An Afternoon with Faiz: "Raqeeb Se" at Andala Coffee House

While love is one of the most powerful emotions, it may be one of the least easily spoken about. In South Asian culture, ishq has long found its most sustained expression through poetry and song, even as it is often not spoken aloud in daily life. That restraint has been both a limitation, and, paradoxically, a source of unusual emotional depth and artistic expression.

Join us at Andala Coffee House (Cambridge) to read and discuss Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s 1941 poem, "Raqeeb Se,” in which the poet addresses a raqeeb—a rival in love—in a way that disrupts familiar expectations. Faiz initially gives voice to the intensity of his love and longing, but the experience gradually transforms into something much greater, inviting reflection on empathy, responsibility, and how our inner lives shape the way we see the world around us.

The poem is available on the Rekhta website https://tinyurl.com/raqib-se-poem (use the dropdown menu at top right to switch between Hindi, Urdu, and Roman scripts), and a vocal rendition by Madam Noor Jehan can be heard here https://tinyurl.com/raqeeb-se-listen

During this Meetup, we'll translate as necessary, and discuss the context of the poem, as well as possible interpretations. The discussion will be in Hindi and Urdu, so if you can have a basic discussion of poetry in Hindi, Urdu, Hinglish, or Urdish, with a little help as needed, feel free to join us.