Tribute to Kavish Badri: A unique Ghazal

Renowed Urdu poet Kavish Badri died in his native town, Ambur, in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu recently. One of the masters of Urdu poetry, Kavish Badri was among the most prominent Urdu writers in South India.

One of his ghazals with a unique ‘radeef’ is being posted here. It’s just a glimpse to the master craftsman who enriched Urdu language and literature for decades.

He was 84. Kavish Badri was published in Urdu journals across the world. His ghazals were a permanent feature in literary magazine, Shabkhoon.

Vellore has a subtantial Urdu speaking populace. In fact, one of the pioneers of Urdu ghazal, Vali Vellori (not to be confused with Wali Dakhni) also hailed from this town.

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Urdu Poetry: 200 Ghazals and Nazms

Urdu poetry transcends geographical boundaries and is understood and loved by millions who can’t read a word written in Urdu script. I am happy that my other blog now has a collection of 200 selected ghazals and Nazms, each in Urdu, Hindi and Roman English scripts, for the benefit of readers. Read.

Due to the linguistic politics, Urdu unfortunately got identified as a language of Muslims in India, and the script of the langauge suffered as a result. However, the poetry remained as popular as it was in the past.

When you intend to put the gems of Urdu poetry on the web, you can’t ignore that a vast majority of readers can’t read Urdu script (especially Indians). While Roman script was used for writing Urdu even in Indian Army, it has certain restrictions.

Though devanagari script is quite scientific, it also has some limitations. When I started blogging I aimed at publishing the best of Urdu poetry. I soon learnt that one has to use all the three scripts as most of the readers understand Roman but are not too comfortable with the transliteration.

So I decided to write each ghazal or Nazm in English, Urdu and Hindi scripts. Roman and Hindi supplement each other. For example, if a person can’t understand a word in Roman, he can read it in devanagari and be able to pronounce it clearly.

Of course, those who can read Urdu, will have no problem. But they will also get help in pronounciation of difficult or confusing words by reading the Roman text. The result is that now there are over 200 Ghazals and Nazms which you can read at this website. Click

From classical masters like Mir, Ghalib, Momin, Dard and Dagh to progressive poets and the modernist stream, we have tried to incorporate the best verses of each generation.

Nazms are often neglected but on this site you will get to read poetry of Akhtarul Iman, Faiz, Majaz, Ibn-e-Insha, Sahir, Nida and many others. The number of posts is now well over 200 and it will keep growing.

The beauty of Urdu poetry, especially ghazal, lies in the fact that though it has at least five to six couplets, each couplet can be separately used and quoted. The quotability makes Urdu poetry unique and the ‘sher’ reverberate from pan kiosks to parliament of India.

Click to read Urdu poetry.

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Uski gali ki khaak uRane ka jee kare

Prakash Fikri’s ghazal and especially the couplets:

woh shaKhs jis-se ruuTh ke tanhaa boh’t hu’e
uskii galii kii Khaak uRaane ko jii kare

bujhne lagii hai shaam andheroN kii god meN
har simt ek aag lagaane ko jii kare

Fikri yeh iKhtesaar to be-lutf saa rahaa
qissa ko’ii taviil sunaane ko jii kare

Prakash Fikri (or shall I write, Parkash) is one of the finest Urdu poets of the generation that made its mark in the 70s and 80s.

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hum-zubaaN na milaa…

dayaar-e-dil meN pursaan-e-be-dilaaN na milaa
huaa bhii koii muKhaatib to ham-zabaaN na milaa

voh Khaak-daaN jo banaa haft qila-e-miina
usii ke khaanabadoshoN ko KhaanamaaN na milaa

uroos-e-asmat-e-kirdar ki Khabar mafquud
jab ek baar gayaa, ganj-e-shaae’gaaN na milaa

ye musta’aar tabassum ye mol ka Ghaaza
nishaan-e-anjuman-e-mehr-chagaaN na milaa

vo daGhdaGhe to faqat the qadam uThaane tak
nikal chale to sunaa thaa jo haft-KhwaaN na milaa

use ki aahan-o-faulaad mom karne the
jahaan-e-qaqam-o-sanjaab-o-paraniyaaN na milaa

Rashid Kausar Faruqui

AnIndianMuslim.com

Mahmood Ayaz’ Nazm: Hospital ka Kamraa

‘Hospital ka Kamraa’ is amongst Mahmood Ayaz’ best known Nazm.

