What The Himalaya Said And Other Poems
INTRODUCTION
When Mr. Syed Ameeruddin had requested me to write an Introduction to his book of poems, I felt somewhat hesitant to consent because I am not a poet. But still my affection for and friendship with Mr. Ameeruddin, no less than* my intense love for Indo-Anglian literature have prompted me to undertake this delicate task of writing an introduction.
"The proof of the pudding lies in its taste" is an old adage which is applicable to literature, particularly poetry. Yet, to continue the metaphor, it might be useful to the one who wants to taste the pudding, as well as to the one who has made it, if someone were there to offer a brief and general description of the inviting dish. This is precisely what I try to do in the next few paragraphs, a brief and general description of Mr. Ameeruddin's poetic themes and achievement.
Mr. Ameeruddin tries to grapple with the concept of time in his poem "Value of Timelessness". Time is continuous, "a flow of eternal constancy". The poet considers timelessness as the ultimate reality that man should realise; this recognition on the part of man is urgently called for.
The cycle of human civilisation is embedded in timelessness; so also the great opposites : Harmony and Havoc, Peace and Anarchy, Day and Night. The Philosophical equation is simply stated thus:
" Man clings to life
And life clings to Time
Time clings to Universe
And the Universe rests in Timelessness".
In "What the Himalaya said", the title poem, we get a Himalayan censure and expostulation regarding our "Cursed gifts": Drought, Sterility, fragility — lack of fertility; Discomfori, discontentment — dissatisfaction. "The Poet's eyes roll up in a fine frenzy and catch a glimpse of the Himalayas". "The eternal titanic pillars, which connect the Heaven and the Earth". They are cold and merciless but hortatory. Faith, Hope, Truth and Love have been relegated to a back seat in our modern materialistic civilization. The Himalayas thunder their condemnation and roar their reverberating message :
"............follow the two principles
The Self-Discipline and the Self-Realisation !
Then go back to your own, ancient heritage ......"
Bakti Yoga (the path of Devotion), Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge), and Karma Yoga (the path of Action) are the final message of the Himalayas to the erring mankind.
In "Dome of Gold", a symbolic poem on life and the world, we are told in a paradoxical style how money mindedness has corroded the human spirit:
" Here life, is......in its lifelessness
Wisdom is......in its ignorance
Awareness is......in its unawareness
Religion is......in its irreligiousness
Because, the world is a dome of Gold
Man and Gold ......and Man's relations
are of Gold".
"Ignorance" is another poem which frankly tells us that "the claim of knowledge in itself is ignorance". It should make us think about the contemporary problem of human relations lacking in mutual understanding despite our progress in several branches of knowledge. This irony, according to Mr. Ameeruddin, is due to th© fact —"the man is unknown".
"To keep pace with the fleeing peace" has always been man's objective inspite of his pre-occupation with manifold activities. The age of Space technology is not an exception. If anything, has become more acute now than ever before, the modern man, "a product of disbelief", craves for the divine darling peace, which is defined by Mr. Ameeruddin as "an ineffable mystical joy". Peace which has been "the quest of all ages and the thirst of all men" is urgently wanted in our age of space.
"Blessings" is a prayer addressed to the Himalayas and other natural manifestations in God's creation. The poet's mood is one of rapture and contentment. The romantic joy that pervades the poem is almost infectious.
The last but one poem in this promising anthology, "Dolls of Clay", is so utterly realistic that one may even notice in it a slightly pessimistic note, for the dividing line between realism and pessimism is always invisibly thin. But the poetic tone is what matters as it determines the general tenor. Viewed in this light, "Dolls of Clay" seems to lay bare the transient, ephemeral and illusory characterof our vain-glorious achievements on the one hand and to exhort us to look beyond the glitter of the Dome of Gold or "The City of Glitter and Glory", on the other.
In the last poem called "Youth of our Time", the poet comes to grip with the contemporary theme of frustration of the young. The poem attempts to describe the restless situation, which in the opinion of the poet, is a sequel to the purposeless existence of the present day young men and women. The heartrending plight of the youth can, however, be ameliorated if, and only if, the younger generation dedicates itself to the ideals of "Bhakti, Jnana and Karma" (that is Devotion, Knowledge and Action). The imagery in the poem throughout reflects the impact of technological civilization on the poet's mind.
Mr. Syed Ameeruddin, as the readers may soon discover for themselves, has certainly got the makings and markings of a major Indo-Anglian poet, firmly rooted in the Indian tradition as evidenced by these poems. The contemporary relevance of his metaphysical, mystical themes is surprisingly striking. His facile and felicitous expression is impressive. The imagery and the symbols, so expertly employed by the poet, need further critical explication in so far as they are characteristic of the Indian ethos.
In my opinion, Mr. Ameeruddin's book of Poems—his maiden effort — not only contains a good deal of promise but also offers a fair measure of fulfilment. May this be the harbinger of many more significant and satisfying contributions of poetry from Mr. Ameeruddin, our young and upcoming Indo-Anglian poet.
