Sudarshan Faakir- Admi ka Admi ko Pighaam

Sudarshan Faakir, poet and lyricist whose ghazals and some nazms were sung by Begum Akhtar in her last phase and Jagjit Singh in his early phase in the 1970s and 1980s died on 19 Feb in Jalandhar. He will be remembered as one of the significant though minor poets of the language. In context of the language issue, it needs to be remarked that he belonged to the small and diminishing tribe of non- Muslim Urdu poets from East Punjab. Krishna Adeeb, who passed away couple of years back and Joginder Lal (known by his nome de plume Naqsh Lyallpuri) are others that come to mind. His compositions may not have been prolific, but each is remarkable for its profundity and perfection.

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aadamii aadamii ko kyaa degaa
jo bhii degaa vahii Khudaa degaa

meraa qaatil hii meraa munsif hai
kyaa mere haq men faisalaa degaa

zindagii ko qariib se dekho
iskaa chehara tumhen rulaa degaa

hamase puuchho dostii kaa silaa
dushmanon kaa bhii dil hilaa degaa

ishq kaa zahar pii liyaa "Faakir"
ab masiihaa bhii kyaa davaa degaa

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aaj ke daur men ai dost ye manzar kyuN hai
zaKhm har sar pe har ik haath men patthar kyuuN hai

jab haqiiqat hai ke har zarre men tuu rahataa hai
phir zamiin par kahiin masjid kahiin mandir kyuuN hai

apnaa anjaam to maaluum hai sab ko phir bhii
apanii nazaron men har insaan sikandar kyuuN hai

zindagii jiine ke qaabil hii nahiin ab "Faakir"
varnaa har aaNkh men ashkon kaa samandar kyuuN hai

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dil kii diivaar-o-dar pe kyaa dekhaa
bas teraa naam hii likhaa dekhaa

terii aaNkhon men hamane kyaa dekhaa
kabhii qaatil kabhii Khudaa dekhaa

apanii suurat lagii pyaarii sii
jab kabhii hamane aaiinaa dekhaa

haaye andaaz tere rukane kaa
vaqt ko bhii rukaa rukaa dekhaa

tere jaane men aur aane men
hamane sadiyon kaa faasalaa dekhaa

phir na aayaa Khayaal jannat kaa
jab tere ghar kaa raastaa dekhaa

ishq men Gairat-e-jazabaat ne rone na diyaa
varna kyaa baat thii kis baat ne rone na diiyaa

aap kahate the ke rone se na badalenge nasiib
umr bhar aap kii is baat ne rone na diiyaa

ronewaalon se kah do unakaa bhii ronaa rolen
jinako majabuuri-e-haalaat ne rone na diiyaa

tujhase milakar hamen ronaa thaa bahot ronaa thaa
tangii-e-waqt-e-mulaaqaat ne rone na diiyaa

ek do roz ka sadmaa ho to ro len 'Faakir'
ham ko har roz ke sadamaat ne rone na diiyaa

saamane hai jo use log buraa kahate hain
jisako dekhaa hii nahiin usako Khudaa kahate hain

zindagii ko bhii silaa kahate hain kahaney vaale
jiiney vaale to gunaahon kii sazaa kahate hain

faasale umr ke kuchh aur baDaa detii hai
jaane kyuuN log use phir bhii davaa kahate hain

chand maasuum se patton kaa lahuu hai "Fakir"
jisako mahabuub ke haathon kii hinaa kahate hain

ye shiishe ye sapne ye rishte ye dhaage

kise kyaa Khabar hai kahaaN TuuT jaayeN

muhabbat ke dariyaa men tinake vafaa ke

na jaane ye kis moD par Duub jaayeN

ajab dil kii bastii ajab dil kii vaadii 

har ek moD mausam na_ii Khvaahishon kaa

lagaaye hain ham ne bhii sapanon ke paudhe

magar kyaa bharosaa yahaaN baarishon kaa

muraadon kii manzil ke sapanon men khoye

muhabbat kii raahon pe ham chal paDe the

zaraa duur chal ke jab aaNkhen khulii to

kaDii dhuup men ham akele khaDe the

jinhen dil se chaahaa jinhe.n dil se puujaa

nazar aa rahe hain vahii ajanabii se

ravaayat hai shaayad ye sadiyon puraanii

shikaayat nahiin hai koii zindagii se

zindagii tujh ko jiyaa hai koii afsos nahiin
zahar Khud maine piyaa hai koii afsos nahiin

maine mujarim ko bhii mujarim na kahaa duniyaa men
bas yahii jurm kiyaa hai koii afsos nahiin

merii qismat men likhe the ye unhiin ke aaNsuu
dil ke zaKhmon ko siyaa hai koii afsos nahiin

ab gire sang ki shiishon kii ho baarish 'Fakir'
ab kafan oD liyaa hai koii afsos nahiin

