Janaab Raghupati Sahai ‘Firaq’ GorakhpuriBy Virendra Nath Bali ‘Gobind’
(the couplets inserted herein, in italic, are some relevant ones of my own, which I am reminded of in contexts of the ‘zameens’ of Firaq saahib’s couplets.)
Khud ko lagtaa hai ki jaisse dhak rahaa hooN maiN’Gobind’/
Pardaa jyon-jyon rukh sse uske kholtaa jaataa hooN maiN/
Firaq felt that Urdu poets upto his times did not have the ability to establish the required degree of consonance with the classical Indian thinking, or fine classical literature (like Shakuntalam, and Meghdoot).
The old worn-out Persian ‘meenaa-o-ssaaghar’,’ssaaqee’, ‘mizgaan’,
‘ghamzaa’, ‘paree-rukh’, ‘but’ ‘haram’, ‘butkhaanaa,‘niqaab’, ‘burqaa’, ‘hijaab’
‘rafeeq’ ‘waaiz’, ‘shammaa-parwaanaa’, and all, were vestiges of the old feudal Persian culture but since had lost relevance with times, and have to be dropped from the imagery of the Indian poets of his times.
But, says Firaq, that which is changeable, can be, and should have been changed.

ZameeN badlee falaq badlaa mazaaq-e-zindagee badlaa/
Tamaddun ke qadeem aqdaar badle aadmee badlaa/
Firaaq-e-hamnawaa-e-Mir-o-Ghalib ab naye naghmeiN/
Vo bazm-e-zindagee badlee vo rang-e-shaayaree badlaa/
Badalte jaa rahe haiN ham bhee duniyaa ko badalne meiN/
NaheeN badlee abhee duniyaa? To duniyaa ko abhee badlaa/
Firaq’s poetry is aimed pointedly at giving a turning point to Indian Urdu poetry, to rid it of the worn-out Persian molds of feudalistic society, and to make it flow as a fresh stream carrying the dreams and aspirations of an independent modern people seeking reunion with their invaluable ancient classical wisdom.
The roots of ancient Indian Vedantic mind-set and wisdom to which Firaq refers, are amply discernible in his own poetry.
Hijr-o-vissaal-eyaar kaa pardaa uthaa diyaa/
Khud badh ke ishq ne mujhe meraa pataa diyaa/
Vo ssaamne hai aur nazar sse chhupaa diyaa/
Aye ishq-e-be-hijaab mujhe kyaa dikhaa diyaa

vo jaisse hai hee naheeN, iss adaa sse ssaamne hai/
agar kahooN ki vo mujhsse khafaa, khafaa bhi naheeN/

bhalaa hai kaun , buraa kaun iss zamaane meiN/
buraa, buraa bhee naheeN hai, bhalaa bhalaa bhi naheeN/
‘Firaq’ ek doossaree duniyaa kee kuchh-kuchh yaad aatee hai/
NaheeN maaloom aaye haiN jahaaN mein ham kahaaN ho kar/
Chhup ke bhee kiss tarah vo deekh ssaktaa hai hameiN/
Ssaamne aankhoN ke vo chhup kar dikhaataa jaa rahaa hai/
(‘Gobind’)
Umra aawaargee-e-ishq meiN jab khatm huee/
Jaa ke uss waqt khulaa ham kaheeN aaye na gaye/
Raftaa-raftaa ghair apnee hee nazar meiN hogaye/
Waah ree ghaflat tujhe apnaa ssamajh baithe the ham/
Kaan bajte haiN, muhabbat ke ssukoot-e-naaz ko/
daastaaN kaa khatm ho jaanaa ssamajh baithe the ham/
Aaine meiN , aaine sse , aaine ke, aks haiN/
Jo yaqeeN ssaa ho rahaa hai vo gumaaN ham hee to haiN/
(‘Gobind’)
“hai tah-e-jaam bhee ek cheez Firaq, agar hosh rahe!”

Aaye the haNste-khelte maikhaane meiN Firaq’/
Jab pee chuke sharaab to ssaNjeedaa ho gaye/

We have to understand what Firaq means by “tah-e-jaam”, as also what he means by saying “agar hosh rahe”. Tah-e-jaam, obviously implies reaching the ‘absolute truth’ of existence. Here we see a similarity between him and Ghalib.
Just as Ghalib did not buy the Tassavvuf’s state of either ‘wahdat’l wujood’, which ment loosing ones identity completely into that of the Almighty, or‘wahdat’l shuhood’, which required one not to merge ones identity with that of Almighty, but retaining it, only as an observer, a witness,‘shaahid’ of whatever happens around one in the unreal phenomenal world of make-belief, Firaq too does not buy either of these two positions.
Duniyaa-dunee sse jisse nisbat hee naheeN/
Vo mere tassavvuf mein haqeeqat hee naheeN/

