Insha is also termed as the second Amir Khusro for his tremendous command on language. His intelligence and rivalry with another eminent poet of the age Mushafi [pronounced mus-hafi] are legendary.
He also wrote 'Rani Ketki ki Kahani' without using Arabic and Persian words, that was latter appropriated as first written story in Hindi, leaving his entire contribution in Urdu which is never mentioned.
He wrote the landmark daryaa-e-lataafat on nuances of language and also a divan where he didn't use a single letter that had 'nuqta' [as many as sixteen alphabets in Urdu have nuqta viz. be, pe, te, se, jeem, che, Khe, zaal, ze, Zhe, sheen, zo, Ghain, Fe, qaaf, nu].
Writing a 'be-nuqt or ghair manquut text' requires an astonishing command over language. Some confuse Insha with the Insha-ji of 20th century ie Ibn-e-Insha. On web, many websites treats these different poets, separated by 200 years, as the same person. Rangeen and Insha composed poetry in the way women spoke and used their language to perfection. In this form he often he gets carried away and some verses fall below decency. One of the most oft-quoted couplet is:
نہ چھیڑ اے نکہت باد بہاری راہ لگ اپنی
تجھے اٹکھیلیاں سوجھی ہیں ہم بیزار بیٹھے ہیں
na chheR aye nik'hat-e-baad-e-bahaarii raah lag apnii
tujhe aTkheliyaaN sujhii haiN, ham be-zaar baiThe haiN
The initial couplet of the ghazal is:
kamar baandhe hu'e chalne ko yaaN sab yaar baiThe haiN
boh't aage gaye, baaqi jo haiN taiyyar baiThe haiN
कमर बांधे हुए चलने को यां सब यार बैठे हैं
बोह्त आगे गए, बाक़ी जो हैं तैयार बैठे हैं
न छेड़ ए निकहत-ए-बाद-ए-बहारी, राह लग अपनी
तुझे अटखेलियां सूझी हैं, हम बेज़ार बैठे हैं
The complete ghazal is available in Urdu, Hindi and Roman here
A few other couplets at random:
bas na duniaa kii kar aye saahab-e-adraak havas
Khaak hii Khaak hai sab, Khaak kii kyaa Khaak havas
--
ajiib lutf kuchh aapas kii chheR chhaaR meN hai
kahaan milaam meN voh baat jo bigaaR meN hai
--
agar che ham-se voh sau baar muttasil lipTe
par aise Dhab se na lipTe ki dil se dil lipTe
--
kyuuN kar na gudgudaahaT haathoN meN uske uThe
voh gori gori raaneN jis ne dabaa_ii hoN
--
nargis ne phir na dekhaa jo aaNkh uTha chaman meN
kyaa jaane kisne kis se kyaa kar liyaa chaman meN
kuchh os sii kaliyoN par kyuuN paR ga_ii yakaayak
dekho to kis ne khole band-e-qabaa chaman meN
--
A unique ghazal starts with the following couplet:
banaa ke chhoRuuN jo afiiyun ka sharaab meN saaNp
to saaf aave nazar jurm-e-aaftaab meN saaNp
--
jis ko kuchh dhun ho kare ham_se haqiiqat ki bahas
ki hamiiN jaante haiN ahl-e-tariiqat kii bahas
qaaziaa! haath baRhaa, sheesha-e-sahbaa ko utaar
taaq-e-nisyaaN pe tuu rahne de shariat ki bahas
buu-ali saath koii bolte Insha ko sune
zor hotii hai baham ahl-e-balaaGhat ki bahas
--
kyaa milaa ham ko terii yaarii meN
rahe ab tak ummiid-vaarii meN
