there are two verses inscribed on this vase :
“To a gazelle l had.
Oh gazelle!.
you always graze in my garden, lonely and dark-eyed like me: we are both alone with no maste.
Let us bear the sentence of fate patiently!”
by Qasmūna bint Ismail, a 12th-century Jewish poetess of al-Andalus—and one of the very few known female poets.

And
“You left me, oh gazelle!,
bound in the hands of misfortune.
Since you deserted me,
I have known no pleasure in sleep.”
by Ibn Zaydūn (1003 to 1070 CE) one of Andalusia’s most famous poets.

This vase is housed in the museum in Alhambra palace, Granada Spain.
Crafted in the time of Sultan Muhammad V (c. 1370–1380), the Vase of Gazelles, made possibly for the palace of Granada, is not merely a vessel, it is a lyrical fusion of art, poetry, and symbolism, representing the pinnacle of Nasrid ceramic craftsmanship in al-Andalus.

The vase’s elegance is as much technical as it is aesthetic. It reflects the remarkable advancement of ceramic techniques in the Islamic world: lusterware, intricate figuration, and cobalt blue overglaze set against earthy tones. The inscriptions and interlacing motifs echo architectural patterns, mirroring the refined synthesis of art and intellect that defined the Nasrid court

In poetry the characteristics of each animal are symbolic. Power and strength in the case of the lions, or the speed of the doves which act as messengers, while the delicate nature, speed and sweetness of gazelles in poetry have been used to symbolise the soul, the lover or longing for the lover.
From the fine curves of the calligraphy to the rhythmic symmetry of vegetal motifs, every detail of this vase speaks to a world where beauty was divine, and even the everyday object could become a vehicle for transcendence.

As we behold this masterpiece today, we see not just a vase, but an entire world contained in clay, pigment, and poetry.

Tedhi Qabr
Come ashoor or 10th Muharram and Sham-e Gariban majlises are held across the world.
While the hadith in the majlis, though centring around the events of the 10th of Ashur in Karbala, will differ according to the Maulana reciting it, one thing remains standard: every majlis will end with the iconic and evocative nauha ghabrayegi Zainab.
This nauha has the power to make tears fall from even the most hardened soul.
This year i was determined to go and pay my respects and recite a fatiha at the grave of Channu Lal who wrote this nauha. He wrote under the takhallus of Dilgir.
Thanks to Taha Ahmad and Sabika Abbas i went there.
It’s called ‘tedhi qabr’ or crooked grave because it is not in alignment with the road running next to it.
As many would know a qabr/grave of a Muslim has to be perpendicular to the direction of the Qibla, this here the direction is tilted & not perpendicular to the road.
Channu Lal (1780 – 1848 CE)and his brother Raja Jhau Lal were courtiers of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula. Brought up on the ethos of nawabi tehzeeb, Channu Lal was an accomplished marsiya nigar and poet.
Mirza Khani Nawazish was his first ustad and Nasikh was his second ustad.
The nondescript grave is in middle of the chidiya market of Nakkhas and there are shops on one side of it.
I spoke to a few shopkeepers and requested them to keep it in a good condition.
Due to a lisp he himself could not recite hos nauhas, but today the world is hos voice.
Request a surah e fatiha for Dilgir

ashura

https://youtu.be/xH2ygqSlAWw?si=OidTt_HCRhTinoY6

gulrīzī-e ashk bū-ye khūn dāsht
īn subha zi khāk-e karbalā būd

The flower-fall of tears
was redolent of blood.
This rosary was made
of Karbala’s dust.

— Bedil

( selection and translation Prashant Keshavmurthy)

#karbala #khaakepak

Tere qadmon pe sar hoga qaza sar pe khadi hogi
phir us sajde ka kya kahana anokhi bandagi hogi

nasim-e-subah gulashan mein gulon se khelati hogi
kisi ke aakhari hichaki kisi ke dillagi hogi

dikha dunga sar-e-mahafil bata dunga sar-e-mahashar
wo mere dil mein honge aur duniya dekhati hogi

maza aa jayega mahashar mein phir sunane-sunane ka
zuban hogi vahan meri kahani aap ke hogi

tumhen danista mahafil mein jo dekha ho to mujarim
nazar aakhir nazar hai be-irada uth gayi hogi

Nawab Mustafa Ali Khan Shefta (1809-1869 AD), was a famous poet and critic. He was a contemporary of Mirza Ghalib.
Like the majority of Muslim nobility he was arrested by the British in connection with the Uprising of 1857. He had close ties with the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
However, unlike the more unfortunate ones from Kucha Chelan, such as Imam Baksh Sehbai he escaped execution and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and his estates were seized, only half of which were later restored on appeal.
Later, his son Nawab Ishaq Khan bought the prison and built their family home on it.

Shefta died in 1869 at his house in Kucha Chelaan in Delh and was buried at his family graveyard at Hazrat Nizamuddin.
He belonged to the famous Bangash family and was buried in their family graveyard which was very close to the Loharu graveyard.
He was a close friend of Mirza Ghalib who stood by him in his hour of need and it’s fitting that they sleep their eternal sleep near each other. Unfortunately, heavy construction in the twentieth century has resulted in many changes and since no headstone or marker indicates his grave, we don’t know which one it is.
Whenever i go to Chausath Khamba i just recite a fatiha for all the souls there.
As per my understanding the Bangash family graveyard is behind Chausath Khamba. That area has many graves.
Ghalib’s tomb is separated from the Chausath Khamba by a wall.

