Rashid Nazki: A poet who redecorated Kasher poetics
From devotional poetry to Philosophical poetry or from classical style to modern genre Nazki almost encompasses all the genres harnessed by his predecessors. Nazki, though a guardian of classical and traditional aesthetics, often bridges the temporal divide to embrace the fragmented sensibilities of modern and postmodern art as evident from his poetry. Nazki emerged as a poet of a new dawn, a luminous contemporary of Rehman Rahi, with whom he shared not merely a literary moment but a creative destiny. Together, they undertook the delicate yet daring task of redecorating and redesigning Kasher poetics—reimagining its contours, expanding its horizons, and infusing it with a renewed aesthetic consciousness. Their dialogue was constant and fertile, an exchange of ideas and intuitions that sought to reshape Kashmiri poetry from within rather than rupture it from without. This collaboration—perhaps the most celebrated and certainly among the most instrumental in modern Kashmiri literary history—proved decisive in enriching Kasher poetry with fresh images, suggestive symbols, innovative metaphors, and a refined expressive vocabulary.
Within this shared creative space, the traditionally rooted and devotionally inclined poetic voice of Rahi drew subtle yet profound inspiration from Rashid Nazki’s diction, intellectual clarity, and linguistic poise. Nazki, in turn, acted as a quiet enabler and aesthetic guide, facilitating Rahi in the crafting of his devotional poetry by lending it conceptual depth and stylistic precision (Letter 19 March 2006 from Rahi to Nazki).What emerged from this rare companionship was not imitation but illumination—a convergence where tradition found new resonance through modern articulation, and innovation remained anchored in cultural memory. Their shared legacy stands as a testament to how creative collaboration, rooted in mutual respect and intellectual generosity, can transform an entire poetic tradition and usher it into a richer, more nuanced age. A close and contemplative reading of Rashid Nazki presents his different shadows to the reader who finds Nazki as trendsetter at one place, traditionalist at other place and anti-tradition at another place; besides that one can find modern and postmodern shades in his art.
Nazki’s famous poetry collection Vahrat might be a traditional or classical abode of poetry but dwells within a diversity of expressions, images, ideas and philosophies. The anthology opens with distinctive and diverse shades of devotional poetry; continues with a famous fourteen page metaphysical poem Isra, narrating artistically the journey of Prophet’s (PBUH) ascension with colors of metaphysical, ontological and epistemological elements. Isra gives us the sense of philosophical and spiritual level Nazki encompasses. Though we have Mi‘rāj Nama of Shams Faqeer, Wahab Khaar, Mhemood Gami, Ahad Bakshi and Lal Aragami but Nazki’s Isra is a masterpiece decorated with almost all elements of literature, art, philosophy, spirituality and science. The introduction of Isra - Arsh-o-Kursi te aasman-o-zameen / Vird Khuvan Ismi Ahmaduk im shab Jabriel-i-Ameen ba sidra pelyeth/ tifl-i-nav harf-i-abjaduk im shab ( From Arsh -God’s throne - to earths and skies, everything was intoning the Ahmad’s epithet that night).
