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Nazeer Akbarabadi

1735 (Delhi) – 1830 (Agra) • The People's Poet

"A true bohemian spirit who completely ignored the patronage of royal courts, Nazeer Akbarabadi chose instead to write exclusively for and about the common man. He wrote vibrantly and extensively about everyday Indian life, capturing the essence of street vendors, monsoons, and beautifully documenting the joyous spirit of local festivals like Holi and Diwali. His secular, highly inclusive, and relatable poetry makes him the ultimate 'Awami' (people's) poet in classical Urdu literature."

Mashhoor Ash'aar

tha irada tiri fariyaad karein hakim se wo bhi ai shokh tira chahne wala nikla...
juda kisi se kisi ka gharaz habeeb na ho ye dagh wo hai ki dushman ko bhi naseeb na ho...
the ham to khud-pasand bahut lekin ishq mein ab hai wahi pasand jo ho yaar ko pasand...
dil ki betabi nahin thaharne deti hai mujhe din kahin raat kahin subh kahin shaam kahin...
mai pee ke jo girta hai to lete hain use thaam nazron se gira jo use phir kis ne sambhala...
kyun nahin leta hamari tu khabar ai be-khabar kya tire aashiq hue the dard-o-gham khane ko ham...
jis kaam ko jahan mein tu aaya tha ai 'nazeer' khana-kharab tujh se wahi kaam rah gaya...
door se aaye the saqi sun ke mai-khane ko ham bas taraste hi chale afsos paimane ko ham...
bagh mein lagta nahin sahra se ghabrata hai dil ab kahan le ja ke baithein aise deewane ko ham...
main hoon patang-e-kaghzi dor hai us ke haath mein chaha idhar ghata diya chaha udhar badha diya...
khuda ke waste gul ko na mere haath se lo mujhe boo aati hai is mein kisi badan ki si...
bhula din ham ne kitabein ki us pari-roo ke kitabi chehre ke aage kitab hai kya cheez...
tu jo kal aane ko kahta hai 'nazeer' tujh ko maaloom hai kal kya hoga...
badan gul chehra gul rukhsar gul lab gul dahan hai gul sarapa ab to wo rashk-e-chaman hai dher phoolon ka...
kis ko kahiye nek aur thahraiye kis ko bura ghaur se dekha to sab apne hi bhai-band hain...
tumhare hijr mein aankhein hamari muddat se nahin ye jaantin duniya mein khwab hai kya cheez...
kooche mein us ke baithna husn ko us ke dekhna ham to usi ko samjhe hain baagh bhi aur bahaar bhi...
jo khushamad kare khalq us se sada raazi hai sach to ye hai ki khushamad se khuda raazi hai...
sab kitabon ke khul gaye maani jab se dekhi 'nazeer' dil ki kitab...
zamane ke hathon se chara nahin hai zamana hamara tumhara nahin hai...
mai bhi hai meena bhi hai saghar bhi hai saqi nahin dil mein aata hai laga dein aag mai-khane ko ham...
dekhenge ham ik nigah us ko kuchh hosh agar baja rahega...
abhi kahein to kisi ko na etibar aave ki ham ko raah mein ik aashna ne loot liya...
aate hi jo tum mere gale lag gaye wallah us waqt to is garmi ne sab maat ki garmi...
bande ke qalam haath mein hota to ghazab tha sad shukr ki hai katib-e-taqdeer koi aur...
shahr-e-dil aabad tha jab tak wo shahr-ara raha jab wo shahr-ara gaya phir shahr-e-dil mein kya raha...
ab to zara sa gaanv bhi beti na de use lagta tha warna cheen ka damad aagra...
na itna zulm kar ai chandni bahr-e-khuda chhup ja tujhe dekhe se yaad aata hai mujh ko mahtab apna...
hai dasahre mein bhi yun gar farhat-o-zeenat 'nazeer' par diwali bhi ajab pakiza-tar tyauhar hai...
marta hai jo mahboob ki thokar pe 'nazeer' aah phir us ko kabhi aur koi lat nahin lagti...
be-zari faqa-kashi muflisi be-samani ham faqiron ke bhi haan kuchh nahin aur sab kuchh hai...
akela us ko na chhoda jo ghar se nikla wo har ik bahane se main us sanam ke saath raha...
husn ke naaz uthane ke siwa ham se aur husn-e-amal kya hoga...
kal shab-e-wasl mein kya jald baji thiin ghadiyan aaj kya mar gaye ghadiyal bajane wale...
dil ki be-tabi thaharne nahin deti mujh ko din kahin raat kahin subh kahin shaam kahin...