Kehte haiN Khuda-o-rooh mazhab jissko/
Vajdaan ko in ssab kee zaroorat hee naheeN/

Jaisse khushee jahaan kee teree hanssee meiN hai/
Koee aik cheez leejiye ssab–kuchh ussee meiN hai/

KehteeN haiN leh-lahaa ke ye gehooN kee baaliyaaN/
Jo hai Khuda meiN Ram meiN Issaamassee meiN hai/

‘Gobind’ ye hamaaree ssamajh kaa hee hai qussoor/
Lagtaa hai vo kissee meiN naheeN, aur kissee meiN hai/
(‘Gobind’)
Ab isko qufra maaneN yaa balandee-e-nazar jaaneN/
Khudaa-e-do jahaaN ko de ke ham inssaan lete haiN/
Ho jinheN shauq vo kareN aur khudaaoN ki talaash/
Ham to inssaan ko duniyaa kaa khudaa kehte haiN/

Firaq, like Ghalib, does not want to compromise his freedom the slightest bit.

Waqt-bewaqt na aa naasseh-e-naadaaN mere pass/
Apne ghar ko to ssamajhne de mujhe ghar apnaa/

Meraa aqlaaq nahee khauf-e-Khuda kaa mamnoon/
Agar kissee kaa jo mujhe dar hai to vo hai apnaa/

In fact, Firaq goes a step further. He, without any
sense of detraction from his absolute individual
freedom, not only regards his own existence as an
inseparable part of the entire universe, but he finds his
own self empathatically feeling for and breathing with his
entire surroundings. He realizes his compositeness as
a splendour of his Being.

Zaraa vissaal ke baad aainaa to dekh aye dost/
Tere Jamaal kee dosheezagee nikhar aaee/

hojaa nashe meiN choor tassavvuf ke ek baar/
aur tab palat ke phir sse zaraa iss jahaaN ko dekh/

tujhko lagegaa jaisse vahaaN hai hee kuchh naheeN/
apne mere wujood ke too darmiyaaN ko dekh/
(‘Gobind’)

This is what lends ‘ghulaawat’ to Firaq’s poetry.
However, this ‘ghulaawat’ is attainable at the
‘tah-e-jaam’ only, that is “agar hosh rahe”, i.e. vibrant
consciousness of one’s living ‘oneness’ with nature and
other human beings.

Waaqaee tere iss andaaz ko kyaa kehte haiN/
Na wafaa kehte haiN jisko na jafaa kehte haiN/

Usko paanaa ho rahaa hai khud ko pane kee tarah/
Apne ghar kaa raastaa khud poochhtaa jaataa hooN maiN/

Aik rishtaa lag rahaa hai uskee har ik cheez sse/
Gir rahaa hai shaakh sse gul tootataa jaataa hooN maiN/

Jitnaa apane aaine ke ssaamne aataa hai vo/
Utanaa apane aaine mein deekhtaa jaataa hooN maiN/

Taaki uske naqsh-e-paa jitney haiN ssaare choom looN/
Ban ke purwaaee zameeN per lotataa jaataa hooN mainN/
(‘Gobind’)

Jo tere dard sse mehroom haiN yahaaN unko/
Gham-e-jahaaN bhi ssunaa hai ki dastyaab naheeN/

Abhee kuchh aur ho inssaan kaa lahoo paanee/
Abhee hayaat ke chehre pe aab-o-taab naheeN/

Dikhaa to detee hai behtar hayaat ke ssapne/
Kharaab ho ke bhee ye zindagee kharaab naheeN/

ye kaisse pass aaye haiN na jaane abke hamdono/
ki teraa ssaamne aanaa meraa chhup jaanaa lagtaa hai/

lage kuchh iss tarah shaayad vissaal-e-yaar meiN hamko/
ssamandar meiN nadee ko jiss tarah mil jaanaa lagtaa hai/
(‘Gobind’)
The consciousness of being a Hindu did not give Firaq any sense of superiority over believers in other faiths; it only inspired him to go deeper into the fundamental
truths of existence to reach the basic human values which are enshrined in our Vedas and the Upnishads , and which are ingrained in the psyche of even the illiterate Indian masses and are discernible in traditional ceremonies etc.
Har firqa-o-har millat-o-har mazhab-o-har deen/
Ssabne jaa-e-panaah paaee hai yaheeN/
Aulaad meiN mamtaa chhalaktee hai teree/
Duniyaa kee maadar-e-watan hai ye zameen/
Tehzeeb kee pehlee ssubah kee paak duaayeN/
Goonjee huee haiN fizaa meiN rishiyoN ki ssadaayeN/
Aye Gang-o-jaman kee gungunaatee lehroN/
Detee haiN ssunaaee tum meiN Vedon kee richaayeN/

