A legendary poet like Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) needs no introduction. In Pakistan, where one authoritarian government has made way for another since 1947, Faiz’s person and work is largely known as a symbol of resistance. In his poetry, he represented the people’s longing for freedom and democracy and became a source of inspiration for those seeking to build a just society.
Faiz began his career as a lecturer in English at Amritsar, but switched to journalism after the Second World War. He went on to become the editor of The Pakistan Times. In 1951, he was charged with complicity in the Rawalpindi conspiracy case and imprisoned. It was his four-year term in prison that gave him first-hand experience of the harsh realities of life and provided him with much-needed solitude to translate his thoughts into poetry.
As a poet, Faiz began writing on the conventional themes of love and beauty, but soon these thoughts were submerged in the larger social and political issues of the day. An admirer of Karl Marx, Faiz was also honoured by Soviet Russia with the prestigious ‘Lenin Award for Peace.’
Over the years, Faiz’s poetry has provided hope during the dark days of martial law, even as recently as November 3, 2007, when former president General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.
Twenty-five years ago, when Faiz passed away at the age of 73, Dawn described him as the ‘greatest Urdu poet of his time,’ who became a living legend for ‘his intrepid struggle against what he himself once described as “the dark and dastardly superstitions of centuries untold”.’
Today, to mark Faiz’s death anniversary, Dawn.com invites its readers to share their favourite lines by the masterful poet and help keep the power of his poetry alive.
The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Years back I happened to listen a composition of Faiz sahib’s nazm sung by Mehnaz
Ik zara sochney dho…..
ssuljha hua sa shaks samjhty hai mujhko log, koi ye janta nai k………………….uljha hua sa mujh main , koi dosra b hai
Na kissi peh zakham ayaa.n koie
Na kissi ko Fikr rafoo ki hey
Na karam hey hum peh habib ka
Na nigah hum peh addoo ki hey
Yeh zakham naya na sittam naya
Keh teri jaffa ka gilla karey.n
Yeh nazzar thi pehley bhi mustrad
yeh kassak to dil mai.n kabho ki hey
All the Flowers Are Wilted
The sky’s tears’ll not stop;
The candles have gone dark;
The mirrors lie shattered
No more music do instruments make,
The anklets that sang once are now asleep.
And behind those clouds
Far in the distance
Twinkles a star
The star of pain
But it makes music
It smiles
hoshoo hawaas,taboo tawaan
sub jaa chukain hai faiz
hub hum bhee jaanay waalay hain
saamaan tou gayaa.
Faiz wrote this when people in Karachi when someone stole his luggage on the railway platform. He lived in misery and died of hopelessness. What else can a Muslim expect in Pakistan, a country where at least 100 Muslim get killed by other Muslims. Pakistan where Muslims still live in primitive age, trying to find a days bread in Quran.
To them what difference does it make between Faiz or Daag, they never understood either one of them.
AYE HATH UTHAIN HUM BI
HUM JINEY HERFE DOA YAAD NAHI
HUM JINEY ISM-E-MOHABBAT KE SIWA
KOI BOT KOI HUDA YAAD NAHI
tum hee kaho rind o mohtasib mein hai aaj shab kaun farq aisa
yeh aa kay baitthay hain maikaday mein voh utth kay aa’e hein maikaday say
I had memorized Nuskha-hae-Wafa, long long ago… and it’s a kind of The Red Book for me. And I Recite it!
I won’t post any oh his verses as I feel posting one is making him an Ordinary soul.
Love you all, my friends… You all love my mentor.
Love you all!!
Aaj youn jouq dar jouq gham tham gaya is tarah ghamzadoun ko qarar aa qaya
Jaisay Khushbu-e-Zulfe bahar aa gayee, jaisay paigham-e-didar yaar aa gaya
Jis ki deed-o-talab wahm samjhay thay hum, ru ba ru phir sare rahguzar aa gaya
subhe farda ko phir dil tarasne laga, ehde rafta tera eitibar aa gayaa
Khun-e-ushaq say jaam bharne lagey, dagh jalnein lagay, dil sulagnein lagay
mehfil-e-dard phir rang par aa gayee, phir shab-e-arzo peh nikhar aa gaya
sarfaroshi kay andaz badlay gaye, mehfil-e-qatl per, maqtal-e-aam mein
Dal kat koi gardan mein tauq aa gaya, ladh kar koi kandhey pay daar aa gaya
faiz kiya janiye, yar kis aas par, muntazir hein kay laye ga koi khabar
may kashoun peh hua mohtasib mehrban, dilfigaroun pey qatil ko pyar aa gaya
na yeh gham naya na sitam nayaa, keh teri jafaa kaa gila karein
yeh nazar thi pehley bhi muztarab, yeh kasak to dil mein kabhoo ki hai
KAB YAAD MEIN TERA SAATH NAHI
KAB HAATH MEIN TERA HAATH NAHI
SAD SHUKAR K APNI RAATON MEIN
AB HIJAR KI KOI RAAT NAHI……………..
MUSHKIL HAIN AGAR HAALAAT WAHAN
DIL BECH AAEIN JAAN DE AAEIN……..
DIL WALO KOOCHA-E-JANA MEIN
KYA AISE BHI HAHLAAT NAHI???????
