Skip to main content

Faiz, Faiz Ahmad: The Communist Poet

 Faiz Ahmad Faiz:

(1911-1984)

He was among the most celebrated and popular shayars and authors in Punjabi and Urdu. He faced political repression for his revolutionary views. He was born in 13 Feb 1911, in Sialkot, Punjab. He was the son of wealthy Punjabi landowners Sultan Fatima and sultan Muhammad Khan, who passed away in 1913, just after his birth. His father was a well known lawyer and a member of a noble literary class including Allama Iqbal.

He did his basic education from his hometown Church Mission School. Later, he received his bachelors  degree in Arabic then he did his Masters in English and Arabic from Government College, Lahore. During his college days, he continued to pursue his poetic aspirations. In 1936, he took up the post of an English lecturer at M.A.O. College, Amritsar. When the Progressive Movement in India gathered momentum in 1936, he was one of the protagonists. Faiz beautifully blended the grief of love with sorrows of life in his poetry which struck a chord with youth. 

In 1939, when his first collection ‘Naqsh-e-Faryadi’ was published, the literary world was rocked with the echo. During that time, he also assumed the responsibility of editorship of ‘Adab-e-Lateef’.In 1940, Faiz was appointed lecturer at the Hailey College of Commerce, Lahore. This was the period when World War II was at its peak and nations were uniting against fascism, consequently Faiz also left teaching and joined army in 1942 for which he received British Empire Medal for his services in World War II.

In 1947, Faiz took up a position in the Pakistan Times. After that he became editor of “Imroz” and received accolades in journalism too. After Pakistan came into existence, he began working for the rights of labor and was appointed Vice President of Trade Union Federation. He participated in the I.L.O. Geneva Conference as a spokesperson for labor.

On March 9, 1951, Faiz was arrested under the Pakistan Safety Order Act for Rawalpindi case for which he was imprisoned. His second collection ‘Dast-e-Saba’ commemorates his confinement in Hyderabad jail. Faiz began his poetry with ghazals and steadily shifted his attention to nazm and is acknowledged a renowned poet of both forms among progressive poets. 

He is equally admired in India, Pakistan as in the western countries. His ghazals have been translated into several languages. He was felicitated with a large number of scholarly awards, after his release Faiz was appointed to the National Council of Pakistan by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and his poems which had been translated in Russian earned him the Lenin Peace prize in 1963. His Gazals are sung by almost every popular singer. Compositions of poetry: Naqsh-e-faryadi, Dast-e-saba, Zindaan Naama, Dast-e- Tah-e-Sang, Sar-e-Wadi-e-Seena, Sham-e-Sheher-e-Yaaran, Mere Dil Mere Musafir. His complete poetry has been published as ‘Nuskhahaae Wafa’. 

When Zia-Ul-Haq deposed Bhutto in Faiz chose to go into self-imposed exile to Beirut,Lebanon.he remained exile till 1982. Faiz passed away on 20th Nov 1984 in Lahore just after he heard he was nominated for the noble prize for literature.

Faiz in 1982 in Pakistan
Throughout his thunderous life, Faiz continuously wrote and published, and became one of the best-selling modern Urdu poet in both India and Pakistan. While his work is written in commonly strict diction, his poems maintain a casual, conversational tone, creating strain between the establishment and the common, up to a point in the tradition of Ghalib, the prominent 19th century Urdu poet. Faiz is especially celebrated for his poems in traditional Urdu forms, such as the ghazals, and his exceptional ability to expand the conventional thematic expectations to include political and social issues.


Visit our website for more amazing content.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meerthi, Ismail : Khan Sahib

Ismail Meerthi: (1844–1917) Maulvi Ismail Meerthi born on 12 November 1844 in Meerut, was an Urdu poet, Schoolteacher, and Educationist. He was home-schooled by his father Sheikh Piir Bakhsh., later he received his higher education in the Persian language from Mirza Rahim Baig, who replied Ghalib's Qati-e-Burhan by writing Sati-e-Burhan. At first Ismail was not interested in poetry but his contemporaries, especially Qalaq's companionship, attracted him to poetry. Initially, he wrote some ghazals which were published under pseudonyms. After that he turned to Nazms. Later, he had a long and strong acquaintance with Munshi Zakaullah and Muhammad Hussain Azad. And thus, his poems became popular in Urdu. Due to his ability and literary services, the government of the time gave him the title of " Khan Sahib ". Ismail Meerthi had a important place among those who introduced Urdu literature to modern Nazm-composition. The books written before the failed war of  Independenc...

Top 10 Historical Sites in India To Visit.

The land of South Asia, the Indian subcontinent is home to one of the world's oldest and most influential civilizations. " India " in ancient times encompassed not subcontinent, including Pakistan and Bangladesh . From time immemorial, the Indian subcontinent appears to have provided an attractive habitat for human habitation. The south is effectively protected by the ancient and culturally isolated vast ocean, while the north is protected by the huge Himalayan mountain range, which also protects it from the Arctic winds and Central Asian air currents. . Only the northwest and northeast are accessible by land, and it was through these two regions that most of her early contact with the outside world took place. India is a vibrant country full of stunning architectural treasures, unforgettable scenery and a rich, colorful history waiting to be discovered.  To inspire you to start exploring, here is a list of 11 incredible locations that you can discover right now. 1. Taj M...

Ahmed, Deputy Nazir: The first Urdu Novelist or Shams-ul-Ulema

Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi: (1836-1910) Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi also known as Deputy Nazir Ahmad is a pioneer in many fields: he is the first Urdu novelist and also the first visionary who created a respectable storehouse of literature for women. He is also the person who visualized a manifesto for feminism, apart from translating the Indian Penal Code into Urdu called ' Taazeerat-e-Hind ' for the first time. This book was too well received both by the British administration and judiciary. Nazir Ahmad was born on December 06, 1936, in Bijnaur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. He received his early education from his father, 'Maulvi Saadat Ali', who was a teacher himself. After this, he joined Delhi’s Aurangabadi Madrasa where he was taught by Maulvi Abdul Khaliq. During his stay in Delhi, he used to live in a mosque located in Punjabi Katra. During those days, students had to collect their daily meals from different families in the locality. Nazir Ahmad also followed this exercise a...