy, and if in the process they make their “significant other” happy and show him/her that they are appreciated, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that… granted, appreciation doesn’t always (and shouldn’t translate) into monetary terms.
And of course Valentine’s Day is heterocentric, but lets face it, we live in a heterocentric world.. and no one is stopping you from celebrating it with ur same-sex partner…
Overall, I feel that in a world with so many real problems, we have no need to create tangential issues for ourselves to get worked up about… let’s work to eradicate poverty, encourage development, and gain equal rights before getting upset about the meaning of a holiday
February 20, 2009 at 9:58 pm
@Kabir
Thank you very much for reading my article and making your comment.
Having said that i must tell you that i find your comments rather insenstive and to some extant “offensive”
First of all have you noticed any where in the article where i have said that “Stop Valentine’s day”? have I? so your remarks about letting people do what they want are irrelavant.
When we criticize some thing we are not saying that “stop it”. If you have noticed, the article is actully condeming those i.e Taliban and Shiv Sena for “spoiling” the holyday.
What i find insensitive and offensive are your remarks that no one is stopping me from celebrating it with my lover. I think you should read about Homophobia in United States and see how many fags get beaten up just for doing what u say they are not “being stopped”
You say world has so many “real” problems. No one gives you the right to say that problem of homophobia is “not real”. You think hanging of homosexuals in Iran is not a “big” “real thing”, you think with Sharia Law in Pakistan, the impending doom on sexual freedoms is also not a real thing?
this is very offensive. You can disagree but dont be judgemental
Ofcourse Valentine day is heterocentric, lets face it we live in Heterocentric world. If Martin Luther King would have followed you advice and lived a second rate citicent because “It was a white man’s world” your favorite Obama would not have been sitting in White House
So Kabir why struggle for Poverty lets face it we live in a Capitalist world
Why protest on Gaza messecare, we live in world of “might is right”
Why protest for democracy in Pakistan, Lets face it Army and Taliban have guns
i get worked up on all these buddy because i dont think i support killing people for sleeping with some one and nor do i accept injustice only because its powerful and oppressive and hegemonious.
You should celebrate Valentine’s day , we have no objection but dont be insensitive to lives of ppl which are at stake. It was this very attitude which led to Holocaust bcz every one was looking at the otherway
thanks for your comments
February 21, 2009 at 12:27 am
I’m sorry if my comments came across as insensitive and offended you. I didn’t mean that homophobia is a not a real problem. I meant that Valentine’s Day is not a real problem. And I am aware of homophobia in the US. But in most places there are anti-discrimination laws, and there are many many gay men who celebrate the day with their lovers without getting beaten up or anything. Yes, the US is not perfect and there is still much work to be done, but it’s not as big a problem as you are making it out to be.
I think that to be effective one has to pick one’s battles. Of course, MLK shouldn’t have accepted whatever abuse African-Americans got because it was a “white man’s world”. Neither should LGBT people accept discrimination and abuse because it is a “heterocentric” world. I just think we LGBT people have bigger problems than a holiday and whether or not it is celebrated. I also think it’s faulty argumentation to make Valentine’s Day symbolize all the homopobia and repression in the world. As you yourself mention, gays in Swat don’t give a damn about some holiday they probably are not even aware of, they just want to remain alive and be able to love whoever they love in peace. And “impending doom on sexual freedoms”. Was there really in sexual freedom in Swat to start with? Is that the biggest problem facing the area right now? All I’m saying is keep it in perspective…
I realize you’re upset. However, I think implicitly comparing me to the Nazis is totally out of line.
February 21, 2009 at 12:32 am
I think one of the biggest problems with “radicals” is that whenever anyone disagrees with them, they turn around and start throwing out insults… for example in our earlier conversation you called me “bourgeois”. Now I know you meant it in a teasing way, but too often people throw this word out there, as if to imply that the other person’s POV is not valid and they are stupid or “decadent” or whatver. To which, one could reply: “Yes, I’m bourgeois. What’s wrong with it?”… It’s equivalent to calling someone a “commie” because you don’t agree with them. I believe we should try to have discussions on their intellectual merits without resorting to such tactics.
February 21, 2009 at 9:29 am
@Kabir
Thanks for your comments, there is a problem with centrists as well they want to hide their defeatism and there complacency in right to criticize. Christian democrats helped Hitler to power, one wonders why.
