
Through the interplay of light and shadow in life, Helal Hafiz, the poet of eternal lines, carved his immortality. At every stage of his life, he discovered himself anew, breaking and rebuilding time and again. His life was a grand epic of unspoken pain and ascetic detachment. On Friday, December 13, 2024, this transcendent poet breathed his last in a modest hostel in Dhaka’s Shahbagh. Though he has departed, the eternal flame of his poetry continues to illuminate our lives.
Sacrifice for Art
Helal Hafiz once proclaimed that “Je Jale Agun Jwale” (“The tears That Blaze”) was his magnum opus. After penning it, he stopped writing poetry, convinced that he could never again create anything comparable. With this singular piece, he cemented his place in the hearts of poetry lovers forever. A poet as honest and uncompromising as Helal Hafiz is rare in Bengali literature. Renouncing life’s simple pleasures and indulgences, he dedicated himself to the depths of poetry and profound emotion.
When an artist perceives their creation as the pinnacle of art, they no longer feel the need to repeatedly prove themselves. Helal Hafiz’s life mirrored this philosophy. His poetry resonated with love, heartbreak, humanity, and a stark detachment from the material world. He confessed:
“All my successes and failures trace back to three pivotal events in my life.”
These three events profoundly marked him, steering him away from worldly attachments and shaping him into a sage-like figure.
The Three Life-Altering Events
The first event occurred on the fateful night of March 25, 1971. Surviving the massacre at Iqbal Hall in Dhaka University by sheer luck, he witnessed a harrowing scene of corpses and blazing fires. His friend, poet Nirmalendu Goon, embraced him, weeping:
“I thought you were dead. I came to collect your body.”
This event instilled in him a profound sense of detachment, making him view his life as a “bonus.” From that day, worldly desires seemed trivial to him.
The second blow came in June 1973 with the death of his father. Having lost his mother at the tender age of three, Hafiz had clung to his father for solace and guidance. He often remarked, “My father was my everything.” His father’s passing deepened his estrangement from the material world.
The third and most poignant incident was a tale of heartbreaking love. His beloved, Helen, informed him of her impending marriage to another. Recalling that moment, he wrote:
“Helen, one man couldn’t forget you in his entire lifetime.”
Following this, Hafiz never sought to build a home of his own. Instead, he surrendered himself to the epic tales of love and sorrow, immersing in the detachment that defined his life.
Life-Averse Detachment and the Realm of Poetry
His detachment and quiet defiance of life’s mundane routines isolated him from everyday existence. Helal Hafiz’s life seemed to be an extension of his poetry, a testament to his belief that “when life loses its meaning, art becomes the ultimate purpose.”
His works reflected the beauty of sacrifice and the depths of longing. He once said:
“I never had a family, but my poetry is my family.”
This realization set him apart from the ordinary, while his poetry attained an eternal resonance. He was a noble warrior of life, transforming his inner turmoil into transcendent art.
Immortality in Bengali Literature
Helal Hafiz’s detachment and the pain of unfulfilled love have set an unparalleled example in Bengali literature. Poets like him live on for centuries through their creations. Until his last breath, he taught us the profound lesson of forsaking material desires for art and literature.
Today, he is no longer among us. Yet, his poetry continues to inspire and embolden us. As he once said, “Their disregard made me a poet,” our admiration will forever keep him immortal.
Beloved poet, we offer you our endless respect and love. We believe that across the veil of this life, you will reunite with Helen. Perhaps then, all incompleteness will dissolve. We will never forget you.
From Helal Hafiz’s life of sacrifice and sorrow, we learn that life is not just for indulgence—it is for creation. His verses and worldview remind us that life is a grand epic, and he was its illustrious hero.
About the Author:
Professor Dr. Md. Abu Bakar Siddique, widely known as Dr. Dipu Siddiqui, is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the Royal University of Dhaka. Email: daily.presswatch@gmail.com