Remembering Syed Amin Ashraf: Selection of couplets of the prominent Aligarh-based Urdu poet

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

A few months have passed but literary world is still in a state of mourning due to the demise of prominent Urdu poet Syed Amin Ashraf.

Ashraf, 80, was a leading Urdu poet, who avoided popular 'mushairas' and this is perhaps the reason that he didn't get the fame which he deserved.

But his command over language and idiom, had made him one of the foremost 'shayars' of the era in the country.

shahar-dar-shahar shab-e-taar* ka pheraa hoga

ham na honge, to andheraa hi andheraa hoga

[Syed Amin Ashraf]

Syed Amin Ashraf was born in Kachhauchha Sharif in UP, on June 20, 1930. A professor of English in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Urdu poetry was his first love. Though he began writing poetry in the decade of fifties, his first collection of poetry [divan] was published only in 2000.

This suggests how Ashraf sahab was indifferent towards publication of his own poetry.

In fact, he was the most important poet in the region. But he mostly remained confined to literary magazines and attended only select gatherings and 'mushairas'. Eminent Urdu writer Rashid Anwar Rashid recently wrote in Ajkal that, 'Only after Shaharyar's demise, Syed Amin Ashraf got recognition as the most important poet in Aligarh'.

Rashid is not off the mark. It is true that Shaharyar was a legend in his own right but his association with movies, particularly, his lyrics in Umraojan, made him a household name. Besides, Ashraf, wasn't a person who was interesting in pushing himself ahead. 

Some of his couplets:

halqa-e-shaam-o-sahar se nahiin jaane walaa

dard is deeda-e-tar se nahiiN jaane walaa

dekhtaa huuN muntashir shiiraaza-e-kaar-e-jahaaN

saa'at-e-naa-aafriida ki jhalak hai aur maiN

agar hazaar baras kii bhii zindagi hotii

to aarzuu yahii hotii ki aur jee lete

Ashraf sahab was aware of his literary standing. He said it it numerous couplets. In literary journal Kitabnuma, Dr Iffat Ara, wrote an obituary and she has also made a selection of his well-known 'ash'aar'.

munavvar aur mubham iste-aare dekh leta huuN

maiN sote jaagte, dilkash nazaare dekh letaa huuN

nasha-e-she'r uRaaye liye jaata hai mujhe

jaise rahvaar-e-sabaa, taKht-e-SulemaaN jaise

mauj-e-nasim ban ke ravaaN kuu-ba-kuu hue

ham bhii shariik-e-qaafla-e-rang-o-buu hue

Human beings don't get everything they wish for in life. An emotional, yet 'wazadar' person, he kept his pain to himself though it occasionally gets visible in his poetry. He did have a contended life and happy marital life. Yet, those who knew him, were aware about what he pined for and what kept him sad.

Jo milna hai vahi mil kar rahega

savaal-e-besh-o-kam bhii be-sabab hai

Amin Ashraf retired in 1990. It was only in later years that he took interest in publishing his works. Because of his command over Persian, one finds an enchanting quality in his couplets. Some of his couplets remind you of the legendary Irfan Siddiqui.

Ameen Ashraf maiN khud na-aashna lekin ye shohrat hai

butaan-e-shahar mein ek yaar-e-jaani main bhii rakhtaa huuN

koii sabab hai jo rahtaa hai Khauf-e-naadiida

muhiib saaya sa larzaaN hai farsh-e-jaaN par bhii

A 'qalandar' in the true sense, he lived life on his own terms.

ye maana aib bhii haiN saikRoN, kis meN nahiiN hote?

ameen ashraf, magar tujh sa qalandar ho nahiiN saktaa

[aib=weaknesses]

A couplet from the 'naat' genre:

Ye dil diwana hai uska, jo diwana Muhammad ka

AzaaN koii kahe, ruuh-e-Bilaali aa hii jaati hai

After his first collection 'Jaada-e-Shab' was published in 2000, the second divan 'Bahar Eejad' came out in 2007 and Qafas Rang appeared in 2011. He had a large social circle and not just because of poetry but also for his innate humane qualities that he would be remembered for a long time.

