Dr Maqsood Jafri’s Immortal Poems: Beauty, Resistance and Hope

Book Review by Brigadier (Retd) Dr Waheed-uz-Zaman Tariq

Dr Maqsood Jafri is a poet of love, liberty, humanity and the troubled world. He is a prolific and versatile poet, writer and thinker whose creative world transcends the boundaries of a single language, literary tradition or geographical region. He has written poetry in seven languages, including English, Arabic, Urdu, Persian, Punjabi and Kashmiri. His command of English, Urdu and Persian is particularly remarkable, and his multilingual literary achievement reflects a mind deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of South Asia while remaining fully engaged with the intellectual and political concerns of the contemporary world.

Among his many books of English poetry are Love and Liberty, Songs of Sanity, Visions and Vistas, Songs of Humanity, and other collections that reveal the breadth of his poetic imagination. By now, 36 of his books of poetry and prose have been published. His poetry moves effortlessly between the personal and the universal, the beautiful and the tragic, the national and the global. He writes of love, liberty, nature, peace, justice, political oppression and the future of humanity.

The book I have recently received is, in many ways, a remarkable literary and intellectual treatise on the major questions confronting our age. It is not merely a collection of poems; it is the testimony of a sensitive and deeply concerned poet who observes the world with both a compassionate heart and a critical mind.

He is a poet with a global vision. His poetry is distinguished by its global vision. Although he is deeply attached to his homeland, culture and historical identity, his poetic concerns extend far beyond national boundaries. He speaks to humanity as a whole.

His poetry repeatedly raises questions that are relevant to every society: What is freedom? What is justice? Why does humanity continue to wage wars despite the lessons of history? Why do powerful nations impose their will upon weaker peoples? Can humanity survive if political ambition remains stronger than moral responsibility?

These questions give his poetry a distinctive intellectual character. His verse is not simply an aesthetic exercise. It is also a moral response to the world around him.

In this respect, his poetry reminds us that a poet can become the conscience of his age. He observes the suffering of people, the destruction caused by war, the tragedy of occupied lands and the ambitions of political powers, and transforms these experiences into poetry. His poetry book titled “Love and Liberty” is a clarion call for the enhancement of love passions for all and freedom from subjugation.

The very title Love and Liberty brings together two of the central ideas that run through his poetic thought. For him, love is not merely a romantic or personal emotion. It is love for humanity, compassion for the oppressed, respect for cultural diversity and the desire for peace among nations. Similarly, liberty is not merely political independence; it also means freedom of thought, dignity of the individual and liberation from oppression and fear.

In his poetry, love and liberty are inseparable. Where freedom is denied, human love is wounded; where love disappears, freedom becomes meaningless. This philosophical relationship between love and liberty gives his poetry a universal dimension. His poems may arise from the political realities of South Asia, but their message belongs to the entire human family.

Kashmir for him is beauty, memory and tragedy. One of the most moving dimensions of his poetry is his treatment of Kashmir.

His Kashmir is simultaneously a land of extraordinary natural beauty and a land marked by historical and political tragedy. He describes its springs, rivers, mountains, stones, flowers and seasons with deep affection. The beauty of the landscape becomes almost transcendental.

His verses celebrating Kashmir remind me of Allama Iqbal’s magnificent Saqi-Nama, in which Kashmir is presented not merely as a geographical territory but as a land of beauty, history and spiritual significance. His two books, published by the National Book Foundation, Islamabad, Government of Pakistan, titled “The Plight of Kashmir” and “Kashmir: Under Siege,” are remarkable books on Kashmir and the Kashmir issue.

His poetic vision similarly combines the aesthetic with the political. He sees the freshness of the water, the beauty of the landscape and the charm of the valleys, but behind this beauty, he also sees the suffering of the people.

In one of the poems dealing with Kashmir, he evokes a paradise on earth, describing the freshness of its waters and the preciousness of its pebbles. The imagery is deeply evocative. He writes:

“The springs gush forth with water fresh and cold,
The pebbles seem more precious than sterling pounds and gold”.

Such lines reveal the poet’s intimate emotional relationship with the land of his birth. Yet the poem is not merely an exercise in romantic description. The beauty of Kashmir is inseparable from the tragedy of its political history. The poet, therefore, becomes both a lover of nature and a witness to history.

Another particularly impressive poem in the collection, “Quaid-e-Azam: The Architect of a Nation,” is dedicated to the founder of Pakistan. I have personally written a poem about Quaid-e-Azam in Urdu, but while reading his poem in English, I was struck by the power of his thought and by the precision and force of the words he chose.

He presents Quaid-e-Azam as a leader whose words were like thunderbolts, shaking the foundations of an established order. He portrays him as a burning flame that illuminated the path of a nation through the turbulent storms of history.

The following lines capture the spirit of the poem:

“His words were thunderbolts, shaking foundations strong,
The burning flame that guided us through life’s turbulent storm.
He stood firm against the tides of despair,
And emerged victorious, with a nation to share”.

The poem is powerful because it does not merely praise Quaid-e-Azam as a national hero. It also speaks of the immense struggle behind the creation of Pakistan.

The birth of Pakistan was not an easy historical event. It emerged from a complex period of colonial rule, political conflict, communal tensions and constitutional negotiations. Against these enormous difficulties, Quaid-e-Azam demonstrated extraordinary determination, political vision and leadership.

His poem, therefore, becomes more than a tribute to an individual. It is also a poetic account of a nation’s struggle for freedom and self-determination.

