Shaharyar

Janaab Shaharyaar sahab nahi rahe. He died yesterday, ironically the day on which many years back one of the greatest Urdu poets, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, was born. On a lighter note, both thus had an awkward relationship to the day we now celebrate in the name of love, perhaps suggesting an unfulfilment that their poetry was soaked in.

Some of his finest poetry was used in Gaman and Umrao Jaan, two of the best albums of Hindi film music till date. Shaharyar may not stand with the best of the best in critical evaluation, but some of us lesser folks would swear by his couplets immortalized by the two films. Some of his couplets close to my heart are:

1) yaad terii kabhii dastak kabhii saragoshii se
raat ke pichhale pahar roz jagaatii hai hame.n

2) aaj bhii hai terii duurii hii udaasii kaa sabab
ye alag baat ki pahalii sii nahii.n kuchh kam hai

3) bichha.De logo.n se mulaaqaat kabhii phir hogii
dil me.n ummiid to kaafii hai yaqii.n kuchh kam hai

4) ye kis mukaam par hayaat mujh ko leke aa ga_ii
na bas Khushii pe hai jahaa.N na Gam pe iKhtiyaar hai

5) dil hai to dha.Dakane kaa bahaanaa ko_ii Dhuu.NDhe
patthar kii tarah behis-o-bejaan saa kyuu.N hai

tanhaa_ii kii ye kaun sii manzil hai rafiiqo
taa-hadd-e-nazar ek bayaabaan saa kyuu.N hai

6) jise bhii dekhiye vo apane aap me.n gum hai
zubaa.N milii hai magar ham_zubaa.N nahii.n milataa

7) tere jahaan me.n aisaa nahii.n ki pyaar na ho
jahaa.N ummiid ho is kii vahaa.N nahii.n milataa

8) justajuu jis kii thii us ko to na paayaa ham ne
is bahaane se magar dekh lii duniyaa ham ne

9) कटेगा देखिए दिन जाने किस अज़ाब के साथ
कि आज धूप नहीं निकली आफताब के साथ 

http://www.bestghazals.net/search/label/Shaharyar