Throughout history, elegies have been composed in different languages. Shakespeare’s works, Grey’s Elegy in a Country Graveyard, the 400 verses of Mr John Pong on the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) and Mrs Sarojini Naidu’s Shab-i-Shahadat are different forms of elegies, according to Dr Syed Ali Imam Zaidi Gauhar Lakhnawi, an Indian writer, poet and scholar.
The term "marsiya" typically evokes thoughts of the martyrs of Karbala. However, compositions that lament and honour Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions who were martyred are commonly referred to as Karbalai marsiya. Prior to the emergence of Urdu, numerous poets composed marsiya in Arabic and Persian. According to the book Marsiye Ka Safar by Ashoor Kazmi, historical records highlight how Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) composed verses upon the passing of his uncle Hazrat Abu Talib (AS). Likewise, upon the demise of the Prophet (PBUH), elegies were written by his daughter Hazrat Fatima (AS). The illuminative instances collectively illustrate the nature and significance of these melancholic compositions.
The history of marsiya is intertwined with the cultural and literary developments of the Persian-speaking world, particularly within the context of Shia Islam. The works of classical Persian poets such as Ferdowsi, Nezami, and Saadi include verses mourning the deaths of heroes and lamenting tragedies. These themes laid the groundwork for the development of more explicit elegies centred on the events of Karbala.
Similar to its Persian counterpart, the history of Arabic marsiya is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious contexts of the Islamic world. The tradition of Arabic marsiya continued to develop during the medieval period and prominent Islamic scholars, poets, and literary figures contributed to this tradition by using their creativity to express the sorrow and emotional intensity associated with Karbala.
“Urdu marsiya pioneered in Deccan where it was said in banniya andaaz in the form of couplets,” shares Johar Abbas, a professor, poet and marsiya writer. “Before this era marsiya writers were brushed aside and the phrase ‘bigra shaayir marsiya goh’ was actually a taunt for poets who wrote marsiya. This was the time when Mir Taqi Mir and Mir Sauda were famous poets.
In his book Beesween Sadi Mein Jadeed Marsiya, Dr Hilal Naqvi writes that Sikandar Punjabi changed the two-verse marsiya to six verses, which is the latest form of marsiya. Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali was influenced by the six-verse style ― each stanza comprises six lines, each with a distinct rhyming scheme ― and adopted it in Musaddas-e-Hali. Nonetheless, in subsequent epochs, liberating itself from constraints, marsiya writing embraced diverse formats, but the musaddas style remained a preference.
Deccan and the classical marsiya
The emerging period of Urdu marsiya highlights Mirza Jaffar Faseeh, Mir Mustehsan Khaleeq, Chunnu Lal Dilgeer and Mir Zameer. A student of Mir Zameer, Mirza Salamat Ali Dabeer praised his own marsiya writing as follows:
Das main kahoon, sau main kahoon
Yeh vird hai mera
Jo bhi kahe, iss tarz main, shagird hai mera
“It is said that initially, classical marsiya was like a painting,” says Abbas. “After reading or hearing a recitation of the marsiya, one could vividly imagine the Karbala incident. Mir Zameer outlined the structure of writing marsiya such as chehra, rukhsat, aamad, sarapa, rajaz, tang, shahadat and bann.”
Anees and Dabeer were aware that poets often encountered disparaging comments, which prompted them to shift the direction of the genre of marsiya and infuse it with fresh theological perspectives. They made significant efforts to refine idioms and contribute novel expressions to Urdu literature through their marsiya compositions. Anees and Dabeer's influence led Mirza Ghalib to compose his sole marsiya, which is a departure from his typical works, and showcases the duo’s profound impact.
Haan aye nafs-e-bad-e-sahar shola fishaan ho
Aye Dajla-e-khoon chasm-e-malaik se rawaan ho
Aye zamzama-e-qum lab-e-Eesa pe fighan ho
Aye matam-e-yaan-e-shah-e-mazloom kahan ho
Bigrri hai bauhot baat banaye nahi banti
Ab ghar ko baghair aag lagaye nahi lagti
Abbas elaborated how Anees and Dabeer had created merits on marsiya writing so that classical marsiya was focused on specific words for a specific situation, without compromise on the merit of its meaning and proper placement as per the structure given by Dabeer.
