Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer
Encyclopedia
Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer (1803–1875) ( Urdu: مرزا سلامت علی دبیر ) was a leading Urdu
poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya
writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anis.
Mirza Dabeer was born in 1803 in Delhi
. He started reciting marsiya since childhood during muharram
ceremonial gatherings called majalis (singular-majlis
). He started writing poetry under the tutelage of Mir Muzaffar Husain Zameer. Dabeer himself was an erudite scholar of his time. He migrated from Delhi to Lucknow, where he found suitable environment to develop and demonstrarte his skills in marsiya writing.
According to Maulana Muhammad Husain Azad in Aab-e-Hayat quoting Tazkira
-e-Sarapa Sukhan, there is confusion regarding his father's name because of two different names mentioned in Tazkira
-as-Ghulam Husain /Mirza Agha Jan Kaghazfarosh. Mirza Dabeer died in Lucknow in 1875 and is buried there.
, A.H.
1292 [1875-76], at the age of 72 years. In his lifetime he must have written at least three thousand elegies. Not counting his salāms and nauhas and quatrains. He wrote a dotless elegy (be-nuqta) of which the opening verse is:
Hum tale-e-Huma murad hum rasa hua
Meaning:
My far-reaching imagination has the same fortune-star as the Huma
In it, he used (the dotless) Utārid or Atarid Jupiter
instead of Dabeer for a pen-name.
And there's no doubt that with him elegy composition in India reached its conclusion. Now no such time will come, nor will such accomplished persons be born (Frances W. Pritchett translation).
List of Marsiah by Dabeer:
Although Dabeer's poetic expression found expression in the genre of marsiya but he made use of other forms of Urdu poetry, viz., salaam and rubai, he seldom wrote ghazals too. A couplet from one of his salaams is a clear example of his genius comparable to Ghalib:
Meaning:
. Their rivalry led to the development of two distinct styles/schools of Marsiya-nigari or marsiya
writing at its inception. The staunch supporters of each of the masters identified themselves as "Aneesiya" and "Dabeeriya". The impact of rivalry was so intense that the followers could neither free themselves from their influence nor surpass either master's brilliance.
Although the populace divided themselves into two separate groups the two poets remained at cordial terms and acknowledged each other with great respect. When Anis died in 1874, Dabeer penned the following couplet as a tribute to the departed poet:
Aasman Be Mah-i-Kamil Sidrah Be Ruhul Amin
Toor-i-Sina Be Kalimullah Mimbar Be Anis
- adopted by them became synonymous with the identity of marsiya.
Dabeer along with Anis influenced two major aspects of the socio-cultural life of the Indian sub-continent. One is literature and other is azadari tradition of the sub-continent.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya
Marsia
Marsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...
writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anis.
Mirza Dabeer was born in 1803 in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. He started reciting marsiya since childhood during muharram
Muharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
ceremonial gatherings called majalis (singular-majlis
Majlis
' , is an Arabic term meaning "a place of sitting", used in the context of "council", to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups be it administrative, social or religious in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries...
). He started writing poetry under the tutelage of Mir Muzaffar Husain Zameer. Dabeer himself was an erudite scholar of his time. He migrated from Delhi to Lucknow, where he found suitable environment to develop and demonstrarte his skills in marsiya writing.
According to Maulana Muhammad Husain Azad in Aab-e-Hayat quoting Tazkira
Tazkira
Tazkira is one of the principal forms of Persian literature and also Urdu literature. Tazkira is a type biographical anthology, almost always of poetry alone...
-e-Sarapa Sukhan, there is confusion regarding his father's name because of two different names mentioned in Tazkira
Tazkira
Tazkira is one of the principal forms of Persian literature and also Urdu literature. Tazkira is a type biographical anthology, almost always of poetry alone...
-as-Ghulam Husain /Mirza Agha Jan Kaghazfarosh. Mirza Dabeer died in Lucknow in 1875 and is buried there.
Works
According to Muhammad Husain Azad in Aab-e-Hayat: Mirzā Sahib died on the 29th of MuharramMuharram
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...
, A.H.
Hijri year
The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...