Firaq’s extra-lively sensitivity to his surroundings, and a strong inherent inner dynamism which propels him into the horizons of palpable space and timelessness, bring out such torrents of evocative ambiguities and subtleties from the depths of his being, as are not to be found in the works of any other poet. He kneads his own sensibilities with the breath of nature. And the resultant effect that emanates is pulsation of a vibrant cosmos, silences of eternities, and gravities of meaninglessness.
He has an uncanny talent for throwing his lasso of imagination infinitely far and wide and he catches with it such bafflingly evocative similes, illustrations, and comparisons with the manifest and the unmanifest
‘beingness’ that illuminate the said and unsaid meanings of his words to indescribable brilliance.

maiN hosh-e-anaadil hooN,
mushkil hai ssambhal jaanaa/
aye baad-e-ssabaa meree
karvat to badal jaanaa/
uss aaNkh kee mastee hooN,
aye baadaakashoN jiskaa/
uth kar ssar-e-maikhaanaa,
mumkin hai badal jaanaa/
iss gulshan-e-hastee meiN,
kam khilte haiN gul aisse/
duniyaa mehak utthe gee,
tum dil ko massal jaanaa/
hoon nakhat-e-mastaanaa
gulzaar-e-muhabbat meiN/
madhoshi-e-aalam hai
pehloo kaa badal jaanaa/

Tum bhee to tum naheeN ho aaj /
Ham bhee to aaj ham naheeN/
Qeemat-e-husn dojahaaN/
Koee badee raqam naheeN/
Teree ssoorat nazar aaee teree ssoorat sse alag /
Husn ko ahl-e-nazar husn-numaaN kehte hain/
Shikwaa-e-hijr KareN kiss dil sse/
Ham khud apne ko bhee apne sse judaa kehte haiN/

SsitaaroN sse ulajhtaa jaa rahaa hooN/
Shab-e-furqat bahut ghabraa rahaa hooN/

Muhabbat ab muhabbat ho chalee hai/
Tujhe kuchh bhooltaa ssaa jaa rahaa hooN/

Ek muddat sse teree yaad bhee aaee na hameiN/
aur ham bhool gaye hoN tujhe aissaa bhi naheeN/
Firaq is regarded, and quite justifiably so, as predominantly
a poet of love and romance.
Kissee gooNge kaa hai ssapnaa to ssabhaa beharoN kee/
Ishq vo qissaa hai jisse kaun kahe kaun ssune/

Kuchh ishaare the jinheN duniyaa ssamajh baithe the ham/
Uss nigaah-e-aashnaa ko kyaa ssamajh baithe the ham/

AankhoN meiN kyaa hai aapkee kaisse bayaaN karooN/
Jo zaahir na bin-chhupaaye ho, kaisse ayaaN karooN?/
Kaisse mitaauN aapke aur apne dil kaa farq/
Hotaa hai jo yahaaN usse kaisse wahaaN karooN?/
(‘Gobind’)
But we cannot fail to notice a remarkable difference between what he has written on this theme, and what other eminent Urdu poets have written.
The difference is a result of ‘Ghulaawat’, ssolubility,
(“prabhuji tum chandan ham paani” type), to which Firaq
attached great importance, and which, he thought lacked in
most of the Urdu poets.
For ‘ghulaawat’ to come about one has to reach beyond the state of objectivity and subjectivity both, by reaching a state of deep empathy with one’s surroundings. One has to go very deep in one’s realizations.

Bahut pehle sse un qadmoN kee aahat jaan lete hain/
Tujhe aye zindagee ham door sse pehchaan lete hain/

Meree nazareN bhee aisse qaafiroN kee jaan-o-eemaaN hain/
NigaaheN milte hee jo jaan aur eemaan lete hain/

