Urdu Literature and more…
Posted in across the river on Feb 10th, 2012
I saw a picture today. A man’s picture. My husband’s friend – The Zonal Officer of a bank at that time. He attended our wedding. If I bring out my wedding album, you would see him sitting next to the groom with his hands raised like other guests, praying for love and prosperity for the [...]
Posted in across the river on Dec 16th, 2011
Dag Hammarskjold’s book – Markings – was a birthday gift from Prof Farhat Mahmood on Dec,2,1966. Every body used to think I was a very “parhaku” ( one whose only love was book reading) person. He also had given me a nick name – The wise one – which I hated. I mean come on, [...]
Posted in across the river on Sep 14th, 2011
Sometimes looking for an opening sentence spoils the feelings you want to save in words for other evenings, to read and enjoy. This is exactly what is happening to me. The feelings, the emotions, the happiness is so complete and wholesome that finding the right words- words, able to carry the essence of the moment- [...]
Posted in across the river on Aug 22nd, 2011
Last night, the twenty first night of the month of Ramadhan, I listened to the Munajat of Imam Ali and cried a million tears. It humbles me every time I read or listen to it. I mean, think for a moment that this is Imam Ali – the epitome of piety and spirituality, of knowledge, [...]
Posted in across the river on Feb 27th, 2011
I am thinking about Wah again. It is a feeling, a sensation, a fragrance that follows me around. It happens once or twice – every year. Suddenly I would feel transported to a place called Wah. For days after that I live in a parallel world that once was. Wah – my beautiful city where [...]
Posted in Uncategorized, across the river on Nov 19th, 2010
You break me in pieces I build me again for another day for a deeper sigh. But I know what you do not know. I will rise and win the war. Defeat you I will and celebrate celebrate the freedom. Freedom ….. the freedom I died for. (dedicated to the people of Pakistan)
Posted in across the river on Oct 14th, 2010
Our Sandhill Crane family is in distress. The babies are bird-confused. I don’t know what is going on in their bird-brains. They look at their mother who has been wailing ever since the male just up and left his family, flying away in these blue, sunny skies. I saw it happen. Around 1:30 in the [...]
Posted in across the river on Sep 24th, 2010
We have lost Mohsin Ehsan. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon my husband said, “I heard on BBC that Mohsin Ehsan has died.” We all, who knew him, knew it was coming. It was expected but still I felt something drop in my heart. I had received an email from Khalid Qureshi yesterday. He had [...]
Posted in across the river on Aug 26th, 2010
“ One justification for existence is only through helping people in their time of need. “
Posted in across the river on Aug 13th, 2010
“ The cause of human suffering is obsessive attachment to the concept of “my”. My wealth, my health, my comfort, my happiness, my son, my daughters. When they leave you one day, as they are bound to … suffering comes. ” Lord Buddha.
Riffat Murtaza
Urdu Literature and more…
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