Meer Taqi Meer
Meer Taqi Meer was the leading Urdu poet of the 18th century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. He is fondly called 'Khuda-e-Sukhan' (God of Poetry) and is famous for his themes of tragic love and melancholia.
Khuda-e-Sukhan — the god of poetry
Meer Taqi Meer was born in Agra in 1723 and moved to Delhi as a young man. After the sacking of Delhi in the 1750s and 60s he spent years in poverty before accepting an invitation to Lucknow in 1782 from Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula.
His collected works comprise six diwans, and his autobiography Zikr-e-Meer is a rare first-hand account of eighteenth-century Delhi. He died in Lucknow in 1810.
Ghalib's own tribute is the best summary: he wrote that future generations would remember there was once a Meer as well.
Recurring themes
- Heartbreak without ornament
- The ruin of Delhi
- Sincere sorrow
- Spoken Urdu rhythm
- Mysticism and the fragility of life
Where to start
Read 'Patta patta, boota boota' and 'Dekh to dil ki jaan se uthta hai' — both show his plain-spoken, devastating style.
Worth knowing
His diction was so close to ordinary Delhi speech that scholars use his poems to study the language of the era.
Classical Couplets by — Meer Taqi Meer
Patta patta, boota boota, haal humara jaane hai,
Jaane na jaane gul hi na jaane, baagh to saara jaane hai.
Baarish ki boondein jaise roti hain,
Uski yaad mein meri aankhein bhi waise hi roti hain.
Unke aane ki umeed par hi hum zinda hain Meer,
Warna is zindagi mein ab rakha kya hai.
Duniya ke sitam sah kar bhi hum khamosh rahe,
Kyuki dil mein wafa ka nasha abhi baaqi tha.
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