The lovely month April is now upon us and we cannot escape its charms. Springtime is at its peak and the world is coming back to new life after the winter has departed . This is the month for poets to get fresh inspiration, for lovers to be filled with new hope, for children to come out in the lovely evenings to play and for nature to rejuvenate itself. The poet, William Henry Davies says in his poem “April’s Charms”:
When April scatters charms of primrose gold
Among the copper leaves in thickets old,
And singing skylarks from the meadows rise,
To twinkle like black stars in sunny skies;
When I can hear the small woodpecker ring
Time on a tree for all the birds that sing;
And hear the pleasant cuckoo, loud and long --
The simple bird that thinks two notes a song;
…….When I go forth on such a pleasant day,
One breath outdoors takes all my cares away”
The summer is yet a little while away and God gives us these April days to be calm and joyful, to enjoy the delights of nature and lose ourselves in the charming days and nights of this fourth month of the year . Life reinvents itself every spring , bringing in a feeling of optimism to many who remain depressed in the winter months. Hope and joy seem to be the inherent elements of April besides the splendour of the natural world it unfolds before our eyes..Many pilgrimages also begin in April when people find it easy to travel and seek spiritual strength from these sojourns. It is time to connect closely with the divine power within our souls. Chaucer’s pilgrims in Canterbury Tales also begin their journey to Canterbury in April. Rain in April-the April showers- creates a magic that adds to the charm of the spring season. This rain does not make us retreat within our homes like the rain in winter does. It makes us open up our hearts and receive the April blessings that revive our belief in the colours of life and love.
Poets , musicians and painters all over the world, since ancient times, have celebrated this season in their art . the English romantic poets as well as our own Urdu shayars-all of them have created verse to express what this time of the year means to them. Here I would like to quote from the great Faiz Ahmad Faiz who often waxes eloquent about “bahaar” in his poetry. His nazm titled “Bahaar aayee” says
“ Bahaar aaii to jaise ek baar
lauT aaye hain phir adam se
vo Khwaab saare, shabaab saare
jo tere ho.nTho.n pe mar miTe thhe
jo miT ke har baar phir jiiye thhe
nikhar gaye hai.n gulaab saare
jo terii yaado.n se mushk buu hain
Faiz says that spring has brought back all memories related to love and beauty .It has rekindled his dreams.
Our Hindi film songs also frequently highlight the “bahaar’. Bahaaro phool barsao, aaja aayee bahaar, inn bahaaron mein akele na phiro and aap aaye, bahaar aayee are some of these songs. The concept of spring bringing love or the pain of remembered love is well-known in poetry and music. Hindustani classical music gives importance to this season by having a special raga by the name Bahaar.Raga Basant is also sung or played during this season. Then there is also Raga Basant Bahaar which celebrates this time of the year.
It is the beauty of the month that evokes creativity in the human mind and heart. Poetry and music are closely connected to emotions and whatever emotion emerges in the artist’s heart is expressed in his words or music. Every season thus results in some expression. However, it is believed that creativity flourishes in spring as it is nurtured by the fragrances of the season and the beautiful music provided by the birds. As the new flowers bloom on trees and bushes and as the cuckoo calls, a little bud blooms in the poet’s heart and a small bird begins chirping there . Words flow out spontaneously and become poems , ghazals and nazms. Songs find expression and ragas delight both the singer as well as the listener . Fingers being moving swiftly on instruments and the entire atmosphere is rendered romantic, musical , poetic and in harmony with the music of the natural world . Such is the charm of April. Who would want to escape this charm? Not me!