EVEN EACH PIECE OF HIS GRAVE IS ALIVE!

MAHTAB BASHIR

03335363248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
ISLAMABAD

Many moons ago I visited an old book shop and bought one of the classics- book titled ‘Awaz-e-Dost’ authored by a former bureaucrat Mukhtar Masood. It was November 1994 edition consisted a  literary work, history and philosophy of the creation of Pakistan and an all encompassing book on the touchstone of humans and humane. 

While finishing off page number 229 with a Persian verse “Khaq-e-Qabarsh Az Min-O-Tu Zinda Tar” I found

my father around, knowing the fact there is no suitable person than him on earth to translate this verse as being the great scholar of Persian lingo.  Wasting no time I hurried to ask him the meaning. It was like sending Sachin Tendulkar to a sub-continental track to bat on. Father smiled as he always did and started of “....... Uski Qabar Ki Matti Bhi Mujh Or Tujh Se Ziada Zinda He” (Even the soil of his grave is more alive than you and me). 

Now today, as I am standing on the grave of my great father Bashir Hussain Nazim, it seems there’s no such person for whom this verse suits. With the tears in my eyes and his intellectual thoughts in my mind I read this verse silently before going for Fatiha.

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