Nigaah-e-baadaa gooN, yooN to teree batoN kaa kyaa kehnaa/
Teree har baat lekin ehtiyaatan chhaan lete haiN/
YaqeeN ye hai haqeeqat khul rahee hai/
GumaaN ye hai ki dhokhe khaa rahaa hooN/
Agar mumkin ho lele apnee aahat/
Khabar do husn ko maiN aa rahaa hooN/
MuddateN guzareeN teree yaad bhee aaee na hameiN /
aur ham bhool gaye hoN tujhe aissaa bhee naheeN/
Urdu writers always gave him an impression of alien-ness. Urdu literature, according to him, never reached the depths of peculiar Indian ethos. It never, thought Firaq, captured the salt of our native soil, the essence of our ambience, our natural scenery, our peculiar ways of living, our metaphysical mind-set and the virgin ignorance and innocence of our illiterate masses and the peculiar cuteness of our children.
There have been quite a few very knowledgeable amongst Urdu poets from the times of Mir. For example, Sauda, Insha, Nasikh, or Munir Shikohabadi. They were all big masters, but, according to Firaq, their poetry lacks the soul of poetry, the vibrant feel for deep human quests, thirsts, wonderments and sensibilities. The reason was their inclinatory and discriminatory individualities, which were not deeply enough into the Indian roots. Therefore their knowledge, though wide, was not luminous enough. Because, says Firaq, until knowledge gets the divine guiding light of ignorance, (tamssomaajyotirgamaya) and until knowledge acquires some experiential and substantive qualities besides the mundane ‘information’, great poetry is not possible.
Firaq says he was a poet even before he started writing poetry. Even as an infant he would show his strong displeasure if he was given into the arms of some ugly looking person. Right from his childhood he hated shoddy or sloppy ways of living or behaving. Beauty, which is the ‘Ishtdevi’ or worshipped goddess of all poetry, has fascinated Firaq from the time he opened his eyes in this world. He soon fell very deeply in love with nature, its sceneries, and its unselfish graciousness towards us the human beings and the animal-world. Firaq believed and contended that the biggest characteristic of matter, this soil, is their sanctity or their divinity. Life and the world are only the play or expression of that divinity
Shaayar ke khayaaloN kee laalee/
dhartee kee damaktee bindee hai/
dhartee kaa ssuhaag damaktaa hai/
ashaar kee sholaa nawaaee meiN/
Ssiyaah ped haiN ab aap apnee perchhaaeeN/
ZameeN sse taa-mah-o-anjum ssukoot ke meenaar/
Jidhar nigaah KareN ik athaah gumshudagee/
qareeb chaand ke mandlaa rahee hai ik chidiyaa/
bhaNwar meiN noor ke karwat sse jaisse naav chale/
guloN ne chaadar-e-shabnam meiN munh lappet liyaa/
laboN pe sso gayee kaliyoN kee muskuraahat bhee/

ssubah ke noor mein chhantaa huaa kohraa dekhaa/
naddee meiN doobtaa huaa kohssaar kaa chehraa dekhaa/
yooN har-ik sheh pe thirak uttheeN bikhartee kiraneN/
jaisse ssooraj ne bhee ek khwaab ssunehraa dekhaa/
( ‘Gobind’)
And Firaq regarded this realization of his as the biggest gift to him by the Hindu culture.
Firaq thinks that the most important aspect of the Hindu religion and culture is a ‘temperament (mizaaj) and a deep insight into the ‘Truth of beingness and creation’. The foundations of Hindu religion, he thinks, are not dependent on any support from Vedas or ancient scriptures, or any rituals or forms of worship. Hinduism, according to him, is the name of a resplendent temperament, depth of self-knowledge, tenderness, fineness, subtlety, and sublimity. The basic values upheld by the Hindu religion are above and, independent of, any religious belief, and aim at freedom of thought, variety in view-points, intelligent consciousness, and metaphysical introspections.
This is the reason, he thought, that our arts , music and festivals, all point in the direction of the nature’s and the world’s divinity.
It is this direction that Firaq mainly strived to pursue in his poetry. The themes of love and humaneness in his poetry have aspired according to him, in the direction of Krishna leelaa.
Love and romance, so sublime and pure, that it verges on Platonic love. Gopi’s love for Krishna is physical manifestation of the metaphysical . Gopis rejected Vedant philosophy when Uddhav
tried to preach the worship of the unmanifest Lord Krishna (niraakaar Brahm).They said they are not interested in any ‘moksha’, they want their ‘kaaro’ Kanhayyaa back , to play with him and to be teased by him. Here love is talked about in physical terms, but its level is above physicality. It is the level of unity in duality. Radha-Krishna, jugaljodee. ‘Dhaaraa’
of love flows out to create the required twosome (of lover and beloved) for the experience of manifested love, and turns inward by reversing itself as Radha
(reverted Dhaaraa) for the union with the Absolute One. The love-play of Radha-Krishna is a game of hide-and-seek that divinity plays with itself with
all the sublimity in naughtiness and indulgence at its command.
Tere pehloo meiN kyoN hotaa hai mehssooss/
Ki tujhsse door hotaa jaa rahaa hoon/
Pass rehnaa kissee kaa raat kee raat/
Mehmaanee bhee mezbaanee bhee/
Muhabbat mein meree tanhaaiyoN ke haiN kaee unwaaN/
Teraa aanaa teraa milnaa teraa uthnaa teraa jaanaa/
Shareek-e-bazm ho kar yoN uchat kar baithnaa teraa/
Khataktee hai teree maujoodgee mein bhee kameeN teree/

vissaal-e-yaar kee ik ssoorat nazar aaee hai/
tere baghair naheeN ssaath meiN tanhaaee hai/
( ‘Govind’)
Shaam-e-gham kuchh uss nigaah-e-naaz kee baateN karo/
Be-khudee badhtee chalee hai raaz kee baateN karo/