Yehi voh rishte haiN jo saath saath rahte haiN

Khud apnaa sayaa hai, yaadeN bhii haiN, muqaddar bhii

After his death in Aligarh on February 7 this year, across India programmes were held to pay homage to the poet. As per his wishes, his mortal remains were taken to his hometown and buried in the hospice premises of Sufi saint Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Samnani RH.

Syed Ameen Ashraf is no more. But his legacy lives on. He will always be remembered as a poet and an extraordinary human being. He always encouraged youngsters and treated everybody with respect. An extremely humble and modest person, he enriched classical Urdu poetry with his own experiences and unique idiom.

[*shab-e-taar; dark night, darkness]

[Some couplets have been obtained from Dr Iffat Aara's article in Kitabnuma. Thanks are due to her. Photo courtesy Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences]

Delhi's egoist poetic voice falls silent: Urdu poet Shuja Khawar passes away

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Shuja Khawar, who was probably the most distinct poetic voice in Urdu to have come up from Delhi in the post-independence era, bid final adieu to his admirers and poetry lovers.

ek uskaa saraapa* hai ki bas meN nahiiN aataa
kyaa haalat ho gayi, mere andaaz-e-bayaaN ki

[*figure, beauty]

It's not pure emotion but Shujauddin Sajid was worthy of being called the poet laureate of Delhi. This is not an exaggeration. Nusrat Zaheer in his editorial page column wrote an obituary titled 'Miyaan, Dilli Khamosh Ho gayi...', the words spoken to him by Farooq Argali at the graveyard.

Truly, it's a huge loss for the Dehli's culture as well as poetry.

raat usne dasht-e-jaaN ko gulistaa.n kar diya
hamne bhi har usuul ko qurbaan kar diyaa

But the reality was that Shuja never compromised on his principles:

thoRaa sa badal jaaye to bas taaj ho aur taKht
is dil ka magar kyaa kareN, sunta nahiiN kambaKht

Shuja reciting his couplets in early years.

The 'Qalandar' poet cared little about name or fame. It is not that he wasn't aware of tricks of the trade.

haalat use dil kii na dikhaai, na bayaa.n ki
Khair usne na ki baat, to hamne bhi kahaa.n ki

hue mahruumiyo.n ke jab ham aadi
to us zaalim ne chilman hi haTaa di

poNhchaa huzur-e-shaah, har ek rang ka faqiir
poNhchaa nahiiN jo, thaa vahii 'poNhchaa huaa' faqiir

Shuja Khar (Third from right)

After years of illness and solitude, he was once again getting back to the centre stage of Urdu poetry.



Despite the fact that I loved his poetry, I couldn't post his works except one ghazal. Now I intend to put up his ghazals selected couplets soon at my poetry site Best Ghazals.

The 'Shaharyar' of Urdu literature: Poetry, profile and selected couplets

True to his name, poet Shaharyar* rules over the Urdu literary landscape in the sub-continent, particularly, India.

Kunwar Akhlaq Khan 'Shaharyar' was born in Aonla [Anwla] town in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district. He published a monthly magazine, Ghalib, in 1959.

While many of his generation spent themselves early and faded from the scene, Shaharyar remains as prolific as he was three decades ago. He is loved by masses as well as classes.

His ghazals like 'dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye' and other verses that were used as lyrics in Bollywood movies including Umrao Jaan and Gaman further added to his popularity. As a result his ghazal spread across non-Hindustani speaking regions.

He has won many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Akademi and the recently announced Jnanpith Award.

