Tuesday, October 09, 2018

On Tasneef-o-ta'leef (Writing & Editing)

When I was in pre-medical college, I developed an intense love of Urdu literature which persist till today (I still ask myself why I didn't do Masters in Urdu literature when I had time and was in heart of Karachi). One day I asked my Urdu teacher: "Sir main likhna Chahta hun" (Sir I want to write).

He replied with enormous love: "Zaroor likho! aaj se likho - magar ye jaan lo ke likhne se ziyada ye janna zaroori hai ke kiya nahi likhna - tasneef achhi cheez hai - magar taleef ka hunr us se bhi ziyada zaroori hai - Jese zindagi main ye janna itna zarooori nahi ke kiya kerna chahiye - bulke ye janna bohat zaroori hai - ke kiya nahi kerna chahiye". 

(Please write. Start writing today. But please understand that it is more important to know what not to write instead of what to write. Writing is a good thing but the art of editing is way more important. Alike in life, it is more important to know, what not to do than what to do".

It was such an important lesson I carry with me till today.

3 comments:

Rida said...

پہلے تولو پھر بولو
کے وزن پر ہی کہی گئی بات ہے یہ بھی۔
بے حد ضروری سبق

bsc said...

Is editing taalif? or some other word is needed

Mystic said...

Rida:: You are sooo right

Uncle: I believe taalif came from word talf (means to destroy). To get rid of unnecessary details from writing is called taalif. I think it will fall under editing.