According to Dr Syed Ali Imam, prior to Anees and Dabeer, poetry was limited to faith, discipline, unity in Islam, the Oneness of Allah, namaz, Prophet (PBUH)’s naat, and manqabaat of Hazrat Ali (AS), but Anees and Dabeer brought to it the feel of spring, autumn, swords, and Zuljanah in the form of marsiya. “With Mir Anees’s son Mir Khurshid Ali, Lucknow became the hub of marsiya poets,” he says. “And one after another, new poets emerged.”
After Anees and Dabeer passed away, marsiya poetry entered into Dabistan, a new era, and Dabistan-e-Anees, Dabistan-e-Dabeer, Dabistan-e-Rasheed, Dabistan-e-Ishq and Khandaan-e-Ijtehad followed and marsiya writing flourished. While Nafees, Jalees and Arif were renowned names in Dabistan-e-Anees; Dabistan-e-Dabeer had Auj and Shaad brandishing the flag of marsiya. Dabistan-e-Ishq comprised Ishq, Tashq, Pyaray Shab Rasheed and Shadeed, whose works powered the flow of marsiya in this period.
From classical to practical marsiya
In his book Josh ke Inqilabi Marsiye, Dr Hilal Naqvi writes that Josh was not religious but deeply influenced by his environment. Substantiating this, Abbas says that by comparing the independence of Muslims in the Subcontinent to the Karbala incident, Josh gave marsiya a practical form. This was the time when classical marsiya was dying and Josh’s Hussain aur inqilab which was clear message against the tyrannic British rule. Since his point of view on Karbala was different and rested on practical values, instead of being focused on the previously trodden narrative of mourning and ‘sawab,’ it instantly appealed to people and drew them closer to Imam Hussain (AS).
Rona buzdili ki alaamat hai
Josh also penned the following:
Jo jawan betay ki mayyat pe na roya woh Hussain
He portrayed the British rulers as tyrants and in the context of Karbala, he tried to convince Muslims to confront the Yazid of their time.
Lashkaron ko rond sakte hain bahattar admi
Jo ek nishan-e-tashna dehani tha woh Hussain
Gaiti pey arsh ki jo nishani tha woh Hussain
Jo khuld ka ameer-e-jawani tha woh Hussain
Jo ek san-e-jadeed ka bani tha woh Hussain
Jis ka lahu talatum-e-pinhaa’n liye huway
Har boond mein tha Nooh ka toofan liye huway
Shibli’s work
Muwazana-e-Anees-o-Dabeer by Maulana Shibli Nomani (1907) is known as the first critical analysis of poetry in where Maulana Shibli compared Anees and Dabeer. Many critics of this book feel that it has more content from Anees than Dabeer, which is a huge favour to Anees. Shibli wrote about different aspects of Urdu poetry and readily quoted Mir Anees while Dabeer is mostly mentioned where there was a lack of completion in the phrase. However, both Anees and Dabeer had an equal following and their followers were known as Aneesiya and Dabeeriya. Considering Shibli’s prowess in Arabic, Persian and, it is believed that this book was purchased by all poetry lovers and writers of the time. Ofcourse, it was more popular among followers of Anees, as it reflected Shibli’s preference for him.
However, Shibli mentions that in the later stages of his poetry, Dabeer mirrored a glimpse of Anees, which could also been seen in what Dabeer said about Anees, after his death:
Aasman bay maah-e-kaamil, sidrah bay rooh ul ameen
Toor-e-seena bay Kaleemullah, mimbar bay Anees
[A sky without the moon, the heavens without Gabriel
The mountain of Sinai without Moses, are all like poetry without Anees]
However, it is debatable whether Shibli favoured Anees, because that might have led him to alter the title of the book, but some scholars believe that Dabeer seems to have been shortchanged. A book called Rad ul Mawazna (writer not known) was written in the same year with a discussion on how Shibli was biased about Dabeer. Despite being somewhat a personal attack on Shibli, Rad ul Mawazna did not become popular the way Shibli’s book did.