Here is a selection of his couplets:

ummiid se kam chashm-i-khariidaar meN aaye
ham log zaraa der se baazaar meN aaye

sabhii ko gham hai samandar ke khushk hone kaa
ki khel khatm huaa kashtiyaaN Dubone kaa

na jiskii shakl hai koii na jiskaa naam hai koii
ek aisii shakl kaa kyuuN hameN azl se intezaar hai

phir kahiiN Khwaab-o-haqiiqat kaa tasaadum hogaa
phir koii manzil-e-benaam bulaati hai hameN

zindagii jaisii tavaqqo thii, nahiiN, kuchh kam hai
har ghaRii hotaa hai ehsaas kahiiN kuchh kam hai

log sar phoR kar bhii dekh chuke
gham kii diivaar TuuTtii hii nahiiN

is natiije pe pohaNchte haiN sabhii aaKhir meN
haasil-e-sair-e-jahaaN kuchh nahiiN hairaani hai

markaz-e-diida-o-dil teraa tasavvur thaa kabhii
aaj is baat pe kitni haNsii aati hai hameN

voh dekh lo, voh samandar khushk hone lagaa
jise thaa daava merii pyaas bujhaane kaa

zamiiN terii kashish khiiNchti rahii hamko
gaye zaruur the kuchh duur mahtaab ke saath

For reading these couplets in Urdu script and Hindi. Click here.

For reading Shaharyar's other Ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Roman English and Hindi scripts at my other blog, Best Ghazals, on the link here.


UPDATE: Shaharyar passed away on February 13, 2012. He was suffering from lung cancer and died after brief illness at his residence in Aligarh. The news of his death has saddened poetry lovers, the literary community and those who loved the poet. Shaharyar was 76. Owing to popularity of his lyrics for movies like Umrao Jan and Gaman, his fame had spread outside literary world also.

*Shaharyar means king or one who has suzerainty.

[This is part of the series on renowed Urdu poets. Earlier posts on other poets can be seen in the archives]

Khuda Hafiz Abdullah Kamaal: Mumbai's egoist Urdu poet is no more

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It's a regret that will stay for life. I couldn't meet one of my favourite poets, Abdullah Kamaal, who passed away recently. I must curse my laziness for delaying my trip to Mumbai.

ajab thaa uskaa hunar, pai-qafas rakhna parinde ko
aur uske saamne shaakh-e-sharar pe aashyaaN rakhnaa


Though he lived in Mumbai, Kamal kept himself confined to literary circles. He had nothing but contempt for self-projection and publicity tactis though this is also a reason that he didn't get the due recognition outside Urdu world.

Abdullah Kamal was born in Muzaffarpur on April 17, 1948. He made Mumbai his home in 1966. Life was not a bed for roses for Kamal but he was the first of the generation of modernist [post-progressive] poets, who made their mark in Mumbai.

ye chaaNd taare merii nigaahoN kaa husn haiN
varnaa merii zamiiN pe koii aasmaaN nahiiN

toD aaya to huuN har rishta tere shahar se
tasma-paa yaadoN kii zanjiir kahaaN le jaauN

na koii Khwaab na Khwaahish, na Gam na Khushii
voh be-hisii hai ki har shaKhs raaigaaN hai yahaaN

His second collection Be-Aasmaan was published in 1991. He had suffered two heart attacks. Lately he avoided participating in events for obvious reasons and stayed mostly in his house in Mumbra suburb near Mumbai.
 
Read Abdullah Kamaal's ghazals in Urdu, English (Roman) and Hindi (Devanagari) scripts at Best Ghazals.

Mushairas in Delhi: Poets and Urdu couplets

Almost every day there is a grand 'mushaira' somewhere in the country apart from numerous small ones in the towns, however, Delhi being the capital plays host to a number of important mushairas.

The major mushairas in the national capital recently were organised by Urdu Academy, Anjuman Farogh Urdu and Aalami Urdu Trust-Ghalib Institute. It is still not rare to hear couplets that stay with your for sometime and can lift your mood instantly.

Eminent poet Shahid Meer is always a hit among the poetry aficionados and here he struck chord with auidence when he recited in his unique style.

