2nd SHAIKH AYAZ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
November 7-10, 2008
Faculty
of Arts, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
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2nd SHAIKH AYAZ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE November 7-10, 2008 |
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Shaikh Ayaz Co-Sponsors: 1. HEC Pakistan 2. Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur 3. National Language Authority, Islamabad
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Shaikh Ayaz
March 23, 1923 - December 28, 1997
Shaikh Ayaz is, of course, a versatile literary figure of the country. It is better to know him through the critics’ writings on him.
J. M. Girglani in his book Immortal Poetry of Shaikh Ayaz, (2003) writes: Shaikh Ayaz is a darling poet of Sindh. Common people dance to the tunes of his musical poetry. Intellectuals discuss his poetry in their sittings and wonder at the vast canvas of his poetry encompassing not only Sindh and Hind, but the entire world. His poetry is considered an accident, because it is quite different from and far superior not only to compositions of his contemporary poets but all other Sindhi poets of the past except the great Shah (Abdul Latif) who is acknowledged as the greatest ever Sindhi poet. Some scholars consider him as the continuum of Shah. Yet others consider him as extension of Tagore and Kalidas also.
Asif Farrukhi and Shah Muhammad Pirzada, in their book The Storm’s Call for Prayers (1999) write, Shaikh Ayaz is one of the major voices in twentieth century. His literary career spanned almost six decades and displayed an amazing variety of poetry and prose, ranging from the traditional bait, wa’i, and ghazal, to plays in verse, prose poems, and even musings, and extending to fiction, memoirs and journals, polemical and literary essays, newspaper articles and editorials. To each genre he brought his unique vision and transforming power of language. Shaikh Ayaz is displayed in his poetry as a poet of the earth and the people, steeped in the folklore and traditions of the soil that nourished his imagination, and at the same time a thoroughly modern and consummate craftsman whose work is delicate as the butterfly’s wing and powerful as the lion’s roar. These translations, rich and varied, are drawn from the poet’s life-work recreating in the English language `the voice of Sindh`-as such he is to Sindh what Garcia Lorca is to Spain, Pablo Neruda to Latin America, Yannis Ritsos to Greece, and Nazim Hekmat to Turkey.
The great poet and litterateur Shaikh Mubarak Ali Ayaz was born on 2nd March 1923 in Shikarpur, Sindh. He died on December 28, 1997. Shaikh Ayaz belongs to eternity, like the classical masters of all the languages of the world.
The
well-known Sindhi scholar and Ayaz’s critic, Ibrahim Joyo (2007), says
people in crisis often stumble on their saviours, their healers. The point
is not that they deserve them
or don’t deserve them. The point is that times need them. Shaikh Ayaz,
born on the eve of the second quarter of twentieth century, was such a
needed rarity for the people of Sindh. Dr. Jetho Lalwani, an Indian scholar, writes (2007), Shaikh Ayaz is one of the greatest poets of Sindhi Literature. Every Sindhi living in Pakistan and India is quite familiar to him. The young generation has given him the place in their hearts and are inspired to write about him. Sheikh Ayaz has written a lot in prose as well as in poetry. He is progressive, revolutionary, national & international poet. His poetry has also led the Sindhi society to right direction. His love for Sindh & attachment towards humanity are apparent in his poetry. In India he occupies a high honor as a poet. He has penned on modern as well as ancient poetry that includes “Waayi”, “Kafi”, “Gazal”, “Songs”, “Kitao”, “Trio”, “Rhyme”, “Haiko”, “Free Poems”, “Chhejj”, couplets and folk songs.
References: Asif
Farrukhi and Shah Muhammad Pirzada (1999), The Storm's Call for
Prayers, Oxford
University Press.
J.
M. Girglani (2003), Immortal Poetry of Shaikh Ayaz, Indian Institute
of Sindhology, Adipur-Gandhidham, India.
Dr.
Jetho Lalwani, (2007) The Great Poet of Sind - Shaikh Ayaz in Sangi
M.K (editor) 2007, Program & Book of
Abstracts, Shaikh Ayaz International Conference on Language and
Literature, Faculty of Arts, University of Sindh.
Muhammad
Ibrahim Joyo, (2007)
Shaikh Ayaz Remembered As a Poet ans as Chief Administrator of Sindh
University, Paper presented in Shaikh Ayaz International Conference on Language and
Literature, Faculty of Arts, University of Sindh.
Source:
Sangi M.K (editor) 2007, Program & Book of
Abstracts, Shaikh Ayaz International Conference on Language and
Literature, Faculty of Arts, University of Sindh.
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