Akhtar Sheerani
Akhtar Shirani اختر شیرانی | |
---|---|
Born |
Muhammad Dawood Khan 4 May 1905[1] Tonk, Rajasthan, British India |
Died |
9 September 1948 43)[1] Lahore, Pakistan | (aged
Pen name | Akhtar Shirani |
Occupation | Urdu poet |
Nationality | Pakistani |
Citizenship | Pakistan |
Period | 1905-1948 |
Genre | Nazm and Ghazal |
Children |
Prof. Mazhar Mehmood Sherani Meena Sherani |
Relatives | Hafiz Mehmood Sherani (Father) |
Akhtar Shirani (Urdu: اخترشِيرانى), (also spelled 'Sheerani', 'Sherani', 'Shirani', 'Shairani'), (4 May 1905 – 9 September 1948) is considered to be one of the leading romantic poets of Urdu language.[1]
Early life
Akhtar Shairani was born as Muhammad Dawood Khan to the Pashtun Sherani tribe, Shirani tribe which had come to South Asia with the armies of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi and had stayed back in and around the region of Tonk in North West Pakistan. He was a son of Hafiz Mahmood Shairani, a scholar and teacher of high repute, who had started teaching at Islamia College, Lahore in 1921. In 1928 he moved to Oriental College, Lahore. Young Dawood moved to Lahore at a very young age and lived there throughout his life. He did his Munshi Fazil منشی فاضل in 1921 and Adeeb Fazil ادیب فاضل in 1922 (degrees in Arabic and Persian) from Oriental College, Lahore.[2]
Despite the efforts of his father, he could not continue his education and became a full-time poet. His teacher in poetry (ustad) was Maulana Tajwar Najibabadi, a well-respected personality in literary circles of Lahore who used to publish literary magazines.[3]
Works
As to his skill, Akhtar was quite innovative and introduced new modes in Urdu poetry. At such a green age, he wrote mature and inspiring poetry. He was called شاعرِ رومان (the poet of romance). His best-known collections of poetry include Akhtaristan, Nigarshat-e-Akhtar, Lala-e-toor, Tayyur-e-Aawara, Naghma-e-Haram, Subh-e bahaar, and Shahnaz. He had been editor for the literary magazines Intikhab, Bahaaristan, Khyaalistan, and Romaan from 1923 to 1939. He also wrote columns for daily newspapers Hamdard and Zamindar of Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan respectively. He introduced many new writers in his magazines, including Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Qudratullah Shahab (both are well-known Urdu writers). "Chandra wati", the first afsana (short story) of Qudratullah Shahab, was published in Romaan (Magazine of Akhtar Sheerani).
In total, he left nine collections of his verses. In prose, apart from his fictions and translations, his essays on literary, critical and historical subjects are in abundance. His son Professor Mehmood Sheerani, who has been teaching in Government College University, has written a book on his life named as Kahan Se Laaoon Unhain(Where can I Find Him?). Dr Younus Hasni also wrote a book on the life of Akhtar Sheerani.
Style and influence on Urdu Poetry
Youth dominates Akhtar's poetry like that of Shelley, Keats, and Byron. Lyricism, subtlety and novelty infuse a new spirit onto his poetry. He exhales verse as a flower exhales fragrance. His verses touching various colourful subjects flow with such tremendous ease and felicity as the reader is moved to ecstasy. Most of the critics have concentrated only on one aspect of his Love Poetry. However, his work was not confined to just the physical beauty of woman. Woman to him is beautiful in all her forms and shapes; the beloved, the wife, the mother and the sister. Wordsworth, the father of romantic poetry finds the immanence of divine spirit in the objects of nature. Akhtar's depiction of nature is second to none but unlike Wordsworth, he finds the objects of nature imbued with the beauty of woman. He uses woman as a symbol that stands for beauty and love permeating the whole universe.
Variegated aspects and artistic skills of Akhtar Shairani's poetry lend him a distinguished place in modern Urdu poetry. His influence on Urdu literature, and poetry in particular, earned him a repute of trendsetter. Several distinguished Urdu poets and literary figures have imbibed directly from him.
His famous poems include:
- "Ae ishq kahin le chal"
- "O des se aane waale bataa"
- "Ae ishq hamein barbad na kar" A super-hit poem sung by Nayyara Noor[4]
- "Main aarzoo-e-jaan likhoon ya jaan-e-aarzu"[5]
- "Kuch to tanhai ki raaton ka sahara hota"
- "Barsat"
- "Tumhain sitaron ne be ikhtiar dekha hai"
- "Woh kehtain hain ranjish ki baatain bhula dein" A hit ghazal sung by Malika Pukhraj[3][6]
Later life
Akhtar Shirani's life was a succession of tragedies. His young son Javed Mahmood died, his close friend Mirza Shuja Khan committed suicide, his son-in-law Naziruddin Shirani was accidentally drowned, and he was rejected by the woman, named Salma, that he loved. That made him turn to alcohol. On his physical and mental condition, Agha Shorish Kashmiri who was a well known literary, political, and social figure of Lahore, Pakistan, wrote that one was better-off not to see him, since one would be so depressed after seeing him. He was admitted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore on 3 September and died in Lahore on 9 September 1948, just two days before the death of Quaid-e-Azam.