KhamoshiyoN ko rakha hai mizaaj meN shaamil
Ham is tarah bhii hue ehtejaaj* meN shaamil [ehtejaaj: Protest]

Veteran Zubair Rizvi's ghazals and nazms were intense:

visaal paa gaye sab murshidaan-e-kuu-e-juunuuN
malaal ye hai ki dahliz-e-aashiqaaN bhii gayii

Saleem Shahzad's couplets were also liked, especially when his ghazal reached this couplet:

hamaari raah meN hai gar-che Kufa-o-Farat
pukaartaa hai magar shahar-e-Alif Layla bhii
[Kufa=Al-Kufah City, Farat=Euphrates river]

And what would you say about Iqbal Ash'har's couplet:

Use bhii Shah ne musaahib bana liya apna
Ek aadmii se tavaqqo thii lab-kushaii kii
[He, who was expected to speak up, also became the ruler's stooge and sewed his lips]

For decades Shahpur Rasool has been among the most innovative poet.

mujhe bhii lamha-e-hijrat ne kar diyaa taqsiim
nigaah ghar kii taraf hai, qadam safar kii taraf

Sironj-born Khalid Mahmood, who is today a big name in Urdu poetry, recited a beautiful ghazal. Andjustice can't be done to it by producing just a couplet here.

baRaa naadaan hai, bahkaa huaa hai
ye bandaa Khuld ka bigRaa huaa hai

Another veteran poet who is a master in his own right, Bashar Nawaz, avoid popular gatherings but whenever he does attend a mushaira, his presence brings gravity to the programme.

yahii chehraa, yahii aaNkheN, yahii rangat nikle
jab koii Khwaab taraashuuN, terii muurat nikle

Shams Ramzi, about whom Shair recently published a special issue, is a critic and poet in equal measure. One couplet alone can give you an indiaction of his poetic calibre.

farishto! aao merii darsgaah meN baiTho
bayaan-e-rutba-e-insaaN karnaa chaahtaa huuN

However, romanticism isn't dead either though Urdu poetry touches contemporary issues.

basii huii hai yeh kaisii khushbuu mujh meN
shaayad aa kar baiTh gayaa hai tuu mujh meN
[Shams Ramzi]

hazaaroN taare haiN terii hatheliyoN meN magar

tuu mere ghar se magar chaaNd kyuun churaata hai
[Shaista Yusuf]

ham to mustaqbil kii khaatir jab bhii sanjiida hue
zindgii ke masle kuchh aur pechiida hue
[Shahbaz Nadeem]

And a couplet that challenges the self-styled master poets' [read veterans or asaatiza] poetic imagination:

kohna-mashqi hi hasiiN sher kii zaamin to nahiiN
shaaKh-e-kohna pe bamushkil gul-e-tar lagtaa hai
[Irfan Jamali]

Some couplets evoke thunderous applause but are later forgotten. Others are jotted down and travel though emails and SMSs across the globe. You may not like the couplet which I find astonishing or a ghazal which you like may not appeal to me, as it depends on one's mood, mental state and certain other factors, however, poetry regales and relaxes at the same time.

Just a couple of months back, legendary Makhmoor Saeedi rendered a ghazal which brought tears to the eyes of the audience. And today Makhmoor is no longer with us. A few weeks back he also departed, leaving Delhi and Urdu poetry poorer.

bujh gayii dil ki roshnii raah dhuvaaN dhuvaaN huii
subah chale kahaaN se the, shaam hameN kahaaN huii

[Makhmoor Saeedi]

Nida Fazli's poetic journey: Urdu poets' profile and poetry

Today Nida Fazli is considered a big name in Urdu poetry especially after the deaths of entire generation of veteran Urdu poets in the last couple of years. But this is not to belittle Nida's contribution to literature.

Along with Shaharyar and Ahmad Faraz (Pakistan), Nida is among the rare Urdu poets who have achieved fame across the sub-continent and outside. Nida Fazli has been writing lyrics for Bollywood movies but he didn't let this affect his literary output.

apnii marzii se kahaaN apne safar ke ham haiN
ruKh havaaoN ka jidhar ka hai, udhar ke ham haiN

waqt ke saath hai miTTii ka safar sadiyoN se
kisko maaluum kahaaN ke haiN, kidhar ke ham haiN

Success hasn't come the easy way. It has been a life, full of struggle for the Gwalior-born poet. He is often bitter that critics (and also poetry lovers) made fun of him back in the late sixties, because of the particular couplet:

sooraj ko chonch meN liye murGha khaDaa rahaa
khiDkii ke parde khiinch diye raat ho gayii

It was a simple couplet written at the height of modernist movement that highlighted the difference between urban and rural life style. Living in air-conditioned rooms, one doesn't come across the birds and the sounds of nature.