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shaayad main zindagii kii sahar leke aa gayaa
qaatil ko aaj apane hii ghar leke aa gayaa

taa-umr DhuuNDhataa rahaa manzil main ishq kii
anjaam ye ki gard-e-safar leke aa gayaa

nashtar hai mere haath men, kaandhon pe maiqadaa
lo main ilaaj-e-dard-e-jigar leke aa gayaa

'faakir' sanam-kade men na aataa main lauT kar
ik zaKhm bhar gayaa thaa idhar leke aa gayaa

mere dukh kii koii davaa na karo
mujh ko mujh se abhii judaa na karo

naaKhudaa ko Khudaa kahaa hai to phir
Duub jaao, Khudaa Khudaa na karo

ye sikhaayaa hai dostii ne hamen
dost banakar kabhii wafaa na karo

ishq hai ishq, ye mazaak nahiin
chand lamhon men faisalaa na karo

ashiqii ho ya bandagii 'faakir'
be-dilli se to ibatidaa na karo

Poetries By Qateel Shifaii

apane haathon kii lakiiron men basaale mujhako
main huuN teraa nasiib apanaa banaa le mujhako

mujhase tuu puuchhane aayaa hai vafaa ke maanii
ye terii sadaadilii maar na Daale mujhako

main samandar bhii huuN motii bhii huuN Gotaazan bhii
koii bhii naam meraa leke bulaale mujhako

tuune dekhaa nahiin aaiine se aage kuchh bhii
Khudaparastii men kahiin tuu na gaNvaale mujhako

kal kii baat aur hai main ab saa rahuuN yaa na rahuuN
jitanaa jii chaahe teraa aaj sataale mujhako

Khud ko mai.n baaNT na DaaluuN kahiin daaman-daaman
kar diyaa tuune agar mere havaale mujhako

main jo kaa.NTaa huu.N to chal mujh se bachaakar daaman
main huuN gar phuul to juuDe men sajaale mujhako

mai.n khule dar ke kisii ghar kaa huuN saamaaN pyaare
tuu dabe paa.Nv kabhii aake churaale mujhako

tark-e-ulfat kii qasam bhii ko_ii hotii hai qasam
tuu kabhii yaad to kar bhuulanevaale mujhako

baadaa phir baadaa hai main zahar bhii pii jaauu.N "Qateel"
shart ye hai koii baahon mei.n sambhale mujhako

tum puuchho aur main na bataauuN aise to haalaat nahiin
ek zaraa saa dil TuuTaa hai aur to koii baat nahiin

kis ko Khabar thii saNvale baadal bin barase uD jaate hain
saavan aayaa lekin apanii qismat men barasaat nahiin

maanaa jiivan men aurat ek baar mohabbat karatii hai
lekin mujhako ye to bataa de kyaa tuu aurat zaat nahiin

Khatm huaa meraa afasaanaa ab ye aaNsuu poNchh bhii lo
jis men koii taaraa chamake aaj kii raat vo raat nahiin

mere Gam-giin hone par ahabaab hain yo.n hairaan "Qateel"
jaise main patthar huuN mere siine men jazbaat nahiin

zindagii men to sabhii pyaar kiyaa karate hain
main to mar kar bhii merii jaan tujhe chaahuuNgaa

tuu milaa hai to ye ehasaas huaa hai mujhako
ye merii umr mohabbat ke liye thoDii hai
ik zaraa saa Gam-e-dauraaN kaa bhii haq hai jis par
mai.n ne wo saaNs bhii tere liye rakh chhoDii hai
tujh pe ho jaauuNgaa qurabaan tujhe chaahuungaa

apane jazbaat me.n naGmaat rachaane ke liye
main ne dhaDakan kii tarah dil me.n basaayaa hai tujhe
main tasavvur bhii judaaii kaa bhalaa kaise karuu.N
main ne qismat kii lakiiro.n se churaayaa hai tujhe
pyaar kaa ban ke nigehabaan tujhe chaahuungaa

