Late 20th Century (Romantic Revolutionary)

Ahmad Faraz

Ahmad Faraz is acclaimed as one of the finest modern Urdu poets of the last century. He wrote passionately about romance and political resistance, spending years in exile due to his courageous criticism of military regimes in Pakistan.

The poet of romance who would not stay silent

Syed Ahmad Shah, who wrote as Faraz, was born in Kohat in 1931 and studied in Peshawar. He worked as a radio producer and academic before becoming a full-time literary figure.

His outspoken poems against military rule led to arrest in the late 1970s and years of self-imposed exile. In 2006 he returned a major state honour in protest.

His ghazal 'Ranjish hi sahi', sung by Mehdi Hassan, is among the best-known renditions of Urdu poetry. He died in Islamabad in 2008.

Recurring themes

Romantic yearning
Resistance
Exile
Memory of a beloved
Mature, restrained passion

Where to start

Start with the ghazals 'Ranjish hi sahi' and 'Suna hai log usse aankh bhar ke dekhte hain' to hear his romantic register.

Worth knowing

Several verses circulating online under his name are misattributed; always check the source before quoting him.

शास्त्रीय शेर — Ahmad Faraz

Suna hai log usse aankh bhar ke dekhte hain,

So uske shahr mein kuchh din thehar ke dekhte hain.

— Ahmad Faraz

Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhane ke liye aa,

Aa phir se mujhe chhod ke jaane ke liye aa.

— Ahmad Faraz

Ab ke hum bichhde to shayad kabhi khwabon mein milein,

Jis tarah sookhe hue phool kitaabon mein milein.

— Ahmad Faraz

Usse mohabbat to bahut thi humein Faraz,

Magar kismat mein likhi thi sirf ruswayi.

— Ahmad Faraz

Shahr-e-dil mein ab koi mehmaan nahi aata,

Jaise logon ne mohabbat karna hi chhod diya ho.

— Ahmad Faraz

Kaun kahta hai ke hum jhooth bolte hain Faraz,

Hum to bas apne zakhmon ko muskurahat se chhipate hain.

— Ahmad Faraz

Aapke bina jeena seekh liya humne,

Par is dil ko samjhana abhi baaqi hai.

— Ahmad Faraz

Dosti ka rishta sabse pyara hota hai Faraz,

Jisme na koi shart hoti hai, na koi ruswayi.

— Ahmad Faraz

Wo jo humsafar tha humara, ab kisi aur ka hai,

Chalo ye safar bhi akele hi tai karte hain.

— Ahmad Faraz

#10

Dil ko gham-e-jahan se azad kar diya,

Humne to ishq mein sab kuch lutakar abad kar diya.

— Ahmad Faraz

#11

Aankhon mein khwaab aur dil mein ummeed liye,

Hum naye saal ki raah takte hain Faraz.

— Ahmad Faraz

#12

Tumhari yaad ke saaye se bachna mushkil hai,

Har raste par tumhari hi parchhain milti hai.

— Ahmad Faraz

#13

Is daur ke insanon mein wafa dhoondna Faraz,

Jaise registan mein paani ki talaash karna.

— Ahmad Faraz

#14

Gham is baat ka nahi ke tum chale gaye,

Gham to is baat ka hai ke tumne mud kar bhi na dekha.

— Ahmad Faraz

#15

Chalo ab naye dushman banate hain,

Purane to ab humein jaan ne lage hain.

— Ahmad Faraz

#16

Mohabbat to ek ibadat hai Faraz,

Jise har koi poori shiddat se nahi kar pata.

— Ahmad Faraz

#17

Apne hi haathon se apna dil toda humne,

Kisi aur pe kya ilzam lagana Faraz.

— Ahmad Faraz

#18

Subah ka sooraj naye rang lekar aaya hai,

Par tere bina sab pheeka lagta hai.

— Ahmad Faraz

#19

Mere zakhmon ko shayari mat samjho Faraz,

Ye to kisi ke diye hue dard ki sachi kahani hai.

— Ahmad Faraz

#20

Faraz ka har sher dilon ko chhu leta hai,

Jo har toote hue aashiq ki aah ko lafz deta hai.

— Ahmad Faraz

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