Living amid towering skyscrapers and moving in cars you don't get to see the sight of moon which used to be an every day experience in villages where lying on the cot in open, moon was a 'rafeeq' (companion).

The ghazal has other couplets also but people didn't bother to read them or react to them:

raste mein voh milaa thaa maiN bach ke guzar gayaa
uskii phaTii qamiis mere saath ho gayee

naqsha uThaa ke koii nayaa shahar DhunDhiye
is shahar meN to sab se mulaqaat ho gayee

It is the loss of home that haunted Nida in the early part of his poetic journey. After independence, Gwalior had witnessed more bloodshed that any where else in Central India. Most of his family memebrs migrated to Pakistan.

Thus 'ghar' remains an elusive dream for him despite the comforts of later years, apart from 'child' who is always present in his poetry:

bachchoN ke chhote haathoN ko chaand sitaare chhune do
chaar kitaabeN paDh kar yeh bhii ham jaise ho jaayenge

A humanist to the core, Nida's poetry has often stunned the traditionalists:

masjidoN meN sajdoN kii mashaaleN huiiN roshan
liye chiraaGh galiyoN meN kheltaa Khudaa dekhuuN

He asks God to come down to earth and help people out:

Nile gagan par baiThe kab tak chaand sitaaroN se jhaankoge...
khaali hai aaTe ka kanastar geNhuu ban kar usmeN aao
TuuT gaaa hai maaN ka chashma sheesha ban kar use banao
gum sum haiN aangan mein bachche, ban kar gend unhein bahlaao...

Nida has read a lot. Unlike other poets who restrict themselves to reciting their own poetry, Nida has read Latin American literature, East Asian, European and African poetry. He pores over Kabir, Wali Dakhani, Amir Khusro, Rahim and classical poets.

Nida is no longer the struggler. He now lives a comfortable life in Mumbai. He has learnt the tricks of the trade. He used to criticise Ali Sardar Jafri but has also picked up some of those habits.

He knows what sells. When TV channels' crew comes to him for interview, he exactly gives soundbytes which they want. He blasts globalisation for all the ills, though he is also a beneficiary of it and loves all the luxuries which modern day lifestyle offers.

He wants to be known as Nazir Akbarabadi of this era. But sophisticated Nida despite wearing it on his sleave, has shed the 'phakkad-pan' far behind. Still, he has his place secure in the annals of Urdu language and literature.

Read Nida Fazli's selected ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Roman and Devnagri scripts at Best Ghazals & Nazms. Click
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Faiz Ahmed Faiz' poetry: Selected Urdu couplets

Until my teenage I hadn't read much of Faiz and only a few of his couplets I could recall. Of course, he was one of the most important names in Urdu poetry and his popular Nazms like:

bol ki lab aazaad haiN tere
bol ki zabaaN ab tak terii hai....

yeh daagh daagh ujaala, yeh shab gaziida sehar
voh intezaar thaa jiskaa yeh voh sehar to nahiiN' ...(in the context of partition)
&
nisaar maiN terii galiyoN ke aye vatan ki jahaaN
chalii hai rasm ki koii na sar uThaa kar chale...

...were known to most of us. But I could never find his divan in those days though works of Jigar, Josh, Firaq and others were easily available apart from Mir, Ghalib and other masters. Of his generation, poets like Majaz, Makhdoom Muhiuddin, Kaifi Azmi, Ali Sardar Jafri and Janisar Akhtar achieved great popularity but Faiz went on to attain international fame.

It was after reading his Nazm 'Raqeeb Se', that I fell in love with his poetry. It was an overwhelming experience to read the Nazm, every time I read it. Raqeeb is your competitor in love.