Excerpt from: “The Forgotten Cities of Delhi: Book Two in the Where Stones Speak trilogy” by Rana Safvi.

image 1&2 – unidentified graves in that area
image 3- Chausath Khamba
Image 4- Ghalib’s tomb

We all know about the great freedom fighter Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi and Muztar Khairabadi, but what is little known is that their family produced Khairabad’s first female poet.
Hirma’n Khairabadi was the takhallus of Bibi Syedun Nisa.
She was the daughter of Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi andm mother of two great poets Muztar Khairabadi and Bismil Khairabadi. Bartar Khairabadi, Nashtar khairabadi and Janisar Akhtar are her grandsons.Her husband was Ruswa Khairabadi.
She was an erudite lady who had studied Persian, Arabic and Urdu and was a master of Urdu verse and metre.
She was spiritually inclined.
Her Kalam is preserved in a book Kalam e Hirma’n

She is buried in the compound of a small family mosque in khairabad.
https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/kalam-e-hirman-hirman-khairabadi-ebooks

We all know about the great freedom fighter Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi and Muztar Khairabadi, but what is little known is that their family produced Khairabad’s first female poet.
Hirma’n Khairabadi was the takhallus of Bibi Syedun Nisa.
She was the daughter of Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi andm mother of two great poets Muztar Khairabadi and Bismil Khairabadi. Bartar Khairabadi, Nashtar khairabadi and Janisar Akhtar are her grandsons.Her husband was Ruswa Khairabadi.
She was an erudite lady who had studied Persian, Arabic and Urdu and was a master of Urdu verse and metre.
She was spiritually inclined.
Her Kalam is preserved in a book Kalam e Hirma’n

She is buried in the compound of a small family mosque in khairabad.
https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/kalam-e-hirman-hirman-khairabadi-ebooks

We all know about the great freedom fighter Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi and Muztar Khairabadi, but what is little known is that their family produced Khairabad’s first female poet.
Hirma’n Khairabadi was the takhallus of Bibi Syedun Nisa.
She was the daughter of Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi andm mother of two great poets Muztar Khairabadi and Bismil Khairabadi. Bartar Khairabadi, Nashtar khairabadi and Janisar Akhtar are her grandsons.Her husband was Ruswa Khairabadi.
She was an erudite lady who had studied Persian, Arabic and Urdu and was a master of Urdu verse and metre.
She was spiritually inclined.
Her Kalam is preserved in a book Kalam e Hirma’n

She is buried in the compound of a small family mosque in khairabad.
https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/kalam-e-hirman-hirman-khairabadi-ebooks

We all know about the great freedom fighter Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi and Muztar Khairabadi, but what is little known is that their family produced Khairabad’s first female poet.
Hirma’n Khairabadi was the takhallus of Bibi Syedun Nisa.
She was the daughter of Allama Fazl-e Haq Khairabadi andm mother of two great poets Muztar Khairabadi and Bismil Khairabadi. Bartar Khairabadi, Nashtar khairabadi and Janisar Akhtar are her grandsons.Her husband was Ruswa Khairabadi.
She was an erudite lady who had studied Persian, Arabic and Urdu and was a master of Urdu verse and metre.
She was spiritually inclined.
Her Kalam is preserved in a book Kalam e Hirma’n

She is buried in the compound of a small family mosque in khairabad.
https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/kalam-e-hirman-hirman-khairabadi-ebooks

The famous poet Dabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib was born on 27 December 1797 and witnessed the first war of Indian independence and the end of the Mughal Empire.
There are many stories about his life I share one here.
He led a very hard life and
was perpetually in debt and fought for his pension, but his wit remained intact. Writing about his pension, Mirza Ghalib said:

“Miyan be-rizq jeene ka mujhko dhab aa gaya
Iss taraf se khatir jamaa rakhna”
Miyan I have got used to living in a state of penury.
Be rest assured from my side.
And
“Ramzan ka maheena roze khaa khaa kar kataa. Khuda Razzaq hai, kuch aur khaane ko na mila to gham to hai!”
In the month of Ramzan, I lived by fasting and God is Bounteous and if nothing else, at least there is sorrow.’

He died on 15 February 1869 AD. He was buried near the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in the graveyard belonging to the Nawabs of Loharu to whom he was related to via his mother and wife’s family. It was a very simple grave ( image1) and only recognizable as the grave of a great poet because of the inscription on it:

Ya Hayyo Yaa Qayyum
Rashk e Urfi wa fakhr e talib murd
Asadullah Khan Ghalib Murd
Kal main gham o andoh mein ba khatir e mahzoon
Tha turbat e Ustad pe baitha huwa ghamnaak
Dekha to mujhe fikr mein tareekh ke, Majruh
Hatif ne kaha ganj e ma’ni hai tah e khaak

O Living, O Sustaining
The envy of Urfi and the pride of Talib is dead
Asadullah Khan Ghalib is dead
Yesterday I was distraught and grieving
I sat by the grave of my master,
As Majruh was pondering over a chronogram,
The guardian angel cried ‘beneath the dust is a treasure of meaning’
However, he survived that illness and eventually died in 1869. The present chronogram was written by his student Mir Majruh

The second photo is after AKTC built a pavilion over it.
Excepted from: “The Forgotten Cities of Delhi: Book Two in the Where Stones Speak trilogy” by Rana Safvi.