1292 [1875-76], at the age of 72 years. In his lifetime he must have written at least three thousand elegies. Not counting his salāms and nauhas and quatrains. He wrote a dotless elegy (be-nuqta) of which the opening verse is:
Hum tale-e-Huma murad hum rasa hua
Meaning:
My far-reaching imagination has the same fortune-star as the Huma
In it, he used (the dotless) Utārid or Atarid Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
instead of Dabeer for a pen-name.
And there's no doubt that with him elegy composition in India reached its conclusion. Now no such time will come, nor will such accomplished persons be born (Frances W. Pritchett translation).
List of Marsiah by Dabeer:
- Kis sher ki Amad hai ki Run kaanp raha hai
- Dast-e-Khuda Ka Quwat-e-Bazoo Husain hai
- Jab Chaley Yasrab Se Sibte Mustafa (SAW) Soo-e-Iraaq
- Bilqees paasbaan hai ye kiski janaab hai
- Paida Shua-E-Mehar Ki Miqraaz Jab Huee
Although Dabeer's poetic expression found expression in the genre of marsiya but he made use of other forms of Urdu poetry, viz., salaam and rubai, he seldom wrote ghazals too. A couplet from one of his salaams is a clear example of his genius comparable to Ghalib:
- Hurr fida pyaasa jo Shah par ho gaya
- Ai salami, qatra tha samandar ho gaya!
Meaning:
- When the thirsty Hurr (willingly) sacrificed his life for the Shah (Hussain);
- (Know) O salami, (O pilgrim)) In truth the drop became the entire ocean!
- Naqaash naqsh, Kaatib o Khat, Baani o Bina,
- Bood o Nabood, Zaat o Sifat, Hasti o Fana,
- Aadam Malak, Zameen Falak, Gard e Kimiya,
- Duniya o Deen, Hadoos o Qidam, Banda e khuda,
- Sab, Shahid e Kamal e Shahe Mashraqain hain,
- Jab Tak Khuda Ka Mulk hai, Malik Hussain hain.
Dabeer and Anis Rivalry
Anis and Dabeer rivalry is the most debated and talked about rivalry in Urdu literatureUrdu literature
Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written...
. Their rivalry led to the development of two distinct styles/schools of Marsiya-nigari or marsiya
Marsia
Marsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...
writing at its inception. The staunch supporters of each of the masters identified themselves as "Aneesiya" and "Dabeeriya". The impact of rivalry was so intense that the followers could neither free themselves from their influence nor surpass either master's brilliance.
Although the populace divided themselves into two separate groups the two poets remained at cordial terms and acknowledged each other with great respect. When Anis died in 1874, Dabeer penned the following couplet as a tribute to the departed poet:
Aasman Be Mah-i-Kamil Sidrah Be Ruhul Amin
Toor-i-Sina Be Kalimullah Mimbar Be Anis
Legacy
Dabeer, along with Anis, left an everlasting influence on Urdu literature and marsiya in particular. Marsiya, in its content and matter, allowed the two masters to demonstrate their artistry and command of Urdu language and idiom. At the same time epical nature of marsiya covered and dealt with entire range of emotions and ideas. It has both mystical and romantic appeal. All the contemporary and succeeding generations of poets who adopted marsiya as the genre of poetic expression and also others who took to other forms of poetry found it difficult to break away from the trends and standards set by these two masters. The names of Dabeer and Anis are inextricable whenever Urdu Marsia is mentioned. In short, marsiya attained its zenith under the poetic genius of Anis and Dabeer. Marsiya became synonymous with the names of these two masters and also the form-musaddasMusaddas
Musaddas is a genre of Urdu poetry in which each unit consists of 6 lines-sestain- . Famous early writers employing this form are Mir Anis and Dabeer. Maulana Altaf Husain Hali and Waheed Akhtar are other well known poets to find expression in this form of poetry. Particularly iconic is Hali's...
- adopted by them became synonymous with the identity of marsiya.
Dabeer along with Anis influenced two major aspects of the socio-cultural life of the Indian sub-continent. One is literature and other is azadari tradition of the sub-continent.
See also
- Mir Babbar Ali AnisMir Babar Ali AnisMir Babbar Ali Anees was a renowned Urdu poet. He was born in Faizabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1803 and died in 1874....
- MarsiyaMarsiaMarsiya is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain and his comrades of the Karbala...