And here the poet recalls how both of them had fallen in love with the same woman, and only they can understand each other's pain and passion. How failure in love becomes an inspiration for the poet to understand the pain of others and it becomes a mission for him to fight for the poor and underdog. I have written a post on this Nazm in the past also.

Here are some of the oft-quoted couplets of Faiz:

na gul khile haiN, na unse mile haiN, na mai pii hai
ajab rang meN abke bahaar guzrii hai

guloN meN rang bhare, baad-e-nau-bahaar chale
chale bhii aao ki gulshan kaa karobaar chale

zindagii kyaa kisii muflis kii qabaa hai jis men
har ghaDii dard ke paivand lage jaate haiN

chaman meN Gaarat-e-gulchiiN se jaane kyaa guzrii
qafas se aaj sabaa be-qaraar guzrii hai

terii suurat se hai aalam meN bahaaroN ko sabaat
terii aanKhoN ke sivaa duniaa meN rakhaa kyaa hai

ham parvarish-e-lauH-o-qalam karte rahenge
jo dil pe guzartii hai raqam karte rahenge

huii hai hazrat-e-naaseh se guftguu jis shab
voh shab zaruur sar-e-kuu-e-yaar guzrii hai
viiraan hai maikadaa khum-o-saaGar udaas haiN
tum kyaa gaye ki ruuTh gaye din bahaar ke

uTh kar to aa gaye haiN terii bazm se magar kuchh dil hii jaanta hai kis dil se aaye haiN

voh baat saare fasaane meN jiskaa zikr nahiiN
voh baat unko bohat naagavaar guzrii hai

dil meN ab yuuN tere bhuule hue Gham aate haiN
jaise bichhDe hue Kaabe meN sanam aate haiN

duniyaa ne terii yaad se begaanaa kar diyaa
tujh se bhii dil-fareb haiN gham rozgaar ke

tumhaarii yaad ke jab zaKhm bharne lagte haiN
kisii bahaane tumheN yaad karne lagte haiN

kab Thahregaa dard-e-dil kab raat basar hogii
sunte the voh aayenge, sunte the sahar hogii

aaye kuchh abr, kuchh sharaab aaye
uske baad aaye jo azaab aaye

tum aaye ho, na shab-e-intezaar guzrii hai
talaash mein hai sahar, baar baar guzrii hai

Faiz Ahmed Faiz was born in Sialkot (Punjab, Pakistan) in undivided India in 1911. He achieved remarkable fame and emerged as most outstanding voice among the poets of Progressive Writers' movement. He was jailed in Pakistan and also spent years in exile. He passed away in 1984.

A few more couplets:

dil naa-ummiid to nahiiN, naakaam hii to hai
lambi hai Gham kii shaam magar shaam hii to hai

raat yuuN dil meN terii khoii huii yaad aaii
jaise viiraane meN chupke se bahaar aa jaaye

jaise sahraaoN meN haule se chale baad-e-nasiim
jaise biimaar ko be-vajah qaraar aa jaaye

mataa-e-lauH-o-qalam chhin gayii to kyaa Gham hai
ki khuuN-e-dil meN Dubo lii haiN ungliyaaN maiN ne

zubaaN par mohar lagii hai to kyaa ki rakh dii hai
har halqa-e-zanjiir meN zubaaN maiN ne

Apart from the above mentioned ghazals and Nazms, I specially love his verses on Palestine, the nazm he wrote on his return from Bangladesh, Sar-e-Vaadi-e-Sina, Karbala-e-Beirut etc. Faiz's poetry is now easily available in Hindi. Every poetry lover must have a collection of Faiz. Get it if you don't have one.

Read Faiz' popular ghazals and Nazms in Urdu, Hindi and Roman scripts at Best Ghazals and Nazms

Great poets series: Zauq and his Urdu poetry

laaii hayaat aaye, qazaa le chalii chale

apnii khushii na aaye na apnii khushii chale

[hayaat=life, qazaa=death]

Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq (1789-1854) is among the classical masters of Urdu poetry whose couplets are oft-quoted in conversation and in writing, more than 150 years after his death.