Ik lamhaa lagaa jaisse ke vo muskuraa diye/
Tab hee na jaane rukh pe kyooN gesso giraa diye/

Jhuktee nazar sse raaz ayaaN hone lage the/
toone nazar uthaa ke kahaaN phir chhupaa diye/
( ‘Gobind’)
HooN jaisse jhuke uth ke koee pyaar meiN nazar/
Ssamjhe naheeN to raaz hooN ssamjhe to bayaaN hooN/
(‘Gobind’)
The consciousness of being a Hindu did not give Firaq any sense of superiority over believers in other faiths; it only inspired him to go deeper into the fundamental truths of existence to reach the basic human values which are enshrined in our Vedas and the Upnishads .
Maut ssau martabaa jiss raah mein tyoraaee hai /
Waheen darraatee hayaat-e-basharee aaee hai /
Iss tamaddun ne khilaaye hain gulistaaN kyaa-kyaa /
DaastaaN apnee hee taareekh ne doharaaee hai /
Too aik thaa mere ashaar sse hazaar huaa/
Iss ik chiraagh sse kitne chiraagh jal uthe/
Har firqa-o-har millat-o-har mazhab-o-har deen/
Ssabne jaa-e-panaah paaee hai yaheeN/
Aulaad meiN mamtaa chhalaktee hai teree/
Duniyaa kee maadar-e-watan hai ye zameen/
Tehzeeb kee pehlee ssubah kee paak duaayeN/
Goonjee huee haiN fizaa meiN rishiyoN ki ssadaayeN/
Aye Gang-o-jaman kee gungunaatee lehroN/
Detee haiN ssunaaee tum meiN Vedon kee richaayeN/
Firaq can be labeled as basically a poet of ‘love’ or romance, in a great variety of its manifestations. And what makes his couplets more delicious is the witty and skillful use of ‘roz-marraah’ vernacular for saying very fine, subtle, and delicate things, a style, which never fails to touch the inner-most recesses of our hearts.
Raat bhee, neeNd bhee, kahaanee bhee/
Haaye kyaa cheez hai jawaanee bhee/


Muddat sse khabar na milee dil kee/
Shaayad koee baat ho gaee hai/

Ab ho mujhko dekhiye kanhaaN subha/
In zulfoN meiN raat ho gayee hai/

Iqraar-e-gunaah-e-ishq ssun lo/
Mujh sse ek baat ho gaee hai/

Vo aaNkh zabaan ho gaee hai/
Har bazm kee jaan ho gaee hai/

In firaq’s poetry we see a different ‘style’ or ‘andaaz-e-ishq’ which closely associates with it , the typical Indian natural scenes in the manner of our old classics like Shakuntala or meghdoot in which the lovelorn hero or heroin are interacting with surrounding nature according to their own personal mood and feelings at that time. Indianness comes from the behavior of monsoon clouds, sunrise, sunset, the scorching heat of a summer afternoon. Newness has come about from reduced pardah system, increased education and general brightness in our women-folk now.
The dignity, nobility, sublimity , honorability and purity with which Firaq has endowed his images of beautiful females in his poetry, is in total contrast with the rather bazaaroo-level romantic feel, bordering
on lecherousness, discernible in the earlier Urdu poetry, following it’s parental Persian footsteps of herems, and belly dancers , in the times before Firaq.
Firaq’s colour can be seen in the following:
DiloN ko tere tabassum kee yaad yooN aaee /
Ki jagmagaa utheN jiss tarah mandiroN meiN chiraagh/
Kaun ye le rahaa hai angdaaee/
AasmaanoN ko neend aatee hai/

JahaaN meiN thee bass ik afwaah tere jalvoN kee/
Chiraagh-e-dair-o-haram jhilmilaaye haiN kyaa kyaa/

Baagh-e-jannat pe ghataa jaisse barass ke khul jaai/
Ssaundhee-ssaundhee teree khushbu-e-badan kyaa kehnaa!/