WhereStonesSpeak #forgottencitiesofdelhi #Ghalib #mirzaghalib #poet #mirmajruh #urdu #ghazal #Ghalibmazar #ghalibtomb

Aankh padti hai kahin, paanv kahin padta hai
Sab ki hai tumko khabar, apni khabar kuchh bhi nahin

Shama hai, gul bhi hai, bulbul bhi hai, parwana bhi
Raat ki raat yeh sab kuch hai, sehar kuchh bhi nahin

Hashr ki dhoom hai, sab kahte hain yun hai, yun hai
Fitna hai ek teri thokar ka , magar kuchh bhi nahin

Nesti ki hai mujhe koocha e hasti mein talaash,
Saer karta hun udhar ki jidhar kuchh bhi nahin

Ek ansoo bhi asar jab na kare Tashnah
Fayda rone se ai deeda e tar kuchh bhi nahin , kuchh bhi nahin

( reciting this Tashna abruptly got up and left the mushaira repeating kuchh bhi nahin kuchh bhi nahin )

2. Mirza Mahir, grandson of Badshah Shah Alam

Hum bhi kaabe ko chalte par ai Sheikh
Qismat se butkade mein hi deedaar ho gaya

Naaseh ki baat sun ne ka kisko yahan dimaagh
Tera hi zikr tha ke main naachaar ho gaya

Ai humnasheen woh Hazrat Mahir hi naa hon kahin
Ek paarsa suna hai mai khwaar ho gaya

3.Once this impious idol worshipper had laid claims to divinity,
Now that he has come to his senses, he has recovered his humanity

Pahle dawa e khudaai uss but e kafir ko tha,
Kuch durusti par jo aaj aaya tau insaan ho gaya

Mirza Haji Baig Shohrat

4.

Mirza Kamil Baig a soldier in the Mughal army in 1845
Mizghaan*se agar bache hai dil, abru^ kare hai tukde
Yeh kahkar maine jo uss se daad chaahi
Kahne laga k tarkash jis waqt hone lage khali
Talwar tab na kheinche tau kya kare sipahi
*eyelashes ^eyebrows

DilliKiAakhiriShama

pehle ustaad thay Ehsaan-o-Naseer-o-Momin
hui Ehsaan se pur-islaah tabiyat meri
phir hua Hazrat-e-Sehbaai ki islaah ka faiz
taba baareek hui unki badaulat meri
aur hum-bazm rahey Momin-o-Zauq-o-Ghalib
ustaadon se hi hardam rahi sohbat meri
munaqid hoti hai jab sheher mein bazm-e-Insha
kartey hain ehl-e-sukhan waqat-o-izzat meri

Tum mērē paas hotey hō gōyā
Jab kō’ī dūsrā nahin hota

The grave of one of the finest Urdu poets, Momin Khan Momin (1800–14 May 1852) is in the #Mehdiyan cemetery opposite Maulana Azad Medical College.

I read about it and decided set off to find it and recite a fatiha. The compound which was once a premier Delhi area is now a dhobi ghat with clothes spread out to dry after washing. Encroachment is everywhere.

This is also the compound of the mazar of the famous Sufi saint Shah Waliullah and some members of his family.

That compound has many graves. Just outside the saints mazar is the grave of Hakim Momin Khan Momin. I had to look for it amongst all the others.

We are lucky it has survived.

At some point in the 1960s unscrupulous builders decided to bulldozer the area. They leveled the hilly ground around it.
A devoted fan of Momin Sher Ali Mewati came to know of it and came to Delhi from #Mewat.
He lay down in front of the bulldozer but it didn’t work.
Next he went and lay down on the road opposite Teen Murti house just as #Nehru was being driven out.
Those were the days. He wasn’t arrested instead Nehru ji got down from his car and asked for an explanation.
He was very upset and immediately drove to the spot with Sher Ali Mewati.
He gave orders to stop demolition. Sher Ali hot the mazar repaired and a compound wall built .