‘Hasptaal ka Kamra’

tamaam shab ki dukhan, be-kali, subuk Khwaabhii
namuud-e-sub’h ko darmaaN samajh kar kaaTii hai
ragoN meN dauRte phirte lahuu kii har aahaT
ajal girafta KhayaaloN ko aas detii hai
magar voh aaNkh jo sab dekhtii hai–hanstii hai

ufaq se sub’h kii pahlii kiran ubhartii hai
tamaam raat ki faryaad ek sukuut meN chup
tamaam shab ki dukhan, be-kalii, subuk be-Khwaabi
hariirii pardoN kii Khamosh silwatoN meN gum
jo aaNkh zinda thii Khamosh chhat ko taktii hai
magar wo aaNkh jo sab dekhtii hai–haNstii hai

namuud-e-sub’h kii zartaar roshnii ke saath
mahakte phuul dariiche se jhaaNk kar dekheN
to mez-o-dar pe kisii dard ka nishaaN na mile
ugaal-daan davaaoN ki shiishiyaaN, pankhaa
kuNvaarii maaN ka tabassum, saliib aavezaaN
har ek chiiz badastuur apnii jagah
naye mariiz kii aamad ka intizaar kare
aur ek aaNkh jo sab dekhtii hai–hanstii hai

(Mahmood Ayaz)

Jashn-e-Ghalib: Urdu Mushaira at Aiwan-e-Ghalib (Delhi)

A GALAXY of eminent Urdu poets from across the world regaled the audience at the Aiwan-e-Ghalib in Delhi on Monday.

apnii manzil pe pohoNchnaa bhii khaRe rahnaa bhii
kitnaa mushkil hai baRe ho ke baRe rahnaa bhii
(Shakil Azmi)

tera chehra in aaNkhoN meN puraana ho gaya hai
kahiiN phir mil,tujhe dekhe zamaana ho gaya hai
(Wali Bijnori)

yeh shahar-e-la-had-osimt mera
globe meN ek nishaan bhar thaa
(Rashid Jamal Faruqi)

bhanak kisi na kisi tarah paa gaye patthar
shajar meN phal koi aaya, ki aa gaye patthar
(Ghulam Murtuza Rahi)

achchhii chiizeN lageNgii aur achchhii
darmiyaaN kuchh kharaab rakh dena
(Balraj Komal)

aaNdhiyaan aatii thii lekin kabhii asiaa na huaa
khauf ke maare judaa shaaKh se pattaa na huaa
(Shaharyaar)

yeh aaNsuu jaante haiN kis ke daaman par barasnaa hai
har ek shaaKh-e-gulistaaN manzil-e-shabnam nahiiN hai
(Lutf-ur-Rehman)

aye Khudaa raah-e-tamanna meN miTaa de mujh ko
aayegi kis ke laboN pe yeh du’aa mere ba’ad
(Sajida Zaidi)

kisii ko hai bhii saliiqa chaman meN jiine kaa
maiN jis sukuuN se bikhraa huuN kaun bikhregaa
(Kashmiri Lal Zakir)

Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Shaharyar, Makhmoor Saeedi, Balraj Komal, Kashmiri Lal Zakir, Zubair Rizvi, Kamal Ahmed Siddiqui, Aleem Saba Navedi, Lutf-ur-Rahman, Mus’haf Iqbal Tausifi, Zahida Zahidi, Sajida Zaidi, Bekal Utsahi and Malikzada Manzur Ahmed were amongst the poets who recited at the mushaira.

