Parsi orthodontist who writes Urdu poetry!

Date

August 30, 2006

Post by

arZan

Category

Art | Culture | Individuals

Dr. Navroze S. Kotwal is a qualified orthodontist but his true passion lies in writing Urdu ghazals. Which is rather unusual, we don’t know many Parsees …

Dr. Navroze S. Kotwal is a qualified orthodontist but his true passion lies in writing Urdu ghazals. Which is rather unusual, we don’t know many Parsees who have taken to Urdu the way Dr. Kotwal has. The interesting aspect is that he has not formally studied Urdu; he was so fascinated by the language that he decided to master it and so he did. Not he can not only write it but can even speak it and read it as well.

Although Dr. Kotwal has loved the language for years, he began to seriously pen Urdu poetry only recently. “My interest began in college when I heard my Muslim friends speak and literally fell in love with the language. But having my ghazals published has only been recent. I think it is a beautiful language,” he said.

Dr. Kotwal said that although Urdu has many forms of poetry, composed in praise of God, for the prophets, for royalty, but he writes for no particular purpose.

Here is an example of his talent. This ghazal expresses his thoughts about last week’s bomb blasts?

Nikley the kal jo subh ko karte hue salaam

Lamtey na ghar ko, aa hi gayi zindagi ki shaam

Jalti rahi dilon mein joy eh naar-e-intaqaam

Barbadiyon ke kisse na honge kabhi tamaam

Yun noch noch khaana, darinda sifat hai kaam

Insaan ne kyon mitadiya insaaniyat ka naam

Pahuncha ke zak kisiko, kiya bhi jo zer-e-daam

Mansab hua buland, yeh kaisa khayal-e-khaam

Ghaaratgari, fasaad, qahar, loot, qatl-e-aam

Kya ab yahi bacha hai yahan laayak-e-anaam

Ab tog jhuda ke waste, jhagde karein tamaam

Hindu ke lab pe Allah to, muslim pukare raam

Navroze dast-e-dil mein mogabbat ko aise thaam

Insaaniyat ko duniya mein har jaa mite dawaam

Original article here

3 Comments

  1. Nairika

    Beautiful poetry!!! Please make corrections as requested below.

    In the second line. The first word is supposed to be ‘Lautey’ not laMtey. Also, third line is ‘jo yeh’ not joY eh. Eleventh line is to read ‘Ab toh Khuda’ not Ab tog jhuda. Thirteenth line it is ‘mohabbat’ not moGabbat. Last line should read ‘mile dawaam’ not miTe dawaam. Thanks.

  2. Nairika

    Beautiful poetry!!! Please make corrections as requested below.

    In the second line. The first word is supposed to be ‘Lautey’ not laMtey. Also, third line is ‘jo yeh’ not joY eh. Eleventh line is to read ‘Ab toh Khuda’ not Ab tog jhuda. Thirteenth line it is ‘mohabbat’ not moGabbat. Last line should read ‘mile dawaam’ not miTe dawaam. Thanks.

  3. Nairika

    Beautiful poetry!!! Please make corrections as requested below.

    In the second line. The first word is supposed to be ‘Lautey’ not laMtey. Also, third line is ‘jo yeh’ not joY eh. Eleventh line is to read ‘Ab toh Khuda’ not Ab tog jhuda. Thirteenth line it is ‘mohabbat’ not moGabbat. Last line should read ‘mile dawaam’ not miTe dawaam. Thanks.