Zehra Nigah and the Art of Gentle Dissent

The Story of Eve, a selection of poems translated by Rakhshanda Jalil is a compelling testament to her long engagement with Zehra Nigah’s poetry. A living legend as Gulzar refers to her, ‘the Aapa of all Urdu poets’, Zehra Nigah is one of the most significant voices in South Asia, who needs to be heard by everyone troubled by the din emanating from the hegemonic sphere. The signature gentle tone that characterizes her poetry masks an incisive critique of the metanarratives of religious fundamentalism and nationalism. The title of the anthology itself, borrowed from a poem by the same name, in a way sets the tone for Nigah’s oeuvre. The succinct, short poem presents Eve’s categorical refutation of the charge of being responsible for the Fall of Man, deconstructing the long-held traditional view: ‘I did not compel you to eat the apple/…/And the serpent—he was no friend of mine./ If I had a friend, it was you. / If I loved someone, it was you.’