Malika Naseem, Syed Taqi Abidi, Noor Amrohvi, Asad Mufti, Saleem Shahzad, Khaleel Tanveer, Mehtab Naqvi, Siraj Ajmali, Qaisar Azmi, Pratipal Singh Betab and Alam Khurshid also rendered their couplets and verses. The three-day Jashn-e-Ghalib culminated with this mushaira.

Hasrat Mohani: Poetry, life and works

An article on the life and works of Poet and Freedom Figher Maulana Hasrat Mohani.

Yeh sharmili nazar kah de to kuchh gustakhiyan kar loon: Akhtar Sheerani

tamannaaoN ko zindaa aarzuoN ko jawaaN kar luuN
yeh sharmiili nazar kah de to kuchh gustaakhiyaaN kar luuN

bahaar aaii hai, bulbul dard-e-dil kahtii hai phuuloN se
kaho to maiN bhii apnaa dard-e-dil tumse bayaaN kar luuN

hazaaroN shoKh armaaN chutkiyaaN le rahe haiN dil meN
hayaa unkii ijaazat de to kuchh be-baakiyaaN kar luuN

koii suurat to ho duniaa-e-faani meN bahalne kii
Thahar jaa aye jawaani maatam-e-umr-e-ravaaN kar luuN

mujhe donoN jahaaN meN ek voh mil jaayenge gar Akhtar
to apnii hasratoN ko be-nayaaz-e-do-jahaan kar luuN

Akhtar Sheerani

Kuchh yaadgaar-e-shahar-e-sitamgar hii le chaleN: Nasir Kazmi

kuchh yaadgaar-e-shahar-e-sitamgar hii le chaleN
aayeN haiN is galii meN to patthar hii le chaleN

yuuN kis taraH kaTegaa kaRi dhuup ka safar
sar par Khayaal-e-yaar ki chaadar hii le chaleN

ranj-e-safar kii koii nishaanii to paas ho
thoRii sii Khaak-e-kuucha-e-dilbar hii le chaleN

is shahar-e-be-chiraaGh meN jaayegii tuu kahaaN
aa aye-shab-e-firaaq tujhe ghar hii le chaleN

Nasir Kazmi

Main gunahgaar aur anginat paarsaa….Muzaffar Hanafi’s ghazal

maiN gunahgaar aur anginat paarsaa chaar jaanib se vaar karte hue
jaise shabkhuun meN baukhlaa kar uTheN log ‘talvaar talvaar’ karte hue

This is a unique ghazal by Muzaffar Hanafi. I would post more of him at http://www.bestghazals.blogspot.com

ہماری عمر جب سولہ برس تھی hamaari umar jab solah baras thi

tamanna kis qadar sho’la nafas thii
hamaari umar jab solah baras thii

zindagi naam hai mar mar ke jiye jaane ka…Fani Badayuni

एक मोअ’म्मा है समझने का ना समझाने का
ज़िन्दगी काहे को है ख़्वाब है दीवाने का

ख़ल्क़ कहती है जिसे दिल तेरे दीवाने का
एक गोशा है यह दुनिया इसी वीराने का

मुख़्तसर क़िस्सा-ए-ग़म यह है कि दिल रखता हूं
राज़-ए-कौनैन ख़ुलासा है इस अफ़साने का

तुमने देखा है कभी घर को बदलते हुए रंग
आओ देखो ना तमाशा मेरे ग़मख़ाने का

दिल से पोंह्ची तो हैं आंखों में लहू की बूंदें
सिलसिला शीशे से मिलता तो है पैमाने का

हमने छानी हैं बहुत दैर-ओ-हरम की गलियां
कहीं पाया न ठिकाना तेरे दीवाने का

हर नफ़स उमरे गुज़िश्ता की है मय्य्त फ़ानी
ज़िन्दगी नाम है मर मर के जिये जाने का
(फ़ानी बदायूनी)