You are a student of literature you should be careful about words. “Commie” is a pejorative term for a communist and/or any Lefti who is being unfairly associated with Communism. Bourgoies on the other hand is neither perjorative nor a discriminatory word. Its a term for a specific social class,. Its was used to highlight your support for the agenda of upper classes. Being a centrist i dont see any contradiction. If you are not a proleterian supporter or a lover of capitalism i dont see why you get upset at term “Bourgeois” . That what Bourgeois are. These are what i call “tactics” my friend delibrately comparing a “formal” term with an “informal” one, comparing a scientific term utilized in social science with a term which all the dictionaries call “offensive”. This intellectual dishonesty only to hide ones anti-people and pro capitalist agenda.
February 21, 2009 at 9:39 am
Kabir
You again declare homophiba not a big problem. Its nothing less than collaboration. In United States the anti gay mania is reaching hysteric levels. The Christian Righ wing and their Radio force is spreading hate. You speak about discrimination but fail to see the assult on Gay rights. Laws are being proposed and made which take away insurance,inheretence , right of adoptions of Gay couples. Your answer to all this is we should not insist. You should not but i do.
What is a bigger problem for LGBT people than heterocentric world. If you didnt consider POMO non sense you would have known that all this is connected. Phallo-centric or Heterocentric.
The fact that people of Swat didnt have sexual freedom before , make is justifyable that they be sacrifised at altar of fascism?
What you dont want to understand is that by implementing Sharia Law in Swat , whole Pakistan is a step closer to Sharia which will put gays on death roll. Just like in Iran where you maintain silence.
February 21, 2009 at 9:49 am
And my friend again on Valentine’s Day. Please , the article is about “capitalism and Love”. It gives a discussing on relationship between Love and Capitalism. It explores alienation and its result on love in form of de-realization,it discusses commercialization, consumerism, than it deals with the issue of imperialism and its product Islamic Fascism, it than talks bout plight of love in this contradiction, it talks of spoiling of holiday by goons. It than deals with the issues of hegemony and gender, it speaks about lack of pluralism in Valentine’s day expression. Than it makes a case that these “small” mistakes lead to larger problems like full fascism like in Iran.
In all this it utilizes Valentine’s day as a “symbol”.
And it says in title “Alternate Voices”
You have problem even with an alternate expression. where did we say that dominant discourse on Valentine be crushed. we our selves called ours an “alternate voice”
You are a student of literature you understand these things better than me but you keep mis-representing my article
February 21, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Wow, there’s a lot here to respond to. I think we keep misunderstanding each other. But let me try to clarify some of my thoughts.
1) I don’t think “bourgeois” is a scientific term. In certain contexts, it is a loaded word. If we go back to Mao’s cultural revolution, when artists, writers, anyone educated, were sent to work in the fields and be “rehabilitated” because they were bourgeois and “decadent”, we can see why the causal use of this word has these associations. Or using the Soviet example, artists were accused of being bourgeois, and sent to the gulag… so pardon my sensitivity. And I’m not alone in this, wikipedia alludes to the use of this term as a pejoritive, just as “commie” is used as a pejoritive. They write:
In the rhetoric of some Communist parties, “bourgeois” is sometimes used as a pejorative, and those who are perceived to collaborate with the bourgeoisie are called its lackeys. Socialists, especially Marxists have multiple uses for the term: the original meaning, the social class of capitalists, and the pejorative. Something or someone is decried as bourgeois if it generally lacks authenticity, is superficial, and/or is counterrevolutionary
February 21, 2009 at 12:59 pm
2) You keep saying that I don’t think homophobia is a big or real problem. I never said that. I merely said that in most places in the US, it is not as big a problem as it once was. Gay men go to parties on Valentine’s Day and most of those parties are not broken up or anything…. yes, PROP 8 exists, and it is bad… but homophobia in the US is nothing compared to homophobia in the Muslim world… you yourself point to Pakistan and Iran… Is there even a comparison between those regions and the US or England?
3)About Sharia is Swat, lets make it clear that I am very much against implementing that there. I don’t want to see Sharia imposed in the rest of Pakistan. I don’t even like the term “Islamic Republic” and wish it could just be “Republic”. My point was just that, in perspective people in that region have much much bigger problems and concerns than the meaning of some imported Western holiday, which only the elite classes in Pakistan pay any attention to. Staying alive would be top priority no? dealing with drone attacks that kill your family if they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time? All this takes precedence over being “gay”. Btw, that identity is also a western, elite identity, which is not how most men who have sex with men in South Asia would describe themselves (hence the use of MSM in the clinical literature).
