Orientalist Interpretations: Situating Faiz in the Global Intellectual Discourse

Abstract

Faiz Ahmed Faiz is such a literary figure on whom not only critics and researchers associated with Urdu and English literature in India and Pakistan have written, but also foreign writers and Orientalists have contributed significantly. A significant number of American, British, Russian, French, Japanese, and Australian Orientalists have also played a vital role in understanding and interpreting Faiz. In 1993, Estelle Dryland authored a critical book in which he examined various aspects of social realism in Faiz's work. Among American Orientalists, Carlo Coppola, A Sean Pue, Jennifer Dubrow, Naomi Lazard, and Peter Manuel have written papers on Faiz. British Orientalists who have written about him include Ralph Russell, David Matthews, Christopher Shackle, and Victor Kiernan, all of whom are significant names. Among Russian Orientalists, Ludmela Vessliva authored a book in Russian in 2002 analyzing Faiz’s personality and poetry. Other Russian scholars who contributed include Alexey Surkov, Mariam Selganik, Anna Suvorda, and Yuri Kornilov. Among French Orientalists, Denis Matringe is a notable name. Most of these Orientalists have focused on the analysis and interpretation of Faiz's poetry. However, some have also acted as translators and commentators. Some began their engagement with Faiz by translating his work and later moved toward critical analysis. A few have even written memoirs reflecting their personal experiences with Faiz or his poetry. In this research paper, a critical review will be undertaken of the books and articles written by these Orientalists on Faiz.

References:

1. Pue, A. S., Rethinking Modernism and Progressive Poetry: Faiz, Pakistan, Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2013, p. 1–25.
2. Russell, Ralph, The Pursuit of Urdu Literature, London, Zed Books, 1992, p. 242.
3. Manuel, Peter, Faiz and Indo-Pakistani Music, in Faiz: A Poet of Peace from Pakistan, ed. Khalid Sohail and Ashfaq Hussain, Karachi, Pakistan Study Centre, University of Karachi, 2011, p. 428.
4. Kiernan, V. G. (Trans.), Poems by Faiz, London, George Allen & Unwin, 1971, p. 38.
5. Jameel Jalibi, Dr., Pesh Lafz, Parwarish-e-Loah-o-Qalam az Ludmila Vasliyeva, Karachi: Oxford University Press, 2007, p. kh, d.
6. Syed Mazhar Jameel, Zikr-e-Faiz, Karachi: Mahkma-e-Saqafat, Hukoomat-e-Sindh, 2013, p. 1007.