Abdul Qadir Bedil (1642-1720) is considered as one of the prominent poets of Indian School of Poetry in Persian literature, and both Mirza Ghalib and Allama Iqbal were influenced by his unique style.
The Bagh e Bedil is popularly believed to be the tomb of the famous poet and mystic Bedil. However, there have been doubts raised over it.
One fact that is mentioned by many scholars of Bedil is the absence of any mention of his tomb by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in Asar-us-Sanadid as well as by Maulvi basheeruddin Ahmed in Waqeat-e Darul Hukumat Dehli. Though the poet’s urs was celebrated for many years after his passing away by the time Sir Syed was writing Asar, traces of the tomb must have vanished.
Some of it the oral history, regarding the present tomb was related to me in 2016-17 by Janab Mohammad Misbah the caretaker of the Dargah of Sheikh Nuruddin Malik Yaar e Parra’n.
Janab Mohammad Misbah saheb said that as per history Bedil was buried in a place chosen by him earlier in the haveli where he lived. This is proven by Urdu texts from that and later era.( ‘Nikat-e-Bedil’ published by Attaullah). This then led me to research and I found Dr. Abdul Ghani’s book ‘Life And Works Of Abdul Qadir Bedil’.
Dr. Abdul Ghani corroborates this in the book.
He says that the house of the poet Bedil was on the banks of the river Yamuna in Shahjahanabad, as stated by Hussain Quli Khan is Nishtar e Ishq. Khushgo, his disciple also confirms that it is outside the Delhi Gate and in its neighbourhood. The present tomb is at a distance of three km from the Delhi gate.
The present tomb is in the complex of Dargah of Sheikh Nuruddin Malik Yaar e Parra’n and opposite the dargah of Matka Shah, yet as Dr. Ghani says, Khushgo nor Husain Quli Khan make any reference to these two very popular 13th century saints.
Dr. Ghani goes on to write:
[Bedil] was down with typhoid fever towards the end of Muharram 1133 AH (Nov. 1720). After four or five days the fever disappeared, and, thinking that he had recovered, Bedil took a bath on the 2nd of Safar 1133 AH (December 3, 1720). On Wednesday the 3rd of Safar there was a relapse of fever, which remained for the whole of the night. Nawab Ghairat Khan Bahadur4 … was with him for the whole of the night. Sometimes Bedil swooned, and then came to himself. When he regained senses, he would burst into laughter involuntarily. The hopes of recovery waned at last, and at dawn the condition changed horribly. It was Thursday, 4th Safar 1133 AH (December 5, 1720) when six gharis had passed after sunrise, the Bedil’s soul winged its way to Heaven. His sacred remains were buried in the courtyard of his house, on the bank of the river Jamna, at the place specified by himself.5
Dr Ghani’s statement is based on Maarif, a book by Bindaban Das ‘Khushgo’, a most ardent admirer of Bedil who was living in Delhi at the same time Bedil.
Khushgo also says that the poet was buried in a grave dug into a chabutra that Bedil had got built for that very purpose ten years earlier.
Alas! Bedil concealed his face from this world!
That pure jewel sleeps under the earth
When Khushgo asked his intellect for the chronogram It said ‘Mirza Bedil departed from this world6
“Bedil don’t be a black spot for the mourner, a trouble for his parched throat, Die on the dust and in the same manner be carried by the winds. Your
death is light, don’t be a burden for any shoulder”
The present location was fixed upon by Khwaja Hasan Nizami who translated Dargah Quli Khan’s book Muraqqa e Dehli from Persian. Since Bedil’s tomb was mentioned in it but no one knew of its exact location he published a query in the magazine where the translation appeared. A Maulana Shah Sulaiman Sahib of Phulwari replied saying that the tomb was in front of e-Parra’n. Khwaja Hasan Nizami went visited the site and though he didn’t find any vestiges of the tomb he discovered the site. He requested Nizam Asif Jah VII for help and the latter sent Rs. 2,000 and the tomb with a marble tombstone and low enclosure of bricks was built. [Dr.Ghani]

I would like to say that finally it doesn’t matter for lovers of poetry as the master is in their hearts. As a documenter of monuments I have  discussed this in my book

Forgotten Cities of Delhi

The painting of the tomb was presented by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Emomali Rohmon

Falak zameen o mulaik janab thi Dilli

Bahist o khuld men bhi intikhab thi Dilli

jawab kaahe ko tha,lajawaab thi Dilli

Magar khyal se dekha tau khwab thi Dilli

Pari hain ankhen wahan jo jagah thi nargis ki

Khabar nahin ki ise kha gayi nazar kiski

Falak ne qahr o gazab taak taak ke daala

Tamaam parda e namoos chaak kar daala

Yakayak ik jahan ko halaak kar daala

Gharz ke lakh ka ghar khakh kar daala

Jalen hain dhoop men shaklen jo mehtab ki thi

Khinchein hain kaanton pe jo pattian gulab ki thin

Lahu ke chashme hain chashm e pur aab ki surat

Shikasta kaasa e sar hain habaab ki surat

Lute hain ghar, dil e khana kharab ki surat

Kahan yeh hashr men tauba! itaab ki surat

A copy of which he presented to Nawab YUSUF Ali Khan of Rampur

The first ghazal of Ghalib’s first Diwan was

Naqsh fariyadi hai

I am giving it with an explanation from www.Urduwallahs.Com

Naqsh faryadi hai kis ki shokhi-e tahrir ka

kaghazi hai pairahan her paikar-e tasvir ka

Against whose playful writing are the words complainants?

Made of paper is the attire of the countenance of every image.

kav kav-e sakht jani hai tanhai, na(h) puchh

subh karna sham ka, lana hai ju-e shir ka

Inquire not of my forebearance to the incessant hammering in the loneliness.

Turning night into day is like unearthing a channel of milk.