Anyway, I think we should agree to disagree. You are absolutely entitled to your POV. It’s your blog and you have your supporters… I come in to offer a dissenting view and you get all upset. In this way, you are not very progressive or radical at all. What you believe must be right and the other person is just “bourgeois”, or “decadent”, or a “collaborator hiding defeatism and complacency”. That response is not that different from an “Islamic fascist” attacking whatever I say because I’m “kafir” or whatever.
Anyway, that’s the last you’ll hear from me on this issue. It was fun reading your blog and debating with you while it lasted. But I have to move on with my real life now… so I can become a card-carrying member of the “bourgeoisie” with a profession, a home, a domestic partner, etc. Peace.
February 21, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Kabir
i dont get upset at your dissenting view. i get upset at your mis representation of my blog. i get upset of your stereotyping attitude. Like your attempts to equte me with Mao and Stalin. This exactly was McCarthy’s attitude:
1) i for once dont support either Mao or Stalin i consider both to be monsterers to say the least
2.Only because i am critical of capitalism you come up with declaring me Maosts or Stalinist.
3.You appraently loaded usage of “real” in case of your life implying “non real” one for me only because i m critical of Capitalism i become a “non real” person and a “non real” life.
4.Your collaboration or complacency is not due to your opinion. It would have been perfectly alright if you would have said “Sherry i dont disagree with your opinion, i consider Capitalism to be a great economic system and i dont see Valentine day representing any of the things which you asserted”
But you have to declare homophobia a non real issue, i getting worked up on non issues, lets accept tyranny as it is, that my friend is not acceptable and your labelling any progressive opinion critical of Capitalism as stalinist or Maoists. That exactly what Mc Carthy did. Have you seen my membership of Communist Party? or its just like good old days that Arthur Miller becomes Pinko commmie only because he refused to betry his friends?? Time for you to watch Angles in America again as well as Crucible
Stop being judgemental and declaring things important for others as “non real” and “tangential”.
If you are happy to live in a bigotted world dont sent us House Un American cmtte only for being critical to Capitalism and daring to put an alternate voice
February 21, 2009 at 2:05 pm
And speaking of reality, real life, Which of my supporters have you seen here at my blog harrassing you?
Isnt this comment against uncalled for? Your opinion is appearing on my blog despite its offensive nature . You wish you never encounter a Stalinist or Fascist. Than you will know the difference. Get along with your real life living with bigotry , lets face it, its a heterocentric world. One day we will be asked to marry girls as well, lets face it, Most boys marry girls
thanks
February 21, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Correction:
Please read “Sherry i disagree with your opinion—–” in my comment
February 21, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Why do you insist on claiming that I don’t believe homophobia is a “real” problem? I never said that. I believe it is very much a real problem. I just don’t believe it is the only problem.
I didn’t mean to associate you personally with Mao or Stalin. I just used them as examples of ways in which the word “bourgouis” has a loaded meaning just like the word “commie”. Please see my quote from wiki again. it’s only when labels that we personally self-identify with are used against us that we believe they are perjoritive. I personally don’t really have a problem with you calling me bourgeouis, just letting you know it’s a loaded term, it closes off the debate.
I support you on many of the fundementals of the issue. If you want true progress in the world, you have to work on convincing people who are not hundred percent with you that your POV is the right one. Preaching to the choir isn’t the most effective way of helping the disenfranchised.
btw, darling.. it’s “Angels in America”, Angles means something totally different, just letting you know
February 21, 2009 at 6:57 pm
please disregard my last sentence. Upon reflection, I realise it makes me sound like a bitchy queen, and I don’t want to create that impression.
Again, I agree with you on the fundementals. I just think that this particular holiday is not as important or symbolic as you percieve it to be. Do the majority of people in Pakistan or South Asia in general even notice/care about it? That’s an emperical question, which some research will help us answer.
Sherry, I really respect your blog and your opinions. I didn’t mean to be insensitive and offensive. I guess this is what makes online communication harder than face-to-face, because then you could use my tone of voice or facial expression or something to judge my intent. It’s easy to take something written out of context. Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt:). I look forward to reading your take on other issues.