Ek mohamma hai samajhne ka na samjhaane ka
Zindago kaahe ko hai, Khwaab hai diivane ka

The element of sorrow shines through the poetry of Fani Badauni. No poet wrote as much about meloncholy and with such intensity as Fani. In order to read the ghazal in Urdu script CLICK

Mirza Ghalib’s Ghazal in Urdu and devanagari

न गुल-ए-नग़्मा हूं न परदा-ए-साज़
मैं हूं अपनी शिकस्त की आवाज़

तू और आराईश-ए-ख़म-ए-काकुल
मैं और अंदेशए-हाए-दूर-दराज़

लाफ़-ए-तमकीं फ़रेब-ए-सादा-दिली
हम हैं और राज़हाए सीना-ए-गुदाज़

हूं गिरफ़्तार-ए-उल्फ़त-ए-सय्याद
वरना बाक़ी है ताक़त-ए-परवाज़

नहीं दिल में मेरे वह क़तरा-ए-ख़ूं
जिस से मिश्गां हुई न हो गुलबाज़

ऐ तेरा ग़मज़ा-ए-यक क़लम अंगेज़
ऐ तेरा ज़ुल्म-ए-सर बसर अंदाज़

तू हुआ जलवागर मुबारक हो
रेज़िश-ए-सिजदा-ए-जबीन-ए-न्याज़

मुझको पूछा तो कुछ ग़ज़ब न हुआ
मैं गरीब और तू ग़रीब नवाज़

असदुल्लाह ख़ां तमाम हुआ
ऐ दरेग़ा वह रिंद-ए-शाहिदबाज़
(ग़ालिब)

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Meer un neembaaz aankhoN men sari masti sharaab ki si hai: Meer Taqi Meer

That’s Meer’s famous ghazal.

hastii apnii hubaab kii sii hai
yeh numaa’ish saraab kii sii hai
(saraab=mirage)
nazukii uske lab ki kyaa kahiye
pankhuRi ek gulaab kii sii hai

meer un neem-baaz aaNkhoN meN
saarii mastii sharaab kii sii hai

uRaa le gaye jaduu terii nazar ke mujhe: Nasir Kazmi’s ghazal

किसी कली ने भी देखा न आंख भर के मुझे
गुज़र गई जरस-ए-गुल उदास करके मुझे

मैं सो रहा था किसी याद के शबिस्तां में
जगा के छोड़ गए क़ाफ़्ले सहर के मुझे

मैं रो रहा था मुक़द्दर की सख़्त राहों में
उड़ा ले गए जादू तेरी नज़र के मुझे

मैं तेरे दर्द की तुग़्यानियों में डूब गया
पुकारते रहे तारे उभर उभर के मुझे

तेरे फ़िराक़ की रातें कभी न भूलेंगी
मज़े मिल इन्हीं रातों में उमर भर के मुझे

ज़रा सी देर ठहरने दे ऐ ग़म-ए-दुनिया
बुला रहा है कोई बाम से उतर के मुझे

फिर आज आई थी एक मौज-ए-हवाए तरब
सुना गई है फ़साने इधर उधर के मुझे

(नासिर काज़मी)

For reading the Ghazal in Roman Text Click on the Following Link

Momin’s famous Urdu ghazal: Tum mere paas hote ho goya…

Read Momin Khan Momin’s famous ghazal. It is posted here in Roman, Devanagari and Persian scripts:

