Immortal Couplets of Moin Ahsan Jazbi: Famed Urdu Poet's Life and Poetry

Immortal Couplets of Moin Ahsan Jazbi: Famed Urdu Poet's Life and Poetry

 

Renowned Urdu poet late Moin Ahsan Jazbi never cared for fame or critics' attention.

Though his Nazms and Ghazals were more popular than many of the well-known poets, he preferred to remain in the background. Jazbi had a tough life, especially because of stepmothers' harsh treatment.

Jazbi suffered financial problems and remained unemployed for long. A reflection of these frustrations, as well as the lack of love [which he mentions openly in interviews, publicly and in his poetry] are visible clearly in his couplets.

It was after he got a job in AMU that he got financial security. He wrote less than his contemporaries but his couplets have more poetry and lyricism, as well as the poetic strength to survive time. Once he settled in life, he took great care of his stepmother, who had made life hell for him in his childhood.

Moin Ahsan Jazbi was born in 1912. A close of friend of Asrar Ul Haq 'Majaz' Lakhnawi, he initially kept 'Malaal' as his pen name but later changed it to Jazbi. Among the last of the poets of Progressive Writers' Movement, along with Wamiq Jaunpuri, he nurtured young talent till his old age.

Jazbi He passed away in 2005. Read Moin Ahsan Jazbi's eight immortal couplets here.
 na aaye maut Khudaayaa tabah-haalii meN
yah naam hogaa Gham-e-rozgaar sah na sakaa

tere karam kii bhiik le aisaa haqiir Gham nahiiN
jaa O sitam-sh'aar jaa, aarzuu-e-karam nahiiN

tuu giraa degii mujhe apnii nazar se varnaa
tere qadmoN pe to sajdaa bhii ravaa hai mujhko

ho na ho dil ko tere husn se kuchh nisbat hai
jab uThaa dard to kyuuN maiN ne tujhe yaad kiyaa

jisko kahte haiN mohabbat jisko kahte haiN Khuluus
jhopDoN meN ho to ho, puKhtaa makaanoN meN nahiiN

terii nazar meN rah ek raaz ban gayaa thaa
gir kar terii nazar se afsaanaa ho gayaa maiN

aah kii dil ne na phir shikva-e-bedaad kiyaa
jab se sharmiilii nigaahoN ne kuchh irshaad kiyaa

daastaan-e-shab-Gham qissa tuulaanii hai
muKhtasar yah hai ki tuu ne mujhe barbaad kiyaa
 

Moin Ahsan Jazbi's famous Urdu poem 'Maut'

 This is one of the greatest Urdu verses ever written. Moin Ahsan Jazbi's Nazm 'Maut' [Death] is a gem of literature and for penning it, Urdu poetry will always be indebted to him.

Read the Nazm in Urdu, Hindi and Roman English scripts:

अपनी सोई हुई दुनिया को जगा लूं तो चलूं
अपने ग़मख़ाने में एक धूम मचा लूं तो चलूं
और एक जाम-ए-मए तल्ख़ चढ़ा लूं तो चलूं

अभी चलता हूं ज़रा ख़ुद को संभालूं तो चलूं

जाने कब पी थी अभी तक है मए-ग़म का ख़ुमार
धुंधला धुंधला सा नज़र आता है जहाने बेदार
आंधियां चल्ती हैं दुनिया हुई जाती है ग़ुबार

आंख तो मल लूं, ज़रा होश में आ लूं तो चलूं

 वो मेरा सहर वो एजाज़ कहां है लाना
 मेरी खोई हुई आवाज़ कहां है लाना
 मेरा टूटा हुआ साज़ कहां है लाना

 एक ज़रा गीत भी इस साज़ पे गा लूं तो चलूं

मैं थका हारा था इतने में जो आए बादल
किसी मतवाले ने चुपके से बढ़ा दी बोतल
उफ़ वह रंगीं पुर-असरार ख़यालों के महल

ऐसे दो चार महल और बना लूं तो चलूं


मेरी आंखों में अभी तक है मोहब्बत का ग़ुरूर
मेरे होंटों को अभी तक है सदाक़त का ग़ुरूर
मेरे माथे पे अभी तक है शराफ़त का ग़ुरूर
ऐसे वहमों से ख़ुद को निकालूं तो चलूं

मुईन अह्सन जज़्बी

Now read in Roman Transliteration:


This is one of the greatest pieces of Urdu literature. Along with his close friend and poet Majaz' famous poem Awara, Jazbi's verse was also on the lips of all and sundry till a few decades back. Read it NOW:

 apnii soii hui duniaa ko jagaa luuN to chaluuN
apne GhamKhane meN ek dhuum machaa lunn to chaluuN
aur ek jaam-e-ma'e talKh chaRha luuN to chaluuN

abhi chaltaa huuN zara khud ko sambhaaluuN to chaluuN

jaane kab pii thii abhi tak hai Gham-e-ma'e ka Khumaar
dhundhlaa dhundhlaa sa nazar aata hai jahaan-e-bedaar
aaNdhiyaaN chaltii haiN duniyaa hui jaati hai Ghubaar

aaNkh to mal luuN zara hosh meN aa luuN to chaluuN

voh meraa sahar voh ejaaz kahaaN hai laana
merii khoii huii aavaaz kahaaN hai laana
voh mera TuuTaa hua saaz kahaaN hai laana

ek zaraa giit bhi is saaz pe gaa luuN to chaluuN

maiN thakaa haaraa tha itne meN jo aaye baadal
kisii matvaale ne chupke se baRhaa di botal
uf voh rangiiN pur-asraar khayaloN ke mahal

aise do-chaar aur mahal bana luuN to chaluuN

merii aaNkhoN meN abhi tak hai mohabbat ka ghuruur
mere honToN ko abhii tak hai sadaaqat kar ghuruur
mere maathe pe abhii tak hai sharaafat ka ghuruur

aise vahmoN se Khud ko nikaaluN to chaluuN

Moin Ahsan Jazbi