February 21, 2009 at 8:09 pm
O sweetie dont bother, lets agree to disagree.
and thanks for proof reading and correction, literature education is paying off . lol
I respect your opinions
Cheers
February 21, 2009 at 8:26 pm
🙂 Lol, literature education is really paying off… probably going to end up being an editor somewhere, reading people’s bad manuscripts and getting frustrated by grammer errors… shudder
February 21, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Lafaz Taseer se banta he talafuz se nahi
Ahel e dil aah bhi hein , ahel Zuban se aage
Teri dehleez he kiya kon or maka’n se aage
Jis se pocho yehi kehta he, yaha se aage—-
Faraz
February 21, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Thanks for the poetry… my Urdu is not that good and I was all confused… had to get my dad to explain it to me, but I think it’s clear now:) (he’s probably wondering why some guy is sending me urdu poetry… at least it’s not love poetry)
February 21, 2009 at 8:48 pm
How touching
February 21, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Raat uski he, neend uski he,dimag uska he
Teri Zulfe’n jiske kandhe pe parishan ho gaye’n
Now thats romanic and honey dont ask this one from your dad. A friend will be more appropriate
[:-)]
February 21, 2009 at 8:56 pm
now that i get, i’m good with romantic poetry, just not poetry that uses big words… ( i love faiz sahab’s romantic poetry).
we should take this conversation off ur blog, it shouldn’t be held in the public eye (blushing coyly)
February 21, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Now now sweetie pie, what do you expect from a follower of Foucault on public flirting, and on this blushing Faiz said
Kis tarah aariz e mehboob ka shaffaf bilor
Yaka yuk bada e Ahmer se dekh jata he
Kis tarach gulchee’n ke liye jhuki he khud shakh e gulab
Kis Tarah magroor hasenao’n ke barfab se Jism
Garam hatho ki hararat se pighel jate hein—
i expect more blushing.
February 21, 2009 at 9:15 pm
gar muhjay isk ka yaqeen hota meray hamdam meray dost:) I always associate this poem with Tina Sani’s vocal version of it.
How is your urdu so good even after being born and brought up abroad (if i recall correctly)? I understand it and speak it, but most urdu poetry goes way over my head, despite the best efforts of the valdain.
February 21, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Effort honey. i am obsessed with muslim cultural identity.
Hey sugar i can flirt in English as well
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep
[Neruda]
February 21, 2009 at 9:38 pm
beautful.. especially the last two stanzas. Here’s one for you:
How like a winter hath my absence been
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen, What old December’s bareness everywhere!
And yet this time removed was summer’s time,
The teeming autumn big with rich increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime
Like widowed wombs after their lords’ decease.
Yet this abudant issue seemed to me
But hope of orphns and unfathered fruit,
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,
And thou away, the very birds are mute;
Or if they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheer
That leaves look pale, dreading the winter’s near
[Shakespeare Sonnet 97]… putting the lit degree to good use:)
February 21, 2009 at 9:39 pm
incidently this is from the section of the sonnet sequence (the bulk of the sonnets actually) written to the “young man”… so not only is it love poetry but homoerotic love poetry:)
February 21, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Now i have to find something from Byron or Wilde. lets see
February 21, 2009 at 9:52 pm
The Cornelian
No specious splendour of this stone
Endears it to my memory ever;
With lustre only once it shone,
And blushes modest as the giver.
Some, who can sneer at friendship’s ties,
Have, for my weakness, oft reprov’d me;
Yet still the simple gift I prize,
For I am sure, the giver lov’d me.
He offer’d it with downcast look,
As fearful that I might refuse it;
I told him, when the gift I took,
My only fear should be, to lose it.
This pledge attentively I view’d,
And sparkling as I held it near,
Methought one drop the stone bedew’d,
And, ever since, I’ve lov’d a tear.
Still, to adorn his humble youth,
Nor wealth nor birth their treasures yield;
But he, who seeks the flowers of truth,
Must quit the garden, for the field.
‘Tis not the plant uprear’d in sloth,
Which beauty shews, and sheds perfume;
The flowers, which yield the most of both,
In Nature’s wild luxuriance bloom.
Had Fortune aided Nature’s care,
For once forgetting to be blind,
His would have been an ample share,
If well proportioned to his mind.
But had the Goddess clearly seen,
His form had fix’d her fickle breast;
Her countless hoards would his have been,
And none remain’d to give the rest.
[Byron]
February 21, 2009 at 11:11 pm
wow, this truely the most literary and erudite flirting I’ve ever done… is this how it was in the bad old days when men whispered poetic allusions to each other which only those in the know could understand, and if someone not in the know chanced to hear, you could always say “it’s only poetry, doesn’t mean anything” Modern flirting is so unsophisticated, in contrast.
Am reading a book called “Love between Men in English Literature” by Paul Hammond. It’s quite interesting…
Will continue our little exchange when I find an appropriate poem:)
August 28, 2010 at 5:24 pm
[…] Capitalism and Love: Alternate Voices on Valentine’s Day … […]