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Agha Shahid Ali, Kashmiri American Poet
February 4th 1949 - 8th December 2001
In this winter issue we mark Kashmiri American poet Agha Shahid Ali's
birthday which falls on Febuary 4th. Shahid had very short time on
this earth nevertheless the genius of his poetry blossomed and
continues to flourish in the West and is held dear in the valley.
Kashmir Lit salutes Shahid the person and the poet (although separating the two
is quite unnecessary). His incredible body of work is deeply entwined
with Kashmir, its tumultuous history, tragic beauty and the hardy burdened people. Incidentally, but not without reason Faiz Ahmad Faiz,
post colonial South Asia's greatest writer follows with his birthday on February 14th.
Faiz was, as is manifested in Shahid's careful translations of his
greatest poems, a spiritual and an intellectual inspiration to
Shahid and he remains the same to us!
"this is the shortest day.
He's taken there.
Those about to die are
looking at him,
his eyes the ledger of the disappeared..."
Excerpt from A Nostalgist's Map of America by Agha Shahid Ali,
published by W.W.Norton and Company. Copyright 1991 by Agha Shahid Ali,
"When we saw the
wounds of our country
appear on our skins,
we believed each word of
the healers.
Besides we remembered
so many cures,
it seemed any moment
all troubles would end...."
Excerpt from The Rebel's Silhouette by Faiz Ahmad Faiz,
translated by Agha Shahid Ali. Copyright 1991 by Agha Shahid Ali.
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