असर उसको ज़रा नहीं होता
रंज राह्तफ़ज़ा नहीं होता

तुम हमारे किसी तरह न हुए
वरना दुनिया में क्या नहीं होता

नारसाई से दम रुके तो रुके
मैं किसी से ख़फ़ा नहीं होता

तुम मेरे पास होते हो गोया
जब कोई दूसरा नहीं होता

हाल-ए-दिल यार को लिखूं क्यूं कर
हाथ दिल से जुदा नहीं होता

दामन उसका जो है दराज़ तो हो
दस्ते आशिक़ रसा नहीं होता

किसको है ज़ौक़-ए-तल्ख़्कामी लैक
जंग बिन कुछ मज़ा नहीं होता

चारा-ए-दिल सिवाए सब्र नहीं
सो तुम्हारे सिवा नहीं होता

क्यों सुने अर्ज़-ए-मुज़्तर ऐ मोमिन
सनम आख़िर ख़ुदा नहीं होता

मोमिन ख़ां मोमिन

asar usko zaraa nahiiN hotaa/ranj raahat-fazaa nahiiN hotaa

tum hamaare kisii taraH na hu’e/varnaa duniaa meN kyaa nahiiN hotaa

narsaa’ii se dam ruke to ruke/maiN kisii se Khafaa nahiiN hotaa

tum mere paas hote ho goyaa jab ko’ii doosraa nahiiN hotaa

haal-e-dil yaar ko likhuuN kyuuN kar/haath dil se judaa nahiiN hotaa

daaman uskaa jo hai daraaz to ho/dast-e-aashiq rasaa nahiiN hotaa

kisko hai zauq-e-talKh-kalaami laik/jang bin kuchh mazaa nahiiN hotaa

chaara-e-dil sivaa’e sabr nahiiN/so tumhaare sivaa nahiiN hotaa

kyuuN sune arz-e-muztar a’e-momin/sanam aaKhir Khudaa nahiiN hotaa

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Ek aaiina thaa TuuT gayaa dekhbhaal meN…Seemab Akbarabadi

dil ki bisaat kyaa thii nigaah-e-jamaal meN
ek aaiinaa thaa TuuT gayaa dekh bhaal meN

For reading this Ghazal in Roman script go to http://www.indscribe.blogspot.com

दिल की बिसात क्या थी निगाह-ए-जमाल में
एक आईना था टूट गया देखभाल में

सब्र आ ही जाए गर हो बसर एक हाल में
इमकां एक और ज़ुल्म है क़ैद-ए-मुहाल में

आज़ुरदा इस क़दर हूं सराब-ए-ख़याल से
जी चाहता है तुम भी न आओ ख़याल में

तंग आ के तोड़ता हूं तिलिस्म-ए-ख़याल को
या मुतमईन करो कि तुम्हीं हो ख़याल में

दुनिया है ख़्वाब हासिल-ए-दुनिया ख़याल है
इंसान ख़्वाब देख रहा है ख़याल में

उम्रर-ए-दो-रोज़ा वाक़ई ख़्वाब-ख़याल थी
कुछ ख़्वाब में गुज़र गई बाक़ी ख़याल में
(सीमाब अकबराबादी)

Shaam-e-gham kuchh us nigaah-e-naaz kii baateN karo…Firaq Gorakhpuri

Firaq Gorakhpuri is one the most well-known Urdu poets who attained tremendous fame in his lifetime. He is also remembered for his bohemian lifestyle. Raghupati Sahay Firaq was born in Gorakhpur in 1896. His father Munshi Gorakh Parshad Ibrat was an acclaimed poet.

However, Firaq found his own style in poetry. He brought imagery and ideas from Hindu mythology. He taught English at Allahabad University. Firaq was the first Urdu author to be awarded the Jnanpith Award for Gul-e-Naghma. He died in 1982 (the same year another stalwart Josh Malihabadi, his contemporary poet, passed away in Pakistan).

shaam-e-gham kuchh us nigaah-e-naaz kii baateN karo
be-Khudi baRhtii chalii hai raaz kii baateN karo

yeh sukuut-e-naaz, yeh dil ki ragoN ka TuuTnaa
Khamoshii meN kuchh shikaste-saaz kii baateN karo

kuchh qafas kii tiliyoN se chhan raha hai nuur sa
kuchh fiza kuchh hasrat-e-parvaaz kii baateN karo

शाम-ए-ग़म कुछ उस निगाह-ए-नाज़ की बातें करो
बेख़ुदी बढ़ती चली है राज़ की बातें करो