[kavkav: continuous beating of hard stone with a sharp object;

(Referring to the legendary lover farhad’s digging the channel of milk out of the mountain for King Khusrao, as a condition of having his wife, Shirin. ]

jazb’a(h)-e be ikhtiar-e shauq dekha chahiye

sin’a(h)-e shamshir se bahar hai dam shamshir ka

Worth seeing is the spirit of my uncontrollable desire,

Causing the edge of the sword to unfurl from its sheath.

[dam: breath; dam-e shamshir: edge of sword.]

agahi dam-e shanidan jis qadar chdhe bichhae

muddaa unqa hai apne ‘alam-e taqrir ka

No matter how awareness spreads its nets of hearing,

The meaning is the nonexistent bird in the style of my expression.

[agahi: awareness; dam: net; shanidan: to hear, listen, or attend to; muddaa: whatever is meant; unqa: legendary bird that does not exist (ala Unicorn). ]

baske hun Ghalib asiri men bhi atish zer pa

mue atish dida(h) hai halqa(h) meri zanjir ka

Whereas, even in bondage, there is fire under my feet, Ghalib,

The chains that bind me are merely curls of singed hair.

Aankh padti hai kahin, paanv kahin padta hai

Sab ki hai tumko khabar, apni khabar kuchh bhi nahin

Shama hai, gul bhi hai, bulbul bhi hai, parwana bhi

Raat ki raat yeh sab kuch hai, sehar kuchh bhi nahin

Hashr ki dhoom hai, sab kahte hain yun hai, yun hai

Fitna hai ek teri thokar ka , magar kuchh bhi nahin

Nesti ki hai mujhe koocha e hasti mein talaash,

Saer karta hun udhar ki jidhar kuchh bhi nahin

Ek ansoo bhi asar jab na kare Tashnah

Fayda rone se ai deeda e tar kuchh bhi nahin , kuchh bhi nahin

( reciting this Tashna abruptly got up and left the mushaira repeating kuchh bhi nahin kuchh bhi nahin )

Sadat Yaar Khan, the 18th century poet from Lucknow who wrote under the takhallus or penname, Rangin, explored the feelings of the beloved. He named the genre Rekhti – as opposed to Rekhta, the name that was then given to Urdu ghazals about the inaccessible beloved.

Rekhti gave full-throated expression to the sexual longing and desires of women. Here was a woman who was not afraid to speak out. Of course, one mustn’t forget that it was written by men, who often read it in mushairas dressed as women, and were its main consumers.

Since it was considered voyeuristic and aimed at titillation, this genre was said to be disreputable and not to be repeated in front of well-brought up ladies, or in genteel gatherings, so as to not corrupt the gentler sex.

The feminine voices had not been heard in this form before; the critics were outraged.

Carla Petievich writes, in Feminine and Cultural Syncreticism of Dakani Poetry, that Qutub Quli Khan (1566-1611) and Ghavasi (17th century) of Dakkan did indeed write in the feminine voice. Qutub Quli Khan is a very respected Urdu poet and said to be a pioneer of Urdu ghazals. The female voice in their ghazals was really feminine, soft and gentle. It talked of separation or union but in genteel tones. Not like the full-bodied longings and conversations that the Lucknow-Delhi Rekhti explored.

For example Qutub Quli khan writes:

Compare this to the erotic verse in Rekhti from Mohsin Khan Mohsin:

This genre is invaluable as it describes the clothes, mannerisms and phrases used by women. It also explores love between the women themselves as well as adulterous relationships. These were things that were known but were brushed under the carpet.

In a song from the 1983 movie Mandi , there’s a song by Insha, another famous Rekhti poet:

Chubhti hai yeh to mukhko yeh nigodi bhaari angiya (This wretched bodice is too heavy, it pricks me)

This song describes many other items of clothes worn by women in those days.

According to Prof CM Naim, barring a few women poets such as a woman named Naubahar with a takhallus ‘Zalil’ [shameless], or a temporary or mamtua wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, none of the other female poets wrote Rekhti.

Naubahar Zalil was a maidservant employed by Mirza Sulaiman Shikoh, a Mughal prince living in exile in Lucknow. Mirza Sulaiman Shikoh was also Rangin’s patron and may have, thus, influenced Naubahar Zalil’s style of writing.

The famous Rekhti poets are of course Sadat Yaar Khan Rangin, Inshallah Khan Insha, Mohsin Khan Mohsin and Meer Yaar Ali Jan.

Sajid Sajni (1922-1993) revived this genre and was the last famous Rekhti poet. His famous couplet is often attributed to Meena Kumari:

mujh ko aavaaze’n detaa thaa

Nasir Kazmi

lekin itnā to huā kuchh log pahchāne gaye

garmi-e-mahfil faqat ik nāra-e-mastāna hai

aur vo ḳhush haiñ ki is mahfil se dīvāne gaye

maiñ ise shohrat kahūñ yā apnī rusvā.ī kahūñ

mujh se pahle us galī meñ mere afsāne gaye

vahshateñ kuchh is tarah apnā muqaddar ban ga.iiñ

ham jahāñ pahuñche hamāre saath vīrāne gaye

yuuñ to vo merī rag-e-jāñ se bhī the nazdīk-tar

āñsuoñ kī dhund meñ lekin na pahchāne gaye

ab bhī un yādoñ kī ḳhushbū zehn meñ mahfūz hai

bār-hā ham jin se gulzāroñ ko mahkāne gaye

kyā qayāmat hai ki ‘ḳhātir’ kushta-e-shab the bhī ham

sub.h bhī aayī to mujrim ham hī gardāne gaye

क़द्रदानों की तबीयत का अजब रंग है आज

बुलबुलों को ये हसरत, कि वो उल्लू न हुए.

