Nasir Kazmi

Syed Nasir Raza Kazmi, (1925-1972) was a renowned Urdu poet of Pakistan. He was one of the greatest poets of his era.

Kazmi was born on December 8, 1925 at Ambala in British India. He was educated at Ambala, Simla and Lahore. He returned to Ambala in 1945 and started looking after his ancestral land. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, he came to Lahore. He did some journalistic work with Auraq-e-Nau as an editor and became editor-in-chief of the magazine Humayun in 1952. Later he was associated with Radio Pakistan, Lahore and other literary publications and organizations.

Nasir Kazmi started his poetic life in 1940 by following the style of Akhtar Sherani and wrote romantic poems and sonnets. Later he began writing ghazals under the guidance of Hafeez Hoshyarpuri. He was a great admirer of Mir Taqi Mir and probably the melancholy and "Ehsaas-e-Mehroomi" in his poetry was a direct result of that. His tutor in poetry was Hafeez Hoshyarpuri.

He migrated from Ambala, India to Lahore Pakistan in August 1947. He also worked as a Staff Editor in Radio Pakistan. He used to sit at Tea House and wander at Mall Rd, Lahore with his friends. He was fond of eating, wandering and enjoying life. Normally people take him as a sad poet but most of his poetry is based on romantic happiness and the aspect of hope.

Nasir, few days before his death, said in a TV interview by Intezaar Hussain, that 'horse riding, hunting, wandering in a village, walk along the river side, visiting mountains etc were my favourite pastimes and probably this was the time when my mind got nourishment for loving nature and getting close to the expression of poetry. All my hobbies are related with fine arts, like singing, poetry, hunting, chess, love of birds, love of trees etc... i started poetry because I used to reflect that all the beautiful things those I see, and those in nature are not in my hands, and they go away from me. Few moments, that time which dies, cannot be made alive. I think can be alive in poetry, that is why I(Nasir) started poetry!' Nowadays, very few people may remember that Nasir used to hum his poetic verses and that humming had much attraction in it.

His lyrics transformed the traditional pessimism of the lyric into an expression of the sorrow, despair and anguish of the modern man. His poetry expresses the tragedly of the bloodshed and migration at the time of partition of the sub-continent.

Few people know that he did some great translations of English poets, especially his translation of Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" by the title of "Brooklyn Ghaat Ke Paar" is a real masterpiece and worth reading.

His last four books tragically were published after his death. He died in Lahore on March 2, 1972 due to stomach cancer.

Books

  * Barg-e-Nae (1952)
  * Deewaan (1972)
  * Pehli Baarish (1975)
  * Nishat-e-Khwab (Collection of nazms, 1977)
  * Sur Ki Chhaya (Manzoom Drama, Katha 1981)
  * Khushk Chashme ke Kinare (Prose, 1982 edited by Hassan Sultan Kazmi, New Edition 1990, essays, radio features, dialogues, editorials, last interview etc)
  * Nasir Kazmi Ki Dairy (Chand Pareshan Kaghaz) (Autobiography, 1995 compiled by Hassan Sultan Kazmi)
  * Intekhab-e-Meer (poetry 1989)
  * Intekhab-e-Nazeer (poetry 1990)
  * Intekhab-e-Wali Dakni (poetry 1991)
  * Intekhab-e-Insha (poetry 1991)
  * 'Intekhabs' of other poets

Some pieces of work

• kuchh to ehasaas-e-ziyaaN thaa pehle
  dil ka ye haal kahaaN thaa pehle
  
  ab to manzil bhi hai Khud garm-e-safar
  har qadam sang-e-nishaaN thaa pehle
  
  safar-e-shauq ke far_sang na puuchh
  vaqt beqaid-e-makaaN thaa pehle
  
  ye alag baat ki Gam raas hai ab
  is men andeshaa-e-jaaN thaa pehle
  
  yuuN na ghabraaye huye phirte the
  dil ajab kunj-e-amaaN thaa pehle
  
  ab bhi tuu paas nahiin hai lekin
  is qadar duur kahaaN thaa pehle
  
  Dere Daale hain bagolon ne jahaaN
  us taraf chashm-e-ravaaN thaa pehle
  
  ab vo dariyaa na bastii na vo log
  kya Khabar kaun kahaaN thaa pehle
  
  har Kharaabaa ye sadaa detaa hai
  main bhi aabaad makaaN thaa pehle
  
  kya se kya ho ga_ii duniyaa pyaare
  tuu vahiin par hai jahaaN thaa pehle
  
  ham ne aabaad kiyaa mulk-e-suKhan
  kaisaa sun_saan samaaN thaa pehle
  
  ham ne baKhshi hai Khamoshii ko zubaaN
  dard majabuur-e-fuGaaN thaa pehle
  
  ham ne roshan kiya maamuur-e-Gam
  varna har simt dhuaaN thaa pehle
  
  Gam ne phir dil ko jagaayaa 'Nasir'
  Khaanaa_barbaad kahaaN thaa pehle
  
  *************************************************
• safar-e-manzil-e-shab yaad nahiiN
  log ruKhsat hue kab, yaad nahiiN
  
  vo sitaara thii ki shabnam ki phuul
  ek suurat thii ajab yaad nahiiN
  
  aisaa uljhaa Gham-e-duniaa meN
  ek bhii Khwaab-e-tarab yaad nahiiN
  
  kaisii viiraaN hai guzargaah-e-Khayaal
  jab se voh aariz-o-lab yaad nahiiN
  
  yeh haqiiqat hai ki ahbaab ko ham
  yaad hii kab the jo ab yaad nahiiN
  
  yaad hai sair-e-chiraaGaaN 'Nasir'
  dil ke bujhne ka sabab yaad nahiiN