Motee kee kaan, rass kaa ssaagar hai badan/
Darpan aakaash kaa ssaraassar hai badan/
Angdaaee mein raajhans tole hue par/
Yaa doodh bharaa maanssarovar hai badan/
LeharoN meiN khilaa kamal nahaaye jaisse/
Dosheezaa-e-subha gun-gunaaye jaisse/
Ye roop, ye rang, ye jawaanee, ye nikhaar/
Bachchaa ssote mein muskuraaye jaisse/

Kiss pyaar sse hotee hai khafaa bachche sse/
Kuchh tyoree chadhaaye hue, munh phere hue/
Iss roothane per pyaar kaa ssanssaar nissaar/
Kehtee hai ki “jaa tujhsse naheeN boleN ge”/
Firaq sahib is one of the very few Indian Urdu poets of repute who succeeded in capturing the imagination of modern Indian intelligentsia of many age groups ; as also, fancy of both, the serious minded and the comparatively lighter or even frivolous minded.
Teree maqbooliyat kee wajh-e-waahid teree ramzeeyat/
Ki usko maante hee kab haiN, jisko jaan lete haiN/
Khalq kyaa-kyaa mujhe naheeN kehtee/
Kuchh ssunooN maiN teree zabaanee bhee/
Dil-e-badnaam tere bare meiN/
Log kehte haiN ek kahaanee bhee/
To get an insight into Firaq’s mind-set as an extra-sensitive
highly educated and vibrant young intellectual with an
inherent ‘rujhaan’,( inclination) towards poetic expression,
one should go into the social and political conditions
obtaining in the times immediately preceding the arrival
of Firaq on the ‘stage’.
Muslim rule for a thousand years almost cut off our
classical cultural roots , but it did, along with the arrival
of the British, awaken some thirst for new knowledge in
our otherwise pujaaree and blind-faith inflicted stagnant
society of the 19th century AD.
At this time, emergence of the Urdu language, primarily to fulfill the preaching requirements of the immigrant Sufi saints from Persia, was seen by Firaq as the emergence of a new langue franca of the educated Indian urbans, and therefore the most appropriate means of bringing about the needed cultural reawakening.

Therefore, adds Firaq, in those earlier Urdu poet’s work, emphasis was given on word-play, and very little attention was given to the ‘worship’ of the sublime beauty and love. And this state of affairs, cannot even be justified on the grounds of ‘change’ in the social or political ambience of the two points of time in question; because ‘beauty’ and ‘love’ are timeless and universal.
ManzileN gard ke maanind udee jaatee haiN/
Wahee andaaz-e-jahaan-e-guzraaN hai, ki jo thaa/

Zulmat-o-noor meiN kuchh bhee na muhabbat ko milaa/ Aaj tak ek dhundhalke kaa ssamaaN hai, ki jo thaa/

Laakh kar jaur-o-ssitam, laakh kar ehssaan-o-karam/
Tujh pe aye dost wahee wahm-o-gumaaN hai, ki jo thaa/

Teeraa-bakhtee naheeN jaatee dil-e-ssozaaN kee ‘Firaq’/ Shammaa ke ssar pe wahee aaj dhuaaN hai, ki jo thaa/


“What is poetry?”, one may ask.
According to Firaq, the ‘experience’ of an urge for
brief or expanded ‘description’ of the ‘creation’ or
‘life’ is the life-force of poetry, which is a state of
ecstasy. This intoxication and state of self-oblivion
produce an inspiration and rhythm which induce a
poet to write poetry.
Zamaanaa waardaat-e-qalb ssunane ko tarastaa hai/
Issee sse to ssar-aankhoN per meraa deewaan lete
hain/

Tujhe to haath lagaayaa hai baarahaa lekin/
Tere kheyaal ko chhoote hue maiN dartaa hooN/


Run-jhun sse ye jo dee hai toone mere badan meiN/
GaaooN to kaisse gaaooN isse apne ssukhan meiN/

Ghamzaa to neem-baaz bataa dooN jahaan ko/
Kaisse bataaooN kaissaa lagaa iss kee chubhan meiN/
(‘Gobind’)
An often encountered genere of poetry in Firaq’s works is in the form of musings with himself alone, lost totally in his exclusive world of thoughts. These lines give one the impression of someone talking to some unseen presence.
There is a strong feel of an ethereal atmosphere in these couplets.
Vo aalam hotaa hai mujh per
jab fikr-e-ssukhan maiN kartaa hooN/
Khud apne kheyaaloN ko hamdam
main haath lagaate dartaa hooN/
vo aalam ham pe tanhaaee kaa taaree ho/
lage khilwat hai jab ssohbat tumhaaree ho/
(‘Gobind’)
Vo uth bhee chuke kab ke, vo jaa bhi chuke kabke/
Dil hai ki Firaq ab tak daaman ko chhudaaye hai/