Nazki has beautifully opened the introduction of Isra (Meraj Nama) rendering the situation of earths, skies, angels and prophets when the sacred journey set up. He explains everything in introductory lines of the poem when he says that Angel Jabriel (Gabriel- the highest level of consciousness) who has access to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (highest level of created knowledge) was like a Tifl-i-Nav (beginner) on that night. Nazki has employed the metaphysical nuances to kill the raison d’être. It is a matter of record now that the linear time was suspended during the ascension, unfolded within a single night besides covering vast cosmic realms, challenging the experiential time (Zaman). Rashid Nazki expresses this metaphysical state of time in few verses as: Izin waqtus sapud zi khor tharav (Time was commanded to hold the pace), Pryeth maknus vonukh zi gardyesh band (Spaces were commanded to hold the rounds) and metaphysically symbolize that time is not absolute but a created existence. He illustrates that time and spaces were released as contingent dimensions of creation rather absolute realities, and say: Shesh jahatun sapun konyie yeksaan/ache vuzyes menz gab gye asmaan (Six dimensions turned into one and skies evanesced in a jiffy). Nazki’s stand is clear when he says that spatial limitations were obliterated, the distance during the journey to the heavens (Miʿrāj), was not passed through instinctively but ontologically and space (makān) lost its subjectivity to the ‘Absolute Command’. Authenticating the metaphysical and mystical basis of Miʿrāj, Nazki addressed rationalist as: bu-jhali yeuth viqaar kiya manun/aasmaani shuaar kiya zanun (ignorance can’t grasp such grandeur; it can’t comprehend the heavenly designs). So, unlike his predecessors who follow the waaq-i-mi‘rāj in their mi‘rājnamas, Nazki narrated the mi‘rāj artistically embedded within the metaphysical, ontological, phenomenological and mystical essentials. His Mi‘rājnama is exceptionally unique, differently great and enhanced than his predecessors. It is artistically and epistemologically loaded with all requisites essential for a mystic expression. Grierson says that ‘the metaphysical poetry, in the full sense of the term, is a poetry which, like that of the Divina Commedia, or Goethe’s Faust, has been inspired by a philosophical conception of the universe and the role assigned to the human spirit in the great drama of existence’. Reading Isra hooks a reader into the depths of metaphysical poetry and bears a resemblance to Dante’s Divine Comedia or Goethe’s Faust. Hence this poem can be regarded as meta-physical.
Rashid Nazki meets the standards as a metaphysical poet, he can be seen engaging himself with philosophical and theological ideas all across his poetry be it Nazam (Isra), Ghazal or his Vachun. His poetry carries almost all aspects of metaphysical poetry; a reader finds him employing Love and Death like Donne and dealing with religion like Herbert or like Vaughan he deals with nature or he can be seen expressing fear and frustration like Eliot. His poetry portrays a profound melancholy and cynicism as he says Hore neraan ta chemb gachan Aadam / yeore chyes laar itibar karev farsh, lalvaan che meyani khooneych dagg / arsh gulnar atibar karev. The downhearted and disillusioned Nazki further shrieks in this poem as, aysie che badrus ander faqat kyehn zayen/buss khuda yaar itibar karev (we are only a few in Badr-struglling; trust in God - a comrade.
Rashid Nazki’s poetry is based on the metaphysical tradition and uses metaphysical images to intellectualize the poetry. The basic elements of metaphysics like - mysticisms, theology, ontology and philosophy - constitute the basic themes of Nazki’s poetry. His famous Vachun - Mann sari panney tan yeli nouvum/adde paeth trovum doh kio raat……..Kathi rouss kathi hund maani azmovum/ adde paeth trovum doh kio raat is a key example of metaphysics revealing the inner struggle of Being, Existence and Soul. Poets touch the theology, catch a sight of mystical stations and momentarily reveal the spiritual; experiences in the Vachun. Nazki’s endeavor was to rise above the common literary approach of the time and comprehensively he has explored the niceties of existence and the enigmas of heavens. The use of symbols, paradox, imagery and imaginations, exploring challenging conventional understanding and encouraging introspection makes his artistic expression exceptional and unparalleled. Rashid Nazki who was an ace researcher, academician and writer deals with delicate themes of Divine, Existence, Being, Transcendence, Love, Beauty, Life, Death, Karbala as a mystic poet. Poetry ran in his blood, thus he himself said:
Asar Sharuk Dilyech Masti Chiana Aasan Khuda Daedye
Vanyen Kam Kiya Vanan Chaey Nazkus Sharuk Sanyer Baqi
(The Power in verses and ecstasy are not acquired
Say what they want, Nazki contains the depth in verses)
Mir Tariq Rasool, former Secretary Adbi Markaz Kamraz and Patron Kashmir Philosophical foundation.