terii har chaap se jalate hain Khayaalon men chiraaG
jab bhii tuu aaye jagaataa huaa jaaduu aaye
tujhako chhuu luuN to phir ae jaan-e-tamannaa mujhako
der tak apane badan se terii Khushbuu aaye
tuu bahaaron kaa hai unawaan tujhe chaahuuNgaa

ye mojazaa bhii muhabbat kabhii dikhaaye mujhe 

ki sang tujhape gire aur zaKhm aaye mujhe 

vo maharabaaN hai top iqaraar kyuuN nahiin karataa 

vo badagumaaN hai to sau baar aazamaaye mujhe 

main apane paaNv tale raundataa huuN saaye ko 

badan meraa hii sahii dopahar na bhaaye mujhe 

main ghar se terii tamannaa pahan ke jab nikaluuN 

barahanaa shahar men koii nazar na aaye mujhe 

vo meraa dost hai saare jahaaN ko hai maaluum 

daGaa kare vo kisii se to sharm aaye mujhe 

main apanii zaat men niilaam ho rahaa huuN 'Qateel'

Gam-e-hayaat se kah do Khariid laaye mujhe 

sadamaa to hai mujhe bhii ki tujhase judaa huuN main
lekin ye sochataa huuN ki ab teraa kyaa huuN main

bikharaa paDaa hai tere hii ghar men teraa vajuud
bekaar mahafilon men tujhe DhuuNDhataa huuN main

main Khudakashii ke jurm kaa karataa huun aitaraaf
apane badan kii qabr men kabase gaDaa huuN main

kis-kisakaa naam lauuN zabaaN par ki tere saath
har roz ek shaKhs nayaa dekhataa huuN main

naa jaane kis adaa se liyaa tuune mera naam
duniyaa samajh rahii hai ke sab kuchh teraa huuN main

le mere tajurbon se sabak ae mere raqiib
do chaar saal umr men tujhase baDaa huuN main

jaagaa huaa zamiir vo aaiinaa hai "Qateel"
sone se pahale roz jise dekhataa huuN main

Qateel Shifai

Early life

Qateel Shifai was born in Haripur, Hazara Division, British India (now Pakistan).

Career

He adopted Qateel Shifai as his pen name in 1938 under which he was known in the world of Urdu poetry. "Qateel" was his "takhallus" and "Shifai" was in honour of his ustaad Hakim Mohammed 'Shifa' whom he considered his mentor.

Due to his father's early death, Qateel was forced to quit his education. He started his own sporting goods shop. Being unsuccessful in his business he decided to move to Rawalpindi, where he started working for a transport company and earned about 60 Rupees a month.

In 1946, he was called to Lahore by Nazir Ahmed to work as the assistant editor of the monthly 'Adab-e-Latif', a literary magazine published since 1936. His first ghazal was published in the Lahore weekly 'Star', edited by Qamar Jalalabadi.

In January 1947, Qateel was asked to pen the songs of a film by a Lahore based film producer. The first film he penned the lyrics for was "Teri Yaad". After that there was no looking back. He won numerous awards as a lyricist. Many of his poem collections were published, one amongs them being "Mutriba" which got him the highest literature award in Pakistan.

To raise the standards of ghazals in films has been Qateel's primary contribution to Urdu poetry. This was already started by Tanvir Naqvi and Sahir Ludhianvi, but perpetuated and concluded by Qateel Shifai. By using simple words and a larger amount of Hindi, Qateel brought Urdu poetry closer to the masses. He established a certain standard to ghazals in films and gave them a certain respectability.

Qateel Shifai worked on numerous ghazal albums with Jagjit and Chitra Singh, as well as with Ghulam Ali to name a few.

Legacy

Over 20 collections of verse and over 2,500 songs for Pakistani and Indian films were published. His poetry has been translated into numerous languages including Hindi, Gujarati, English,Russian and Chinese.

Qateel Shifai received the 'Pride of Performance Award' in 1994 for his contribution to literature, 'Adamjee Award', 'Naqoosh Award', 'Abbasin Arts Council Award' and 'Amir Khusro Award' in India.

Qateel Shifaee produced a film in his mother language--Hindko-- in 1970. It was the first Hindko film which was named "Qissa Khwani". The film was released in 1980. He died on 11 July 2001 in Lahore. The street on which he lived in Lahore has been named Qateel Shifai Street after him. There is also a sector of Haripur city that has been named after him - Mohallah Qateel Shafai.

His poetry is included in the masters' level syllabus in many universities in Pakistan and India.