Qadrdaano’n ki tabiyat ka ajab rang hai aaj

Bulbulo’n ko ye hasrat , ki wo ullu na huye

He is buried in the compound of Hazrat Bu Ali Qalandars dargah in Panipat.

On Hali’s marble grave in Panipat are inscribed these words

‘Yahi hai ibadat yahi Deen o iman,

ke kaam aaye duniya mein insan ke insan

Since Bahadur Shah Zafar was fond of using simple and colloquial diction, Zauq too composed his ghazals using simple words, phrases of everyday use and similes rooted in the common culture. His ghazals are also notable for their spontaneity. Zauq was a deeply religious man. In his ghazals too he would deal with religious and ethical themes. Therefore, his ghazals lack lyricism and appear to be the verses of a preacher.

A Major portion of Zauq’s poetical output got lost because mutiny of 1857. Maulana Mohammed Husain Azad compiled a slim volume of his poetry with the help of his pupils like Hafiz, Veeran, Anwar and Zaheer that contains twelve hundred couplets of Ghazals and fifteen Eulogies. Even though much of his work was lost, he left behind a legacy of ghazal, qasida, and mukhammas

Son of an ordinary soldier in the Mughal army , Zauq was sent to a maktab (elementary religious school) that was run by Hafiz Ghulam Rasool. Hafiz himself was a poet and used Shauq as his nom de plume. Under his influence the young Mohammed Ibrahim also got attracted towards poetry. Hafiz provided the required encouragement, took him as his pupil in poetry too and suggested Zauq as his nom de plume. Though Zauq could not complete the course of the maktab, he got hooked to poetry. In those days Shah Naseer was the most famous master poet of Delhi. Zauq began showing his ghazals to Shah Naseer for improvement. Naseer recognized the natural talent and made him his pupil. Gradually, Zauq began participating in the mushairas. His natural bent of mind towards poetry coupled with his singular obsession to excel in the pursuit brought him fame and fortune. He would be better appreciated in the mushairas than his mentor. Shah Naseer got very annoyed with the growing popularity of Zauq. He threw him out of the group of his pupils. Zauq, thereafter, relied only on his talent and continued writing poetry with a vengeance.

Another poet, Meer Kazim Husain Beqarar, a friend of Zauq’s was appointed the mentor of the Crown Prince Zafar, who later ascended the throne. Through him Zauq could got the chance to enter the royal court. He also started participating in the royal mushairas. When Beqarar took up the job of Meer Munshi (Head Clerk) in the Office of John Elphinstone, Crown Prince Zafar appointed Zauq as his mentor with a monthly salary of Rs. 4- that was ultimately raised to Rs. 100- when Bahadur Shah Zafar ascended the throne. He remained the poet laureate of the Mughal Court till his death in 1854.

Munshi Mohammed Ali Tashnah was an eccentric poet in Ghalib’s era who came to mushairas in a state of inebriety as well as nudity. Of all the poets present in #DilliKaAakhiriShama he was the only one who had a sense of things to come in 1845.

Aankh padti hai kahin, paanv kahin padta hai

Sab ki hai tumko khabar, apni khabar kuchh bhi nahin

Shama hai, gul bhi hai, bulbul bhi hai, parwana bhi

Raat ki raat yeh sab kuch hai, sehar kuchh bhi nahin

Hashr ki dhoom hai, sab kahte hain yun hai, yun hai

Fitna hai ek teri thokar ka , magar kuchh bhi nahin

Nesti ki hai mujhe koocha e hasti mein talaash,

Saer karta hun udhar ki jidhar kuchh bhi nahin

Ek ansoo bhi asar jab na kare Tashnah

Fayda rone se ai deeda e tar kuchh bhi nahin , kuchh bhi nahin

( reciting this Tashna abruptly got up and left the mushaira repeating kuchh bhi nahin kuchh bhi nahin )

ik tiir mere siine mein maaraa ke haaye haaye

[zikr = mention]

vo sabzaa zaar haaye mutarraa ke hai Gazab

vo naazneenn butaan-e-Khud_aaraa ke haaye haaye

[sabzaa zaar = a place abounding in greenery]

[butaan-e-Khud_aaraa = self decorated beloved]

sabr_aazmaa vo un kii nigaahe”n ke haf nazar

taaqat_ruubaa vo un kaa ishaaraa ke haaye haaye

[sabr_aazmaa = that which tests one’s patience/endurance]

[haf nazar = benevolent eye]

[taaqat_rubaa = that which saps/drains the strength]

vo mevaa haaye taazaa-e-shiireen ke vaah vaah

vo baadaa haaye naab-e-gavaaraa ke haaye haaye

[mevaa = fruit; taazaa-e-shiirii.n = fresh and sweet]