ये सुकूत-ए-नाज़, ये दिल की रगों का टूटना
ख़ामुशी में कुछ शिकस्त-ए-साज़ की बातें करो

निकहत-ए-ज़ुल्फ़-ए-परीशां, दास्तान-ए-शाम-ए-ग़म
सुबह होने तक इसी अंदाज़ की बातें करो

कूछ क़फ़स की तीलियों से छन रहा है नूर सा
कुछ फ़िज़ा, कुछ हसरत-ए-परवाज़ की बातें करो

जिसकी फ़ुरक़त ने पलट दी इश्क़ की काया फ़िराक़
आज उसी ईसा नफ़स दमसाज़ की बातें करो

फ़िराक़ गोरखपुरी

Jo guzartaa hai khafaa lagta hai….Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi

Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s death is a big blow to Urdu literature. He was last of the great writers in the line of Majaz, Faiz, Jazbi, Sardar Jafri, Makhdum, Kaifi, Majrooh and many other of the generation of thirties that was a product of the Progressive Writers’ Movement.

Majaz died more than fifty years ago and Jazbi left us a couple of years back. Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi was perhaps the last of those who attained such fame across the Urdu world. Writer, poet, columnist, editor, Qasmi was almost 90 at the time of his demise. Perhpas Akhtar Saeed Khan is the sole poet of that generation alive in the sub-continent now. And Saraswati Saran Kaif also though the latter was not identified with Progressive Writers’ Movement.

सांस लेना भी सज़ा लगता है
अब तो मरना भी रवा लगता है

सरे बाज़ार है यारों की तलाश
जो गुज़रता है ख़फ़ा लगता है

मौसम-ए-गुल में सर-ए-शाख़-ए-गुलाब
शोला भड़के तो बजा लगता है

मुस्कुराता है जो इस आलम में
बख़ुदा मुझको ख़ुदा लगता है

इतना मानूस हूं सन्नाटे से
कोई बोले तो बुरा लगता है

नुत्क़ का साथ नहीं देता दहन
शुक्र करता हूं गिला लगता है

अंजुम-ओ-माह का क्या ज़िक्र नदीम
मेहर मोह्ताज-ए-ज़िया लगता है
(अहमद नदीम क़ासमी)

saaNs lena bhi sazaa lagtaa hai/ab to marnaa bhii ravaa lagtaa hai

sar-e-bazaar hai yarooN ki talaash/jo guzartaa hai khafaa lagtaa hai

mausam-e-gul meN sar-e-shaaKh-e-gulaab/sho’la bhaRke to baja lagtaa hai

muskuraata hai jo is aalam meN/ba-Khuda mujhko Khuda lagta hai

itnaa manuus huuN sannTe se/koii bole to buraa lagtaa hai

anjum-o-maah ka kyaa zikr nadeem/mehr mohtaaj-e-ziaa lagta hai

Irfan Siddiqui’s ghazal on Gujarat Riots

Gujarat Riots have given a new metaphor to Urdu poetry. In fact, more than the Babri Masjid demolition, it is the riots in Gujarat that seem to have shaken poets. I keep track of mushairas and she’ri nashists in cities and small towns and for the last couple of years ghazal, nazm, ashaar, munaajat with reference of Gujarat have been written in abundance. However, the following ghazal is considered among the best.

haq fateh-yaab mere Khuda kyuN nahiiN hua

tuune kahaa tha, teraa kahaa kyuuN nahiin hua

—

jab hashr isii zamiin pe uThaye gaye to phir

barpa yahiiN pe roz-e-jazaa kyuuN nahiiN hua

—

voh sho’la saaz bhi isii bastii ke log the

unkii galii meN raqs-e-hawaa kyuuN nahiin hua

These are some of the ten couplet-long ghazal described by Mazhar Imam as ‘epitome of Irfan Siddiqui’s creativity and artistic energy’.

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