While reviewing Shibli’s Muwazana-e-Anees-o-Dabeer on YouTube, Dr Tauseef Khan says that in 1914, Al-Meezan by Chaudhry Nazeer-ul-Hasan flaunted Dabeer’s stronger side to balance the disregard in Shibli’s book. Interestingly, he also mentions Shibli’s letter to Chaudhry Nazeer, appreciating his efforts on highlighting the stronger side of Dabeer’s poetry. Similar to what Shibli had done to Dabeer work in his critique, Al-Meezan included poetry by Anees with minute mistakes.
Interestingly, after Mawazna-e-Anees-o-Dabeer, poets began to cross check their poetry before publishing it.
Jadeed or modern marsiya
Modern marsiya has a topic which was absent in classical form, which had a format. Modern marsiya poets including Najam Effendi, Shahid Naqvi, Shadan Dehalvi, Dr Hilal Naqvi and Yadullah Haider were preceded by Naseem Amrohi who tried to create poetry in its latest form. After Mirza Dabeer, Amrohi wrote marsiya on death of 12 imams, whereas Anees had only written marsiya on Karbala and Imam Hussain (AS).
Dr Muhammad Reza Kazmi, author of The Blood of Hussain, describes another modern form of marsiya, the philosophical marsiya. Allama Jameel Mazhari wrote marsiya on pattern of Iqbal’s Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa. His marsiya questioned the reasons that led to the battle of Karbala.
Professor Dr Hilal Naqvi divides Jameel Mazhari’s marsiya writing into four different eras. The first being 1930-1940, when Irfan-e-ishq and Payaiman-e-wafa were written. The second era 1942-1951, when Mazhari wrote Azm-e-mohkam and Muzraab-e-shahadat. He wrote Arbaab-e-Wafa, Afsaana-e-Hasti and Sham-e-gharibaan in the third era 1952-63. In the last era 1963-1980, Mazhari changed his poetry into musaddas, inspired from Musaddas-e-Hali, and wrote Lamha-e-ghaur, Alamdar-e-wafa and Haqeeqat noor-o-naar.
Comparing Karbala to his time, Mazhari highlighted the lessons we need to learn from Karbala, apart from azadari. He portrayed Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions as real life heroes. This element was missing in the classical form of marsiya writing, because it was limited to the battle of Karbala and the hardships faced by Imam Hussain (AS).
According to Dr Kazmi, Syed Aale Raza is one poet who described Imam Hussain (AS) as a lawyer. Born in UP India, Syed Aale Raza moved to Pakistan and was the first person to recite marsiya in a majlis in Pakistan, post-independence.
Taskeen deh andooh-e-nihaan majlis hai
Gham apna bauhot hai jahan majlis hai
Allah re ghareeb-ul-watani ka aalam
Hum poochte phirthe hain kahan majlis hai
Dr Muhammad Reza Kazmi critiques the journey of marsiya
The elegy devoted to the tragedy of Karbala adopted in Urdu language in Deccan was brief, but most evocative. In Delhi, Shah Hatim chose the six-line stanza, but it could only gain universal acceptance in Awadh, where in the second generation of Lucknow masters led by Anees and Dabeer succeeded in making the marsiya akin to an epic. In terms of depiction these have remained master pieces.
The progeny of Anees though extremely polished in expression were subservient to the family tradition. Dabeer’s son, Mirza Auj challenged literary convention and used the marsiya a vehicle for social protest.
With the advent of the 20th century, two non-conformists and egalitarians Josh Malihabadi and Jameel Mazhari elevated Urdu marsiya to an art form against British rule. After Independence Ale Raza, Naseem Amrohvi, Zeba Rudolvi, Yawar Abbas and Safdar Husain emerged as prominent marsiya poets, while Dr Hilal Naqvi, Ahmed Naved, Shahab Safdar and Akhtar Usman are notable present-day marsiya poets.
The writer is a freelance journalist and a communication and events expert
All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer
Special thanks to Zahoor Book Centre Quetta, Dr Muhammad Reza Kazmi & Syed Johar Abbas
References: Marsiye ka Safar by Syed Ashoor Kazmi and Farogh-e-Marsiya by Asghar Mehdi