Zauq is known for his absolute command on the language. Yet his poetry is simple and straight. For almost half-a-century, he remained associated with the Qila-e-Mualla (Royal Fort). Bahadur Shah Zafar was his disciple in poetry. In his life, Zauq was considered the greatest poet of the era, the Khaqaani of India.

Zauq was a contemporary of poets of the calibre of Ghalib and Momin in the golden age of Urdu poetry. But not even a single collection of his poetry could be published during his liftetime. He passed away in 1854. In a way, he was fortunate that he didn't see his beloved Delhi getting ravaged by the British after the struggle of 1857.

Selected couplets of Zauq:

ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte haiN ki mar jaayenge

mar ke bhii chain na paaya to kidhar jaayenge

aye Zauq! kisii hamdam-e-deriina ka milnaa

behtar hai mulaaqaat-e-Masiiha-o-Khizr se

[hamdam-e-deriina: old friend]

naaz hai gul ko nazaakat pe chaman meN aye dost

usne dekhe hii nahiiN naaz-o-nazaakat waale

agar ye jaante chun chun ke hamko toDenge

to gul kabhii na tamanna-e-rang-o-buu karte

moazzin marhabaa bar-vaqt bolaa

terii aavaaz Makke aur Madiine

sitam ko ham karam samjhe, jafaa ko ham vafaa samjhe

jo us par bhii na vo samjhe to us but se Khudaa samjhe

kahte haiN aaj Zauq jahaaN se guzar gayaa

kyaa khuub aadmii thaa Khudaa maGfirat kare

ham haiN aur saaya tere kuuche kii diivaaroN kaa

kaam jannat meN hai kyaa ham-se gunahgaaroN kaa

khil ke gul kuchh to bahaar apnii, sabaa, dikhlaa gaye

hasrat un GunchoN pe hai jo bin khile murjhaa gaye

Zauq's poetry is still as fresh and simple to us in 21st century as it was in the early part of 19th century. Read Zauq's ghazals in Hindi, Urdu and Roman scripts at Best Ghazals and Nazms.

From Mir to Shad Azimabadi: Selection of great Urdu couplets--I

For centuries the couplets of these master Urdu poets have survived and become part of our conversation. Some of the 'ashaar' are posted here (more or less chronologically). This is a literary selection of poetry. Read these ashaar (couplets) in Urdu or Hindi scripts at Best Ghazals & Nazms.

ab ke junuuN meN faasla shaayad na kuchh rahe
daaman ke chaak aur girebaaN ke chaak meN
[Mir Taqi Mir]

Khudaa ke vaaste usko na Toko
yahii ek shahar meN qaatil rahaa hai
[Mirza Mazhar Jaan-e-JaanaaN]

kuchh to hote haiN mohabbat meN junuuN ke aasaar
aur kuchh log bhii diivaanaa banaa dete haiN[Ghulam Hamdaani 'Mus.hafi']

na chheD aye nikhat-e-baad-e-bahaarii raah lag apnii
tujhe atkheliyaaN sujhii haiN, ham bezaar baiThe haiN
[Insha]

terii suurat se kisii kii nahiiN miltii suurat
ham jahaaN meN terii tasviir liye phirte haiN
[Imam Bakhsh 'Nasikh']

ab to ghabraa ke ye kahte haiN ki mar jaayenge
mar ke bhii chain na pyaa to kidhar jaayenge
[Zauq]

meherbaaN ho ke bulaa lo mujhe chaaho jis waqt
maiN gayaa waqt nahiiN huuN ki phir aa bhii na sakuuN
[Ghalib]

taDaptii dekhtaa huuN jab koi shai
uThaa letaa huuN apnaa dil samajh kar
(Taslim]

but ko but aur Khudaa ko jo Khudaa kahte haiN
ham bhii dekheN ki tujhe dekh ke kyaa kahte haiN
[DaaGh Dehlvi]

ye bazm-e-mai hai, yahaaN kotaah-dastii meN hai mahruumii
jo baDh kar Khud uThaa le haath meN miinaa usii kaa hai
[Shaad Azimabadi]

To be continued...