Dr. A. V. Krishna Rao
- I. T. Campus,
Madras-36.
September 22, 1972.
POEM
WHAT THE
HIMALAYA ... SAID
A deadly drought — A ghostly famine.
Dry whither — Sterile and Stagnant.
A turbulent Storm — A thundering earth-quake.
Fatal floods — human disaster
Dread — Panic — Menace and fury.
Echo's — yells — shouts and Screams
Bewilder — Baffle — Puzzle and embarrass.
Split after split and Rift after Rift.
Train of topsyturvy thoughts, ran in Brisk.
Sun's brilliant rays proved futile
The tranquil dawn turned opaque.
Encircled, enveloped in its own set up
And succumbed contentfully, to the
Above said "Unremedied Malady".
Filth and Dirt, struck poignantly
In the long, deep avenues of pure vision
Dazzling light of the mental screen
Faded dim, lost its spark and gleam.
Dull, Drowsy — indolent and lauguish
Streaming through every nerve of mine.
On the whole, over all
Deserted-ness, a complete despair,
An acute cryptic delirium
A torturing crux......
This is the Prevailing......
Crucial state of mind.
The Himalayas ...! The eternal
Titanic pillars, which connect
The Heaven and the Earth.
The Eternal monarchs of......
One-ness — and immutability.
The embodiment of purity,
Divinity and colossal grandeur.
Sublime, up, above, from a distance,
And from a time — Immemorial
Witnessing and observing
The prevailing state of — mutables.
............One day
I soard up to Himalayas
With my tired eyes, and
Drought stricken empty mind,
I was immediately, thrust 'aback ...
Something like a ray of light
Passed in me — from toe to head,
Stupor I felt, my nerves paralysed ...
And everything in me ... at a standstill.
My eyes fluttered — and the limbs trembled
All of a sudden — my lips started,
Quivering ... in awe and fright.
........Then a voice
Trickled from the depths of my Bosom ...
... Pity ! Pity ! — Shower Mercy ! ...
Compassion! Kind! Bliss! ... and
Bless from this stagnation.
Show the Path, ... The light! ...
The way of salvation ... Salvation !
.........To the great Bewilderment
A thundering Uproar ... flashed !
From it a miraculous resonance
Of Drum beat, a Tandem echoed ...
Next a dazzling light sparkled ...
All over the Peak of Himalaya.
........Then from that
All enveloped — thick — dark clouds
An extra — ordinary ... to say
A mysterious ... Voice Rambled ...
... Poor being ! ... Regret!
No salvation from this riddle !!
Salvation you crave is undeserved !!
No condole ! No condone ! No Remedy !
From the entangled, Trauma and Tribulation!!
Drought, sterility, fragility — Lack of fertility
Discomfort, Discontentment — dissatisfaction ...
Are all the cursed gifts ... to you ... from the
Unknown.
Its your own weakness of the ephemeral glitter
Its the sensuous slumber — and the ignorance
That enslaved you to all — transient and illusion.
Relinquished the path of disciplined Divinity
Deliberately drawn the curtains to the rays of Reality
Believed in Blood ... Passion and Lust.
Broke the Screen of sanctity — love to one another
Heart became empty of spirit, Mind full of Dirt.
Faith, Hope, Truth and Love,
The age old rites, the principles of life
You trounce them off ... at will, and Meyopy
To seek your abode in flesh and Matter.
........From that all enveloped
Thick — dark clouds ... a thousand thunders
Broken, and made the whole atmosphere resound.
No condole ! No condone ! No remedy !
From the entangled Trauma and Tribulation.
Torture ! Suffering ! Torture! Suffering !
Suffering!! Torture !! Torture !! and Suffering ! !
After a while ... all the uproar ...
Fantastic and mysterious ... all vanished.
From it emerged an atmosphere of peace,
and a terrible ... Tranquility — Spread.
From it, rang an enchanting sound of solace ...
Its no doubt the sound of mysterious ... Tandave!
... Its never too late, there is a way
Just to retrospect, repent — take a twist in your way.
Just remember ! and follow the two principles
The self Discipline ! and the self Realisation !
Then go back to your own, ancient heritage ...
Delve deep — turn the page of your own Mystics
With self conscience — firm faith
Abide to the Supreme commands in it.
Then you will be one with ONE' ... amidst Bliss!
... After a while ... again
The same — frightening — all enveloped — Thick
And dark clouds ... spread over the Himalayas.
Again ... Mysterious — Unheard — Unimaginable ...
Innumerable sounds of Distraction ... Broke out.
From that ... a deadly thunder bolt flashed ...
It roared ... roared ... roared ... thrice ...
Each uproar ... Conveying a Supreme sense ...
Thrice it resounded ... with significant Meaning ... ...
BH ... K ... TI ... YO ... GAP !!
... GNA ... NA ... YO ... GA!! .
.. KA ... R ... MA ... YO ... GA!!
( BooK Describtion : What the Himalaya Said and other Poems - Published by -Kalaivendhan Publication - Chennai. in 1972 - Total 9 Poem in 46 Pages )