ham haal to kah sakte hain apna pa kahein kya jab wo idhar aate hain to tanha nahin aate...
jo baat hijr ki aati to apne daaman se wo aansoo ponchhta jaata tha aur main rota tha...
ashkon ke tasalsul ne chhupaya tan-e-uryan ye aab-e-rawan ka hai naya pairahan apna...
jise mol lena ho le le khushi se main is waqt donon jahan bechta hoon...
toofan utha raha hai mire dil mein sail-e-ashk wo din khuda na laaye jo main aab-deeda hoon...
dekh le is chaman-e-dahr ko dil bhar ke 'nazeer' phir tira kaahe ko is baagh mein aana hoga...
us bewafa ne ham ko agar apne ishq mein ruswa kiya kharab kiya phir kisi ko kya...
khafa dekha hai us ko khwab mein dil sakht muztar hai khila de dekhiye kya kya gul-e-tabeer-e-khwab apna...
abas mehnat hai kuchh haasil nahin patthar-tarashi se yahi mazmoon tha farhad ke teshe ki khat-khat ka...
ja pade chup ho ke jab shahr-e-khamoshan mein 'nazeer' ye ghazal ye rekhta ye sher-khwani phir kahan...
yaar ke aage padha ye rekhta ja kar 'nazeer' sun ke bola vah-vah achchha kaha achchha kaha...
jism kya rooh ki hai jaulan-gah rooh kya ik sawar-e-pa-ba-rakab...
sar-chashma-e-baqa se hargiz na aab laao hazrat khizar kahin se ja kar sharab laao...
munh zard o aah-e-sard o lab-e-khushk o chashm-e-tar sachchi jo dil-lagi hai to kya kya gawah hai...
ghash kha ke gira pahle hi shoale ki jhalak se musa ko bhala kahiye to kya toor ki soojhi...
aankhon mein meri subh-e-qayamat gayi jhamak seene se us pari ke jo parda ulat gaya...
thaharna ishq ke aafat ke sadmon mein 'nazeer' kaam mushkil tha par allah ne aasan kiya...
ai chashm jo ye ashk tu bhar laayi hai kam-bakht is mein to sarasar miri ruswai hai kam-bakht...
dosto kya kya diwali mein nashat-o-aish hai sab muhayya hai jo is hangam ke shayan hai shai...
kamal-e-ishq bhi khaali nahin tamanna se jo hai ik aah to us ko bhi hai asar ki talab...
miri is chashm-e-tar se abr-e-baran ko hai kya nisbat ki wo dariya ka paani aur ye khoon-e-dil hai barsati...
teshe ki kya majal thi ye jo tarashe be-sutoon tha wo tamam dil ka zor jis ne pahad dhaa diya...
badi ehtiyat talab hai ye jo sharab sagar dil mein hai jo chhalak gayi to chhalak gayi jo bhari rahi to bhari rahi...
ik dam ki zindagi ke liye mat utha mujhe ai be-khabar main naqsh-e-zameen ki nishast hoon...
kajal mehndi paan misi aur kanghi choti mein har aan kya kya rang banavegi aur kya kya naqshe dhalegi...
kal 'nazeer' us ne jo poochha ba-zaban-e-punjab neh vich meandi a ki haal-e-tusada ve miyan...
gaye the milne ko shayad jhidak diya us ne miyan 'nazeer' to kuchh sharmsar aate hain...
shab ko aa kar wo phir gaya haihat kya isi raat ham ko sona tha...
chamak hai dard hai kaundan padi hai hook uthti hai mire pahlu mein kyun yaaro ye dil hai ya ki phoda hai...
gharaz na sar ki khabar thi na pa ka hosh 'nazeer' sirhana painti aur painti sirhana tha...
chalte chalte na khalish kar falak-e-doon se 'nazeer' faeda kya hai kamine se jhagad kar chalna...
ishq ka door kare dil se jo dhadka taaviz is dhadake ka koi ham ne na dekha taaviz...
dil ki betabi thaharne nahin deti hai mujhe din kahin raat kahin subh kahin shaam kahin...
ham wo darakht hain ki jise dam-ba-dam ajal arra idhar dikhati hai oodhar tabar qaza...
ajab mushkil hai kya kahiye baghair-az-jaan dene ke koi naqsha nazar aata nahin aasan milne ka...
kal bosa-e-pa ham ne liya tha so na aaya shayad ki wo bosa hi hua aabla-e-pa...
qismat mein gar hamari ye mai hai to saqiya be-ikhtiyar aap se sheesha karega jast...
door-az-tariq mujh ko samajhiyo na zahida gar tu khuda-parast hai main but-parast hoon...