[baadaa = wine; naab = unadulterated; gavaaraa = tasteful]

mu.ayyan

मुअय्यन

معین

established,fixed,appointed,certified, definite

agar sach hai tumhaarii maut kaa ik din mu.ayyan hai

to phir is tai-shuda ko naa-gahaanii kyuu.n samajhte ho

Khushbir Singh Shaad

These kids know the truth

maut kaa ek din mu’ayyan hai

niind kyun raat bhar nahiin aatii

Lab pe pabandi nahi ehsas pe pahra to hai,

Phir bhi ahal e dil ko ahwaal e bashar kahna to hai,

Apni ghairat bech dale’n apna maslaq chhor de’n,

Rahnumao’n may bhi kuch logo’n ko ye mansha to hai,

Hai jinhe’n sab se zyada dawa e hubb e watan,

Aaj un ki wajah se hubb e watan ruswa to hai,

Bujh rahe hai’n ek ek kar ke aqido’n ke diye,

Is andhere ka bhi lekin saamna karana to hai,

Jhuth kyu’n bole’n farogh e maslahat ke naam par,

Zindagi pyari sahi lekin hamay marna to hai.

Mar gaya aaj taaj~daar-e-suKHan

Bulbul-e-KHush~taraana-e-m’ani

Gul-e-raNgeen-o-shaaKHsaar-e-suKHan

NaKH’l~baNd-e-hadeeqa-e-mazmooN

Taaz’gee~baKH’sh laala~zaar-e-suKhan

‘Arsa-e-nazm kyoN na ho veeraaN

Hai ‘inaaN~kash woh shah~sawaar-e-suKHan

KyoN na har’foN ka ho libaas siyaah

Hai GHam-e-marg-e-shahryaar-e-suKhan

Saath un ke gayee suKHan~saNjee

Un ka marqad hi hai mazaar-e-suKHan

Aab’yaari thi jis se woh na raha

Ab KHizaaN ho gayee bahaar-e-suKHan

NaGHma~pairaaiyaaN kahaaN waisi

Ab yeh hai naala~haaye~zaar-e-suKHan

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Sheh’d goya bhara dahaan men tha

Kya maza aap ke bayaan men tha

Was’f is ja bayaaN se baahar hai

Lutf jo tab’e~nukta~daan men tha

HiNd men reh ke rashk-e-EeraaN ho

Was’f hazrat ki jo zabaan men tha

Hum to KHidmat men aap ki KHush the

CharKH par fikr imtehaan men tha

Sar pe saaya yuN’hi rahega sada

Dil-e-nadaaN isi dhyaan men tha

Qadr~aNdaaz charKH ne chhoRa

JaaN’sitaaN teer jo kamaan men tha

Wuhi gul~cheen-e-marg ne toRa

Phool yak’ta jo gul’sitaan men tha

Un ki roz-e-wafaat Dehli men

Yehi mazkoor dostaan men tha

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o0-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

The Nizaami se naz’m men humsar

Fauq tha naz’r men Zahoori par

Us ka saani koi na us ka nazeer

Ek se ek hai GHaraz bihtar

Kaun taskeeN~fizaaye KHaatir ho

SaKHt bechain hai dil-e-muz’tar

Yaar karte haiN sab’r ki talqeen

Zulm hai jaan-e-naa~shikeba par

Aap ke paaNv to na chalte the

Tai yeh raah-e-daraaz ki kyoNkar

Aatish-e-GHam ki hai bhaRak waisi

Kaam aaye na apne deeda-e-tar

Ab to deedaar ko dikha deeje

Mere naaloN se hai bapa meh’shar

Kaun sunta hai ab kisi ki baat

Aaj kal to yeh shor hai ghar ghar

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Ahl-e-Dehli ki thi buri taqdeer

Jo uTha yaaN se aisa baa~tauqeer

Aise phir saahib-e-kamaal kahaaN

Hai yeh fazl-o-hunar ka daur-e-aKHeer

Naz’m-e-Urdu se Tapki paRti hai

Wo jo hai tarz-e-KHaas-e-Hazrat-e-Meer

Aur Deewaan-e-Faarsi un ka

Falak-e-naz’m ka hai maah-e-muneer

Ghazal-e-Faarsi men hai jo sher

Hai Nazeeri ki fikr ka woh nazeer

Un ki doori men dekh le mujh ko

Jis ne dekhi na GHam ki ho tasveer

Iztiraab-e-mudaam bad hai magar

Dil pe qaaboo na ho to kya tadbeer

BaaGH-e-fazl-o-hunar ko KHaali dekh

Naala~zan yooN hai bulbul-e-dil’geer

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Un ki shaf’qat jo yaad aati hai

Chashm daryaa-e-KHooN bahaati hai

Kal na thi jis jagah ke be jaaye

Wohi ja ab to kaaTe khaati hai

YooN to san’saan hai makaaN saara

Aah par shor-o-GHul machaati hai

Be~qaraari ka zor mat poochho

Sab’r ki dhajjiyaaN uRaati hai

Kaun aata hai behr-e-pursish-e-haal

HaaN GHashi GHam se aati jaati hai

Un ki doori men hai yeh bad~mazgi

Ke naheeN zeest apni bhaati hai

Yeh unheeN ka mazaar hai shaayad

YaaN se kuchh boo-e-ulfat aati hai

Kaan dhar kar jidhar se sunte haiN

Yeh nida aa ke GHam baRHaati hai

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Ek jaaN aur laakh kaavish-e-GHam

