faiz ahmed faiz (1911 - 1984) was a pakistani poet considered to be one of the most famous modern urdu poets. he was born in sialkot, in the punjab during british rule (now pakistan). after the partition of 1947, he decided to live in pakistan. faiz was a member of the progressive writers' movement, and an avowed marxist. in 1962 he was awarded the lenin peace prize by the soviet union.
faiz was charged with complicity in a failed coup attempt known as the rawalpindi conspiracy case and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in 1951. the jail term gave him a first-hand experience of the harsh realities of life, and provided him with the much-needed solitude to think and write poetry. he was nominated for the nobel but did not win it.
the work i have picked here is beautiful for the way it depicts the end of romance when reality touches your world.
mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg
maine samjhaa thaa ke tuu hai to daraKhshaaN hai hayaat
teraa Gham hai to Gham-e-dah’r kaa jhagRaa kyaa hai
terii suurat se hai aalam meN bahaaroN ko sabaat
terii aaNkhoN ke sivaa duniyaa meN rakhaa kyaa hai
tuu jo mil jaaye to taqdiir niguuN ho jaaye
yuuN na thaa, maiN ne faqat chaahaa thaa yuuN ho jaaye
aur bhii dukh haiN zamaane meN muhabbat ke sivaa
raahateN aur bhii haiN vasl kii raahat ke sivaa
mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg
anginat sadiyoN ke taariik bahimaanaa talism
resham-o-atlas-o-kam-Khvaab meN bunvaaye hu’e
jaa-ba-jaa bikte hu’e kuuchaa-o-baazaar meN jism
Khaak meN lithaRe hu’e Khuun meN nahlaaye hu’e
lauT jaatii hai udhar ko bhii nazar kyaa kiijiye
ab bhii dil-kash hai teraa husn magar kyaa kiijiye
aur bhii dukh haiN zamaane meN muhabbat ke sivaa
raahateN aur bhii haiN vasl kii raahat ke sivaa
mujh se pahlii sii muhabbat merii mahbuub na maaNg