yun to ham the yunhi kuchh misl-e-anar-o-mahtab jab hamein aag dikhaye to tamasha nikla...
har ik makan mein guzargah-e-khwab hai lekin agar nahin to nahin ishq ke janab mein khwab...
mazmoon-e-sard-mehri-e-jaanan raqam karun gar haath aaye kaghaz-e-kashmir ka waraq...
muntazir us ke dila ta-ba-kuja baithna shaam hui ab chalo subh phir aa baithna...
kal mire qatl ko is dhab se wo baanka nikla munh se jallad-e-falak ke bhi ahaha nikla...
kahin baithne de dil ab mujhe jo hawas tuk main baja karun nahin taab mujh mein ki jab talak tu phire to main bhi phira karun...
deewangi meri ke tahayyur mein shab-o-roz hai halqa-e-zanjeer se zindan hama-tan-chashm...
wo mai-kade mein halawat hai rind-e-mai-kash ko jo khanqah mein hai parsa ko aish-o-tarab...
jitne hain kushtagan-e-ishq un ke azal se hain mile ashk se ashk nam se nam khoon se khoon gil se gil...
tar rakhiyo sada ya-rab tu is mizha-e-tar ko ham itr lagate hain garmi mein isi khas ka...
tu hai wo gul ai jaan ki tire baagh mein hai shauq jibreel ko bulbul ki tarah nara-zani ka...
tode hain bahut sheesha-e-dil jis ne 'nazeer' aah phir charkh wahi gumbad-e-meenai hai kam-bakht...
koi to pagdi badalta hai auron se lekin miyan 'nazeer' ham ab tum se tan badalte hain...
aarzoo khoob hai mauqa se agar ho warna apne maqsud ko kam pahunche hain bisyar-talab...
likhein ham aish ki takhti ko kis tarah ai jaan qalam zameen ke oopar dawat kothe par...
phir ke nigah chaar-soo thahri usi ke ru-ba-ru us ne to meri chashm ko qibla-numa bana diya...
main dast-o-gareban hoon dam-e-baz-paseen se hamdam use laata hai to la jald kahin se...
dekhe na mujhe kyunkar az-chashm-e-hiqarat-u wo sarv-e-jawan yaaro man-fakhta-e-peeram...
ranj-e-dil yun gaya rukh us ka dekh jaise uth jaaye aaine se zang...
raqibon ki main ab khwari kharabi kya likhoon baare bhari nathnon mein un ke khaak das das ser aandhi mein...
'nazeer' teri isharaton se ye baatein ghairon ki sun raha hai wagarna kis mein thi taab-o-taqat jo us se aa kar kalam karta...
dekh use rang-e-bahar o sarv o gul aur juebar ik uda ik gir gaya ik jal gaya ik bah gaya...
'nazeer' ab is nadamat se kahun kya fa-aha summa-aha summa-aha...
raqibon ne jo dekha ye uda kar le chala us ko pukare haaye ye kaisa hua andher aandhi mein...
go safedi moo ki yun raushan hai joon aab-e-hayat lekin apni to isi zulmat se thi zindagi...
suno main khoon ko apne saath le aaya hoon aur baqi chale aate hain uthte baithte lakht-e-jigar peechhe...
ye jawahir-khana-e-duniya jo hai ba-aab-o-taab ahl-e-soorat ka hai dariya ahl-e-maani ka sarab...
wo aap se rootha nahin manne ka 'nazeer' aah kya dekhe hai chal paanv pad aur us ko mana la...
wo kothe ka makan wo kaali aandhi wo sanam gul-roo ajab rangon ki thahri aa ke hera-pher aandhi mein...
sarsabz rakhiyo kisht ko ai chashm tu miri teri hi aab se hai bas ab aabroo miri...
na surkhi ghuncha-e-gul mein tire dahan ki si na yasaman mein safai tire badan ki si...
kitna tanik safa hai ki pa-e-nigah ka halka sa ik ghubar hai chehre ke rang par...
hastiyan neestiyan yaan bhi hain aisi jaise wo kamar aur wo dahan kuchh nahin aur sab kuchh hai...
pukara qasid-e-ashk aaj fauj-e-gham ke hathon se hua taraj pahle shahr-e-jaan dil ka nagar peechhe...
vamandgan-e-raah to manzil pe ja pade ab tu bhi ai 'nazeer' yahan se qadam tarash...
likh likh ke 'nazeer' is ghazal-e-taza ko khooban rakh lenge kitabon mein ye rang-e-par-e-taer...
kuchh ham ko imtiyaz nahin saaf o durd ka ai saqiyan-e-bazm bayarid harche hast...
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