Ek dil aur hazaar raNj-o-alam

Haan dar baRa ho chashm-e-toofaaN~rez

AaNsoo aane lage haiN kyoN tham’tham

Hai har ek shehr aur qariye men

Is ‘adeem-un-nazeer ka maatam

Roo-e-shaadi kabhi na dekheNge

Apne hirmaan-e-jaavidaaN ki qasam

Jis [e guzre wuhi yeh jaan’ta hai

GHam-e-hijraaN hai kis GHazab ka sitam

KaheeN is dard ka naheeN darmaaN

KaheeN is zaKH’m ka naheeN mar’ham

Bad hai doori agar’che ho dam bhar

Zehr hai zehr besh ho ya kam

Mujh se pursaaN hai is museebat ka

Tujh ko m’aaloom kya naheeN humdum

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Jab’ke aaNkhoN se woh nihaaN ho jaaye

KyoN na dam seene men sinaaN ho jaaye

ChauNk uTheN KHwaab-e-marg se Hazrat

Is qadar shor ai fuGHaaN ho jaaye

Bulbul-e-baaGH-e-faz’l hai KHaamosh

Chup na kyoN murGH-e-subh~KHwaaN ho jaaye

Mehr-e-m’aani hai KHaak men pinhaaN

KyoN na taareek sab jahaaN ho jaaye

Josh men KHoon-e-dil hai haaN ai GHam

Rezish-e-chashm KHooN~fishaaN ho jaaye

Lab pe rehti hai aah-e-charKH~shikan

KaheeN TukRe na aasmaaN ho jaaye

Naala ho ya ke aah ya girya

Aaj in sab ka imtehaaN ho jaaye

YooN to chup baiThna naheeN achchha

Dil-e-pur~dard kuchh bayaaN ho jaaye

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Kaun deta hai yaaN kisi ki daad

Tum kiye jaao naala-o-faryaad

Kya shareefoN ki qadr ho us ko

AasmaaN jab ke KHud ho sifla~nihaad

Us ko hai apni kaj~ravi se kaam

Koi barbaad ho ke ho ho aabaad

Koi ustaad-e-fan mare to mare

Hai yeh jaur-o-sitam men KHud ustaad

Inteqaal-e-Janaab-e-Ghalib ne

Kar diya KHaana-e-adab barbaad

Haaye jaNgal men us ki qabr bani

KaaKH-e-m’ani ki jo ke tha bun’yaad

Us ko KHizr-e-rah-e-suKHan samjho

Hai jo un ki zabaan ka irshaad

Poochha yeh saaniha jo yaaroN ne

Bola Majrooh baa~dil-e-naashaad

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullaha Khan Ghalib murd

Thi jo un ke mizaaj men tehzeeb

Woh jahaaN men naheeN kisi ko naseeb

Un se dekha kabhi na f’el-e-‘abas

Is se aagaah haiN ba’eed-o-qareeb

Sulh-e-kul ka rakha tha woh bartaao

The woh dushman ki bhi nazar men habeeb

Thi na ik baat lutf se KHaali

Yeh bhi ik baat thi ‘ajeeb-o-GHareeb

Guftugoo men ‘ajab fasaahat thi

Hote the mehv jis ko sun ke adeeb

Tha har ik baat ka naya aNdaaz

Har suKHan ki thi ik nayee tarkeeb

KHush hi jaata tha waaN se har GHamgeen

The magar aap KHush~dili ke tabeeb

Un ka taaboot dekh, baa~hasrat

Yehi kehta tha har ameer-o-GHareeb

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

In sa paida kahaaN ho, gar sau baar

Khaaye chakkar yeh charKH-e-kaj~raftaar

Thi yeh mazmoon ki durar~rezi

Silk-e-gauhar thi kilk-e-jaadoo~kaar

Un ki raNgeeni-e-‘ibaarat se

Saf’ha kaaGHaz ka hai bih~az~gulzaar

Is kalaam-e-baleeGH ko dekho

Lafz-aNdak men m’ani-e-bisyaar

Hilm tab’e saleem men woh tha

ChiooNTi tak ko na jis se tha aazaar

GHus’l dete haiN aao mushtaaqo

Dekho Hazrat ka aaKHiri deedaar

Gird taaboot tha hujoom-e-kaseer

Ahl-e-maatam men thi yehi guftaar

Jo ke jaate hum~rah-e-taaboot

Yehi kehte the woh pukaar pukaar

Rashk-e-‘Urfi-o-faKHr-e-Taalib murd

Asadullah Khan Ghalib murd

Perhaps, every democratic country facing a challenge to its democracy, liberty and freedom needs such a poet.
— Read on www.dailyo.in/lite/arts/habib-jalib-pakistan-urdu-poetry-military-dictatorship-progressive-writers/story/1/23656.html