Kahaan kaa wasl, tanhaaee ne shaayad bhess badlaa hai/
Tere dam bhar ke aa jaane ko ham bhee kyaa ssamajhte haiN!/

Narm fizaa kee karvaten dil ko dukhaa ke reh gayeeN/
Thandee hawaayeN bhee teree yaad dilaa ke reh gayeeN/

Shaam bhee thee dhuaaN –dhuaaN
husn bhee thaa udaass –udaass/
Dil ko kaee kahaaniyaaN
yaad ssee aa ke reh gayeeN/
koee baat aissee bataa de ke teree baat ham na kiyaa kareN/
koee naam de jo teraa na ho wahee naam le ke jiyaa kareN/

tere raaste to pataa lageN naheeN milnaa hai jo agar tujhe/
na ho rehguzar jo kabhee teree wahee raastaa hi liyaa kareN/

hai vo nash’aa teree nazar kaa hee hameiN miltaa hai jo sharaab meiN/
ho nazar meiN ye jo gunah teree to sharaab ham na piyaa kareN/
(‘Gobind’)

Apnaa na dar dikhaa too mujhe ye to bataa de/
Andar sse dil jo chaahe to ssijdaa kahaaN karooN/
(‘Gobind’)
Aye jazb-e-nihaan aur koee hai ki wahee hai/
Khilwat- kadaa-e-dil mein aawaaz huee hai/

Firaq’s poetry is rich and attractive like classical Indian jewelry studded with dazzling colorful and precious gems. But it is not inert like jewels. On the other hand it is so vibrant and full of life that it appears at times to be like a wild horse whom the rider is just about managing some how to keep under control.

Har jalwe sse ek dars-e-numooN letaa hooN/
Chhalakte hue ssad jam-o-ssuboo letaa hooN/
Aye jaan-e-bahaar tujhpe padtee hai jab nazar/
Ssangeet kee ssarhadoN ko chhoo letaa hooN/

Rangat hai ki ghunghruoN kee maddham jhankaar/
Joban hai ki pichhlee raat bajtaa hai sitar/
Ssarshaar fizaaoN ki rageN tootatee haiN/
Chatkaataa hai ungliyaaN jawaanee kaa khumaar/

Vo mast nazar ki mauj-e-ssahbaa tharraaye/
Vo haNsstee jabeeN ke ssubh-e-ssaadiq sharmaaye/
Ik mauj-e-hayaat narm-gaameeN teree/
Be-hiss raahon mein jaan jaisse pad jaaye/

But can grief and misery take one to such states of ecstasy?
“No! Not necessarily.” says Firaq. However, Mahaatmaa Buddha’s experience of misery lends a sublimity to it; natures tyrannies versus man, make life vibrant in a way that can evoke poetic reaction. Presence of sorrow is essential for romance, love, poetic situations and life itself.

Teree roodaad-e-ssitam kaa hai bayaaN naamumkin/
Faaydaa kyaa hai magar yooN hi zaraa kehte hain/

AuroN kaa tajurbaa jo kuchh ho magar ham to ‘Firaq’/ Talkhee-e-zeest ko jeene kaa mazaa kehte haiN/

Bahut dinoN meiN muhabbat ko yeh huaa maaloom/
Jo tere hijra mein guzaree, vo raat, raat huee /

MaayoossiyoN ki god meiN dam todtaa hai ishq /
Ab bhee koee banaa le to bigdee naheeN hai baat/

Ik umra kat gayee hai tere intezaar meiN/
Aisse bhi haiN ki kat na ssakee jinkee ek raat/

aaj bahut udaass hooN maiN/
yooN koee khaass gham naheeN/

Ye to naheeN ke gham naheeN/
Haan meree aaNkh nam naheeN/
Rafeeq-e-zindagee thee, ab anees-e-waqt-e-aakhir hai/
Teraa aye maut ham ye doossaraa ehssaan lete haiN/

According to Firaq, universality and inwardness are a must for high standard of poetry.
Baat bantee aur batoN sse nazar aatee naheeN/
Uss nigaah-e-naaz ke baateN banaane kee kaho /

Vo baat iss sse bhee behtar bayaaN kahaaN hotee/
Jhukaa ke aaNkh jo usne abhee chhupaaee hai/

Iss tarah ke geet koee yooN hee to gaataa naheeN/
Koee aissee baat hai dil jiss ko keh paataa naheeN/

Band ho jaate haiN uthane khud-b-khud dil meiN ssawaal/
Raaz kaa ye hai, ki khultaa hai to batlaataa naheeN/