- Azadari
- AshuraDay of AshuraThe Day of Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram.It is commemorated by Shia Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10...
- Riaz Ali Mirza, janki nagar colony, tolichowki
Suggested Readings
- Rooh-e-Anees (Muqaddma): Masood Hasan Rizvi
- Urdu Marsia ka Irteqa: Maseehuz-Zaman
- Mawazina-e-Anees-o-Dabeer: ShibliShibli NomaniAllamah Shibli Nomani was a respected scholar of Islam from Indian subcontinent during British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. He is known for the founding the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Darul Mussanifin in Azamgarh...
- Anees Shanasi: Gopi Chand NarangGopi Chand NarangGopi Chand Narang is an Indian scholar of Urdu language and literature, an eminent Urdu writer, scholar, critic and linguist. He is author of many books in Urdu, Hindi and English....
- Mirza Slamat Ali Dabeer: Mohd Zaman Azurdah (1981)
- Intekhab-e-Marasi : U. P. Urdu Academy.
- Muntakhab marasi-i Dabir by Dabir (1980)
- Javahir-i Dabir: Mirza Salamat Ali Dabir ke 14 marsiye (1986)
- Mirza Dabir ki marsiyah nigari by S. A Siddiqi (1980)
- Mu'azanah-yi Anis va Dabir: Mutala'ah, muhasabah, taqabul by Irshad Niyazi (2000)
- Talash-i Dabir by Kazim Ali Khan (1979)
- Urdu Marsiya by Sifarish Hussain Rizvi
- Urdu marsiye men Mirza Dabir ka maqam by Muzaffar Hasan Malik (1976)
- Sha'ir-i a'zam Mirza Salamat Ali Dabir: Tahqiqi mutala'ah by Akbar Haidari Kashmiri (1976)
External links
- http://dsal.uchicago.edu/digbooks/digpager.html?BOOKID=PK2167.A84&object=521 Aab-e hayat link to Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer
- http://drtaqiabedi.com/Books/SLAM-E-DABEER/ SALAM-E-DABEER
- http://drtaqiabedi.com/Books/MASNAVIYAT-E-DABEER/ MASNAVIYAT-E-DABEER
- http://drtaqiabedi.com/Books/MUJTEHID/ MUJTAHID-E-NAZM MIRZA DABEER (HAYAT SHAKHSIYAT AUR FUN)
- http://drtaqiabedi.com/Books/TALEH-E-MEHR/
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/shah-willayat/Marsiye/JC_0.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:34 Jab Chaley Yasrab Se Sibte Mustafa (SAW) Soo-e-Iraq
- http://akchagla.com/Masters%20of%20Marsiya.htm Masters of Marsia-Anees and Dabeer
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/shah-willayat/Marsiye/marsiyaNigari.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:37 Mir Anis & Mirza Dabeer: the battle is still on
- http://books.google.com/books?id=QxpSf_JV0pEC&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=mirza+dabir&source=web&ots=uIEPWq_BN_&sig=7fQYUwlBBBfY9a1TbL7dgEonPdM&hl=en#PPA30,M1 Reliving Karbala: Martyrdom in South Asian Memory. By SYED AKBAR HYDER . New York: Oxford University Press, 2006 (Link o google books)
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/marsiafoundation1/LinksToHadees-e-DilArticles.html&date=2009-10-26+02:17:22 Hadees-e-Dil Marsia Number
- http://www.al-islam.org/marsiya/title.htm Remembering Karbala Once Again-Selected Marsias of Meer Anis and Mirza Dabeer Translated by Syeda B. Raza
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/mehfileahlulbayt/marsiay1.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:49 History and Influence of Marsia on South Asian Culture
- http://www.pakistanlink.com/Letters/2004/March04/05/07.html The Year of Mirza Dabeer By Hasan Abidi
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/mehfileahlulbayt/marsia10.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:46 Abstracts from Marsia by Dabeer
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/mehfileahlulbayt/marsiay3.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:52 Mir Anis and Karbala
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/mehfileahlulbayt/marsiay4.html&date=2009-10-26+02:28:56 Brief introduction to Urdu Marsia
- http://www.urdustan.com/history.htm Brief history of Urdu poetry