JIS DHAJ SE KOI MKTAL MEIN GAYA
WO SHAAN SALAMAT REHTI HAI
YE JAAN TO AAANI JAANI HAI
ISS JAAN KI TO KOI BAAT NAHI
MAIDAAN-E-WAFA DARBAAR NAHI
YAAN NAAM-O-NASAB KI POOCH KAHAN
AASHIQ TO KISI KA NAAM NAHI
KUCH ISHQ KISI KI ZAAT NAHI………….
YE BAAZI ISHQ KI BAAZI HAI
JO CHAHEY LAGA DO DAR KAISA????
GAR JEET GAAY TO KYA KEHNA
HAREY BHI TO BAAZI MAAT NAHI
“KAB YAAD MEIN TERA SAATH NAHI
KAB HAATH MEIN TERA HAATH NAHI
SAD SHUKAR K APNI RAATON MEIN
AB HIJAR KI KOI RAAT NAHI……………”
*************
ye arzoo bhi bari cheez he magar hamdam
wisal-e-yar faqat arzo ki baat nahin
*************
na rizm gah men barsa ke mutabar hota
kisi alam pe raqm ho kay mushtahir hota
pukarta raha be asra yateem lahoo
kisi ko behr-e-sama’at na waqt tha na dimagh
na mudd’aee na shahadat hisab pak huwa
ye khoon-e-khak nasheenan tha rizq-e-khak huwa
***************
Hum k hen kab se Dar e Umeed k daryuza gar, K yeh gare guzre tu dast e talab pehlain ge, Kuchaa o bazar se chun ker raiza raiza khuwab, Hum yunhi pehle ki surat jorne lag jaen ge.
Kar raha thaa gham-e-jahaan ka hisaab, aaj tum yaad beyhisaab aaye…..
tujhse milkar bichadh gaye, tujhse bichadh kar mil gaye, aisee bhi qurbatein raheen, aise bhi faasle rahe,
tu bhi na mila umr bhi raigaan gayee,
tujhse toh khair ishq thaa, khud se bade gilay rahe…
maqaam faiz koi aankh main jacha he nahi
jo kooy-e-yar say niklay tu sooy-e-yar chalay
ham sahl talab kon say farhad thay laikin
ab shehar may teray koi ham sa bhi kahan hey
Quoting Asad Naqvi from above:
ye dag dag ujala, ye shabgazida sahar
wo intazar tha jis ka, ye wo sahar to nahin
ye wo sahar to nahin jis ki arzu lekar
chale the yar k mil jayegi kahin na kahin
falak k dasht main taron ki akhari manzil
kahin to hoga shab-e-sust mauj ka sahil
kahin to ja k rukga safina-e-gam-e-dil
Seem Faiz was true in the very start about failed and un logical state which was just emerged on the world map.
Faiz was no doubt the greatest Urdu poet, and he was one of my favourite even though Urdu is my second language.
mokam ey faiz koi rah may jacha he nahi
jo koey yaar say niklay soiy dar chalain
jis dhaj say gaya koi maqtal mein wo shan salamat rahti hai
ye jan to aani jani hai is jan ki koi baat nahi
Faiz sahib does not need tribute. His life and poetry both are one and the same which is a rare quality
My favourite lines are:
har ik ulul-amr ko sada du
kay apnee fard-e-amal sambha-lay
uthe ga jab jamaah sar-faroshan
paRay ga dar-o-rasan kay lalay
koi na hoga jo bachaa lay
jaza saza sab yeh-heen pay hogee
yeh-heeen azab-o-sawab ho ga
yeh-heen say uthay ga shore-ai mehshar
yeh-heen pay roz-e-hissab ho ga.
Hur bay-basar nay daste tamanna kiya dara
Qatil kay samnay, kabhi khanjar kay samnay
Jis dashte gumrahi mein hamain lay chala, chalay
Kis ko majaale uzr thi rahbar kay samnay
Bahar aaie
Ae khaak nasheeno uth baitho
Ham jo tareek rahon mein mare gae
Aaj bazar mein pa ba jolan chalo
Tauq o dar ka mausam
Tanhaaie
Subah e Azadi
Loh o qalam
Nisar mein tere galeon pe ae watan keh jehaan
Mujh se pehli si muhabat mere mehboob na maang.
The poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz is unique combination of freedom of thought, excellent form, popular discourse, simple, sincere meanings and real reflection of various colours of life. The progressive poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz has inexhaustible inventiveness in its meanings, message and thoughts. Faiz Ahmad Faiz had great love for poor and helpless people of the world. He has great respect for the common man. He gives message of hope to humanity. He takes care of sacred word of his poetry. He worked hard for human rights, liberty and sacred message of words through his poetry.
Faiz Ahmad Faiz always spoke in favour of poor people who are deprived of basic human rights. Freedom of thought in the poetry of Faiz is a ray of hope for humanity.
Woh jo qarz samajtey they jan par
woh hasab ajj chuks diya
“kab nazar men aaegi, bedaagh sabzon ki bahaar,
khuun ke dhabbe dhulenge, kitani barasaton ke baad!”
My tearful remembrance to this great poet, always giving voice to the people’s suffering and pain.
Dr. L. D. Malaviya,
Kyoto, JAPAN