Akhtar Shirani

 Akhtar Shirani
(Urdu: اخترشِيرانى‎), (also spelled 'Sheerani', 'Sherani', 'Shirani', 'Shairani'), (Born 4 May 1905 – 9 September 1948) is considered one of the leading romantic poets of Urdu.

ZINDAGI

Akhtar Shairani was born as Muhammad Dawood Khan to the Aghani tribe, Shirani tribe which had come to India with Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi and had stayed back in Tonk. 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.
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.

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 dailies Hamdard and Zamindar of Maulana Muhammad Ali Johar and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan respectively. He introduce many new writers in his magzines included Qudratullah Shahab(A well known urdu writer).Chandra ooti" the first Afsana(short story) of Qudratullah Shahab was pubished in Romaan(Magzine of Sir Akhtar Sherani)
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.

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". "Main aarzoo e jaan likhon ya jaan e aarzu" "Kuch to tanhai ki raton ka sahara hota" "Barsat" "Tumhain sitaron ne be ikhtiar dekha hai"

AKHIRI ZINDAGI KE HALAT

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, Shorish Kashmiri who was a well known literary, political, and social figure of Lahore, wrote that it was better not to see him, since one would be so depressed. He died in Lahore on September 9, 1948.

Example(s) of Poetry

Ghazal

Main aarzu e jaan likhon ya jaan e aarzu
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
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