I have read and appreciated the poetry of many urdu poets but some of recent times have influenced me greatly and have had a notable effect on my writing. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of them. Short biography of some of them, with their invaluable couplets (Ashaar) are mentioned below as a mark of gratitude and respect.
Khumar Barabanki
Khumar Saheb was born in 1919 in Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Khumar's real name was Mohammed Haidar Khan. One of his ghazals "Tasveer banata hoon tasveer nahin banti" sung by Talat Mehmood for film Bara Dari in 1955 is very famous even today. He passed away in 1999.
ASHAAR
maut aaye to din phiren shaayad
zindagi ne to maar Daala hai
*
sukun hi sukun hai Khushi hi Khushi hai
tera Gham salaamat mujhe kya kami hai
*
raushni mehdud ho jin ki 'Khumar'
un charaagon ko bujhaate jaayiye
*
hairat hai tum ko dekh ke masjid mein aye 'Khumar'
kyaa baat ho gai jo Khuda yaad agaya
Sudershan Faqir
Sudershan Fakir was born in 1934 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He did MA in political science and English from DAV College, Jalandhar. Jagjit Singhji and Chitraji have sung most of his ghazals . One of his ghazals sung by Jagjit Singhji and Chitra ji "ye daulat bhii le lo ye shoharat bhii le lo" is very popular among ghazal listeners. ' Malika-e-ghazal' Begum Akhtar had also sung some of his ghazals like "kuchh to duniyaa ki inaayaat ne dil tod diyaa" in her last phase. He died on 19 February, 2008 at the age of 73 in Jalandhar.
ASHAAR
Naakhuda ko khuda kaha hai to phir
Doob jao khuda khuda na karo
*
Faasle umr ke kuchh aur badha deti hai,
Jaane kyun log use phir bhi dava kehte hain
*
ek do roz kaa sadama ho to ro len "Faaqir"
ham ko har roz ke sadamaat ne rone na diya
*
Jab haqiqat hai ke har zarre mein tu rehta hai
To zameen per kahin mandir kahin masjid kyun hai
Meraj Faizabadi
Meraj Faizabadi's real name is Syed Meraj-ul-Haq. He was born in village Kala Shareef of District Faizabad, Uttar Pardesh. He did B.Sc from K.S. Saket P.G Degree College, Faizabad and M.Sc from Lucknow University. He worked in U.P. Waqf Board and has settled in Lucknow after retirement. He devotes his whole time to urdu poetry now.
ASHAAR
Kisko yeh fikr hai ke qabile ka kiya hua
Sab ispe lar rahe hain ke sardar kaun hai
*
Jiski jitni haisiat uske naam utna khulus
Bheek dete hain yahan ke log kasa dekh ker
*
Mujh ko thaknein nahin deta hai zaroorat ka pahar
Mere bachche mujhe boodha nahi honein dete
*
Jheel aankhon ko na hoton ko kanwal kehte hain
Hum to zakhmon ki numaish ko ghazal kehte hain
Mohsin Naqvi
Mohsin Naqvi was a great Urdu poet of Pakistan. His real Name was Ghulam Abbas. He did his masters from University of Punjab, Lahore. His poetry depicts modern love. He is believed to have been murdered on 15 January 1996.
ASHAAR
Usne yeh soch ker mujhe alvida keh diya Mohsin
Ye gharib log hein mohabbat ke siwa kiya denge
*
Tasalli Dil ko ho jaye agar itna bata do tum
Tumhen bhi hichkiyan aati hain jub hum yaad kerte hain
*
Khushi milee to kayee dard mujh se rooth gaye
dua karo kay main phir se uddas ho jaon
*
Mujh ko bhii shauq thaa naye cheharon kii diid kaa
rastaa badal ke chalne ki aadat use bhi thee
Ahmed Faraz
Ahmed Faraz was a famous Pakistani urdu poet. Faraz is his 'takhallus', (pen name). His real name was Syed Ahmad Shah. He was born in Kohat, Pakistan on 14, January, 1931. He studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University and later became a lecturer there. He died in Islamabad on 25 August 2008. He is famous for his simple writings. Some of his ghazals like" Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhanein ke liye aa" , "Ab ke bichde to hum shayad khayalon mein milenge" and " Shola hun jal bujha hoon hawayen mujhe na do" sung by Janab Mehdi Hasan Saheb are very popular.
ASHAAR
Neend kya ayegi faraz
Maut ayee to so lenge
*
Bandagii ham ne chhod di hai 'Faraz'
Kyaa karen log jab Khudaa ho jaayen
*
Berbad kerne ke aur bhi raste the faraz
Na jane unko mohabbat ka khayal kyun aya
*
Na kar kisi pe bharosa ke kashtiyan Dubin
Khuda ke hote huye nakhuda ke hote huye