Maajaraa kyaa hai ummeed-e-wasl-e-yaar?/
Aahten hotee hain lekin phir koee aataa naheen/
(‘Gobind’)
Shaam sse hee gosh-baraawaaz hai bazm-e-ssukhan /
Kuchh ‘Firaq’ apnee ssunaao kuchh zamaane kee kaho /
Jisse kehtee hai duniyaa qaamyaabee baa-e-naadaanee/
Usse kin qeematoN per qaamyaab inssaan lete haiN /

Tabeeyat apnee ghabraatee hai jab ssunssaan raatoN meiN/
Ham aisse meiN teree yaadoN kee chaadar taan lete haiN/

Hamaahangee mein bhee ik chaashnee hai ikhtalaafon kee/
Meree baateN b’ unvan-e-digar vo maan lete haiN /

‘Firaq’ akssar badal kar bhess miltaa hai koee qaafir/ Kabhee ham jaan lete hain kabhee pehchaan lete haiN /

Usne jhalak ssee aik jab dikhaaee hai zaraa/
Jaan ssee kuchh dil mein ssamjho aaee hai zaraa/

Apnee to jaisse ssaaree kaainaat phuk gayee/ Shamma-e-ummeed usne jab bujhaaee hai zaraa/

‘Gobind’ raat bhar hee tadapte sse rahe hain/
Ssone do inhen neend abhee aaee hai zaraa/


Firaq has a keen in-built sense of the weight, sound and rhythm of words. He knits music in his words.
And most of the great singers of his time have very
fondly picked up his ghazals and have composed
and sung them to the overwhelming satisfaction of
discering audiences all over the world.
His handling of the words is nimble and so indulgent
that they themselves seem wriggling and writhing
with liveliness out of his hands.

Too hai ssar’b ssar koee daastaaN,
hai ajeeb aalm-e-anjuman/
Ye nigaah-e-naaz zabaaN-zabaaN,
ye ssukoot-e-naaz ssukhan –ssukhan/

Ye shaoor ssayekaa-afganee,
ye adaa-e-nargiss-e-purfatan/
Ki pilaa-pilaa ke lundhaa bhi de,
ye teree nigaah-e-pyaalaazan/

Na zyaadaa zarf sse de na kam,
ki haiN haath uske janche-tule/
Wahee aaNkh zaamin-e-hosh bhee,
wahee aankh ssaqi-e-anjuman/

Mere sseene meiN hai vo raushnee,
ki na umra jiskee bataa ssakeN/
Yanhee jalwe daur-e-jadeed ke,
yahee partaw-e-ahd-e-kuhan/

Vo tamaam roo-e-nigaar hai,
vo tamaam boss-o-kanaar hai/
Vo hai chehraa-chehraa jo dekhiye,
vo hai choomiye to dahan-dahan/

Meree har ghazal ko ye aarzoo,
tujhe ssaj-ssajaa ke nikaaliye/
Meree fikra ho teraa aainaa,
mere naghmen hon tere pairaha
It is not only that the ethos of the classical culture pulsates through most of Firaq’s expressions, but that he seems to be exuding it’s heady fragrance with a passionate sense of pride in it. A major chunk of Firaq’s poetry carries deep undertones.
And this chunk too can be further subdivided into two major types, based on the different imageries used in them: a) witty and flirtatious imagery from the world of adult romance, and b) witty use of images from the world of innocent childish naughtiness. The ‘chul-bulaapan’, ‘sharaarat’,‘chhed-chhaad, and ‘chidhaanaa’ elements, give an altogether unique character to Firaq’s shaayaree on themes of love and romance. That is the reason why he attaches such a lot of importance to his extra-sensitiveness as a child in the ultimate molding of his poetry.
The firmness and ineffaceability of Firaq’s childhood impressions can be gauged from the fact that they could persist with him almost intact , surviving the deadly
on slaught of an extremely mismatched marriage at an
unripe age of 17.He was completely devastated.
Vo halqaa-o-sseenaa-o-rag-rag mein chubhaa/
Nadeem maine nigal lee ho jaisse naagphanee/

One can realize the intensity of this personal tragedy
of Firaq more after reading his passionate account of the
impressions of his childhood and the store that he sets
by them.
A noticeable greatness in Firaq is his habit of reducing
life’s experiences to very brief and cogent surmises and
‘nichods’ which tend to linger long in our memories and
come handy as useful quotes on various occasions in life.
Jiske liye ghazal kahooN/
aissaa koee ssanam naheeN/

‘Ghalib-o-‘Mir’-o-‘Muss-hafi’/
Ham bhee ‘Firaq’ kam naheeN/


Ghair kyaa jaaniye kyon mujhko buraa kehte hain/
Aap kehte hain jo aissaa to bajaa kehte hain/

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