“The Disasters of a Third World War” is perhaps one of the most relevant poems in the collection for troubled times. The poem imagines cities lying in ruins, homes reduced to dust and children crying amid the devastation of war. The poet condemns the greed for power and the “devilish game” of political ambition that brings destruction upon innocent people.

The poem inevitably reminds us of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the terrible destruction of the Second World War. But the poet’s warning is even more relevant today.

The nature of warfare has changed dramatically. Modern technology has transformed the battlefield. Drones, long-range missiles, artificial intelligence, cyber warfare and increasingly sophisticated weapons have made the possibility of mass destruction more terrifying than ever.

War is no longer confined to soldiers fighting on distant battlefields. Its consequences reach homes, schools, hospitals and ordinary families. Children and civilians often become its greatest victims.

Jafri’s anti-war poetry, therefore, carries a profound moral message. It asks a fundamental question:

If humanity has progressed so dramatically in science and technology, why has it not progressed equally in wisdom, compassion and moral responsibility?

This is one of the central paradoxes of our age. Humanity possesses extraordinary technological power, yet it continues to struggle with hatred, greed and violence.

The Third World and the Politics of Power is also a sensitive topic in his poetry. Professor Jafri’s poetry also reflects a deep concern with the political and economic condition of the developing world.

He questions the global structures of power in which stronger nations often determine the destiny of weaker countries. His poetry expresses concern about the manipulation of smaller nations for strategic and economic interests and about the suffering caused by political conflicts.

His criticism of the contemporary world order is ultimately rooted in a concern for human dignity. He does not advocate hatred between nations or civilizations. Rather, he calls for a world in which different cultures and civilizations can coexist with mutual respect.

His vision is, therefore, not one of division but of reconciliation. He strongly condemns religious extremism and racism. He wishes to see humanity united not by force, coercion or fear, but by dialogue, justice and mutual understanding.

The Indus Waters Treaty and contemporary issues are other important subjects for him. His engagement with contemporary political questions is another important feature of his work. Issues such as the Indus Waters Treaty demonstrate how deeply questions of politics, geography and human survival are interconnected.

Water is not merely a political resource. It is essential for life itself. The politics surrounding rivers and water-sharing agreements, therefore, have consequences for millions of ordinary people.

By bringing such contemporary issues into poetry, Professor Jafri demonstrates that poetry need not remain detached from the realities of the present. A poet can respond to international affairs, political conflicts and environmental concerns while still maintaining the emotional and imaginative power of poetry.

His multilingual literary achievements are praiseworthy. His achievement as a poet writing in seven languages deserves special recognition.

Each language carries its own history, rhythm, cultural memory and imaginative world. To write poetry in English, Arabic, Urdu, Persian, Punjabi and Kashmiri requires not merely linguistic competence but also an ability to enter different cultural and literary traditions.

His multilingualism has enriched his poetic vision. Persian connects him with the great classical tradition of Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz and other masters. Urdu connects him with the literary and cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent. Punjabi and Kashmiri bring the fragrance of the soil, the people and the landscapes of the region. English allows him to carry these experiences to an international readership.

In this sense, Professor Jafri’s English poetry becomes a bridge between cultures.

From the beauty of Kashmir to the ruins of war, perhaps the greatest strength of this collection lies in the extraordinary range of its themes. The poet can move from the beauty of Kashmir to the tragedy of war; from the personality of Quaid-e-Azam to the suffering of children; from the poetry of love to the politics of global power.

This movement between beauty and tragedy gives his work a distinctive emotional force. He sees the beauty of the world, but he also sees the wounds inflicted upon it. He celebrates freedom, but he remembers those who remain deprived of it. He praises national heroes, but his sympathies extend to humanity as a whole.

He condemns war, but he continues to believe in peace. He criticises political power, but his ultimate message is not hatred—it is humanity.

This book is a gift to humanity. This collection is a significant contribution to English-language poetry and a valuable gift to English-speaking readers.

Professor Dr Maqsood Jafri’s poetry invites readers to think beyond the boundaries of nation, religion, language and geography. It reminds us that the sufferings of humanity are interconnected.

The tragedy of Kashmir, the destruction of war, the struggle for national freedom and the dangers of global political ambition may appear to be separate subjects, but in Jafri’s poetic universe, they are connected by one central idea: the dignity of the human being.

That is why his poetry has an emotional as well as intellectual appeal. The reader is not simply informed; the reader is moved.

He is a poet of remarkable versatility whose work combines literary expression with intellectual engagement and moral responsibility. His poetry in seven languages reflects the breadth of his creative talent, while his English poetry opens a window through which international readers can encounter his vision of humanity.

His latest collection brings together love, liberty, beauty, nationalism, history, Kashmir, Quaid-e-Azam, war, peace and the great political questions of our time. It is the work of a poet who refuses to remain silent in the face of suffering. It is the work of a poet who believes that beauty must be defended, freedom must be cherished, injustice must be challenged and humanity must ultimately prevail.

In an age marked by wars, political conflicts, technological destruction and a growing crisis of trust between nations, Professor Jafri’s poetry offers a necessary reminder: the future of humanity cannot be secured by weapons alone. It can only be secured by wisdom, compassion, justice and peace.

His poetry is, therefore, not merely a literary achievement. It is a moral appeal, a call to humanity to rediscover its conscience. And that, perhaps, is the greatest gift to humanity.

Categories: Book Review, Poetry

Tags: English Language, English Literature, poem, Poetry, poets