Faiz Ahmed Faiz & Rasul Gamzatov: Two Romantic Socialists

Faiz and Rasul Gamzatov

Rasul Gamzatov (Hamzatil Rasul) is regarded one of the most prolific poets of Dagestan, known for his poems in Avar Language. He also belonged to the same league of romantic socialists like Pablo Nerudu and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, something that manifests in their poems about people and their deprivations.

Like Faiz, Hamza Rasul was awarded the coveted Lenin Prize in 1963. Here is a selected poem by him, translated by Faiz and included in his Nuskha-ha-e-Wafa.

داغستانی خاتون اور اسکا شاعر بیٹا
اس نے جب بولنا نہ سیکھا تھا
اس کی ہر بات میں سمجھتی تھی
اب وہ شاعر بنا ہے نام ِ خدا
لیکن افسوس کوئی بات اس کی
مرے پلے ذرا نہیں پڑتی

Dagestani Lady and his Poet Son

When he had not learnt to speak

I understood everything he meant

By God, now he has become some Poet!

With sadness, I say that I don’t understand

Anything he says anymore.