Example(s) of Poetry
Ghazal
Main aarzu-e-jaan likhoon ya jaan-e-aarzu[5]
Tu hi bata de naz se eeman e aarzu
Aansu nikal rahey hain tassawur main ban k phool
Shadab ho raha hai gulistan e aarzu
Eeman o jaan nisar teri ik nigah per
Tu jaan e aarzu hai tu eeman e aarzu
Misr e firaq kab tak ae yusuf e umeed
Rota hai ter hijr main kan`aan e aarzu
Honey ko hai talu e Saba e Shab e wisal
Bujhne ko hai charagh e shabistan e aarzu
Ik wo k aarzuon pe jeetay hain umar bhar
Ik hum k hain abhi se pasheman e aarzu
Aankhon se ju e khon hai rawan dil hai dagh dagh
Dekhay koi bahaar e gulistan e aarzu
Dil main nishat e rafta ki dhundli si yad hai
Ye Shama e wasl hai tah e daman e aarzu
"Akhtar" ko zindagi ka bharosa nahin raha
Jab se luta chuka sar o saman e aarzu
The Nazm 'Salma'
Bahaar-e-husn ka tuu Ghuncha-e-shaadaab hai Salma
Tujhe fitrat ne apne dast-e-rangiiN se saNvaaraa hai
Bihisht-e-rang-o-buu ka tuu saraapa ek nazaaraa hai
Terii suurat saraasar paikar-e-maahtaab hai Salma
Jism ek hujuum-e-resham-o-kamKhwaab hai Salma
Shabistaan-e-javaanii ka tuu ek zinda sitaaraa hai tuu
Is duniaa meN bahar-e-husn-o-fitrat ka kinaaraa hai tuu
is sansaar meN ek aasmaanii Khwaab hai Salma...
Ghazal
Tumhein sitaron ne be ikhtiar dekha hai[5]
Shareer chand ne bhi bar bar dekha hai
Kabhi chaman mein gayi ho to mast pholon ne
Nigah e shauq se aaina war dekha hai
Ropehli chandni ne raat ko khulli chat per
Ada se sotey huay bar bar dekha hai
Bahar e subah ki ranginion mein khoye huay
Naseem ne tumhein mastana war dekha hai
Sunehri dhoop ki kirnon ne baam per tum ko
Bikherey gaiso e mushkein bahar dekha hai
Qareeb sham tumhein taairan e gulshan ne
Hazar bar sar e lala zar dekha hai
Bahisht husn ki taza kali ke dhoke mein
Kali ne bhi tumhain deewana war dekha hai
Sunehrey pani mein chandi se paon latkay
Shafaq ne tum ko sar e ju e baar dekha hai
Hamesha raat ko mehv e mutalia tum ko
Nigah e shama na parvana var dekha hai
Kabhi jo uthi ho gaisu sanwarney ke liay
To aainey ne tumhein humkinar dekha hai
Kisi khayal mein khoye huay hamesha tumhein
Sehar ne mehw e gull o shaksar dekha hai
Tumhari khalwat e masoom ne hazaron bar
Sar e piano tumhain naghma bar dekha hai
Ghata e daman e kuhsar ne tumhain aksar
Aseer e zamzama e aabshaar dekha hai
Aroos barq ne apna naqab ulat ke tumhain
Ghareeq e masti e abr e bahar dekha hai
Naseem e bagh ne zaib un Nisa samakh ke kabhi
Tumhain bahe gul kada shalamar dekha hai
Gharz mazahir e fitrat ne har tarha tum ko
Hazar bar nihin laakh bar dekha hai
Magar meri nigah e shauq ko shiqayat hai
K us ne tum ko faqat aik bar dekha hai
Dikha do aik jhalak aur bus nigahon ko
Dobara dekhne ki hai hawas nigahon ko!
Ae ishq kahin le chal
Un chand sitaron ke bhikray huay shahron me
Un noor ki kirnon main tehri hui lehron main
Thehri hui nahron main soi hui lahron mein
Ae Khizar e haseen le chal! Ae ishq kahin le chal
aankhon mein samai hai ik khwab numa dunya
Taron ki tarah roshan mahtab numa dunya
Jannat ki tarah rangin shadaab numa dunya
Lillah wahin le chal! Ae ishq kahin le chal
Ye dard bhari dunya basti hai gunahon ki
Dil chaak umidon ki saffak nigahon ki
Zulmon ki, jafaon ki, aahon ki, karaahon ki
Hain ghan se hazin le chal! Ae ishq kahin le chal
Qudrat ho himayat per, hamdard ho qismat bhi
Salma bhi ho pehlu main, salma ki muhabbat bhi
Har shai mein faraghat ho aur teri inayat bhi
Ae tifl e haseen le chal! Ae ishq kahin le chal
Hum prem pujari hain, tu prem kanhaiyya hai
Hum prem kanhaiyya hain, ye prem ki nayya hai
Ye prem ki nayya hai, tu is ka khiwayya hai
Kuch fikr nahin le chal! Ae ishq kahin le chal
References
- 1 2 3 http://www.poemhunter.com/akhtar-sheerani/biography/, Profile of Akhtar Sheearni on poemhunter.com website, Retrieved 19 October 2016
- ↑ http://www.urdupoint.com/poetry/poet/akhtar-sheerani, Profile of poet Akhtar Sheerani on urdupoint.com website, Retrieved 19 October 2016
- 1 2 http://www.urdupoetry.com/shirani.html, Profile of poet Akhtar Sheerani on urdupoetry.com website, Retrieved 19 October 2016
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oPaVLtXHVM, 'Ae Ishq Hamein Barbad Na Kar', poem by Akhtar Sheerani sung by Nayyara Noor on YouTube, Retrieved 19 October 2016
- 1 2 3 https://rekhta.org/poets/akhtar-shirani, Ghazals of poet Akhtar Sheerani on rekhta.org website, Retrieved 19 October 2016
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFr6M4CXgSU, Poem of Akhtar Sheerani sung by Malika Pukhraj on YouTube, Retrieved 19 October 2016
External links
- Akhtar Sheerani: Poet of Romance
- Akhtar Sheerani: Urdu Description , Retrieved 19 October 2016
- Shahab Nama book by Qudratullah Shahab