Ameer Minai, an Urdu poet of eminence was born in 1826 at
Name : Amir Ahmad Meenai Period : 1828 - 1900 Biographical detail : One of the most prominent poets of Urdu
Amir Meenai’s diction is as immaculate as is characteristics of Lucknow poets to the extent that even Ghalib eulogised him. Now a new edition of Meenai’s first diwan titled ‘Miratul Ghaib’ has made it possible for the new generation of Urdu poetry readers to study Amir Meenai’s poetry.
In time Meenai emerged as a highly gifted poet of delicate sensibility. One of his poems ‘Kabutar Nama’ impressed Wajid Ali Shah. After the annexation of Oudh by East India Company, Amir Meenai had to move to Rampur amidst a large number of Lucknow poets over there.
It was during Meenai’s Rampur sojourn and subsequently his stay in Hyderabad Deccan that his poetry gained popularity – a phenomenon that saw the whole of the subcontinent’s poets appear as divided into Amir Meenai and Dagh Dehalvi camps of followers.
Amir Meenai is credited with 14 collections of poetry including ‘Diwan-e-Naatia Kalam’ and ‘Sanam Khana-e-Ishq’. Seven of his collections of different genres of poetry are still lying unpublished apart from volumes of ‘Amir-ul-Lughat’ a unique work of lexicography.
Being a Sufi poet – having ishq (love) as his central theme – his collection ‘Mahamid-e-Khatim-ul-Nabian’ has immortalised Meenai in his genre of poetry.
Amir Ahmad Meenai was born in Lucknow. He was drawn to poetry and became a disciple of Syed Muzaffar Ali Asir, who was private secretary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and himself an eminent poet of his times.
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bandaa navaaziyon pe Khudaa-e-kariim thaa
karataa na main gunaah to gunaah-e-aziim thaa
baaten bhii kii Khudaa ne dikhaya jamaal bhii
vallaah kya nasiib janaab-e-kaliim thaa
duniya kaa haal ahal-e-adam hai ye muKhtasar
ik do qadam kaa kuuchaa-e-ummid-o-biim thaa
karata main dardmand tabiibon se kyaa rajuu
jis ne diya tha dard baDa vo hakiim thaa
samaaN-e-ufu kyaa main kahuN muKhtasar hai ye
bandaa gunaahgaar thaa Khaaliq kariim thaa
jis din se main chaman men huaa Khvaah-e-gul 'Ameer'
naam-e-sabaa kahiin na nishaan-e-nasiim thaa
jab se bul-bul tuu ne do tinake liye
TuuTatii hai bijaliyaaN in ke liye
hai javaanii Khud javaanii kaa sinGaar
saadagii gahanaa hai us sinn ke liye
kaun viiraane men dekhegaa bahaar
phuul jangal men khile kin ke liye
saarii duniya ke hain vo mere sivaa
main ne duniyaa chhoD dii jin ke liye
baaGabaaN kaliyaaN hon halke rang kii
bhejanii hain ek kamasin ke liye
sab hasiin hain zaahidon ko naapasand
ab ko_ii huur aayegii in ke liye
vasl kaa din aur itanaa muKhtasar
din gine jaate the is din ke liye
sarakatii jaaye hai ruKh se naqaab aahistaa-aahistaa
nikalataa aa rahaa hai aaftaab aahistaa-aahistaa
javaaN hone lage jab vo to ham se kar liyaa pardaa
hayaa yak_laKht aa_ii aur shabaab aahistaa-aahistaa
shab-e-furkat kaa jaagaa huu.N farishton ab to sone do
kabhii fursat me.n kar lenaa hisaab aahistaa-aahistaa
savaal-e-vasl par un ko uduu kaa Khauf hai itanaa
dabe honThon se dete hain javaab aahistaa aahistaa
hamaare aur tumhaare pyar men bas farq hai itanaa
idhar to jaldii jaldii hai udhar aahistaa aahistaa
vo bedardii se sar kaaTe 'Ameer' aur main kahuuN un se
huzuur aahistaa-aahistaa janaab aahistaa-aahistaa
achchhe isaa ho mariizon kaa Khayaal achchhaa hai
ham mare jaate hain tum kahate ho haal achchhaa hai
tujh se maaNguuN main tujhii ko ki sab kuchh mil jaaye
sau savaalon se yahii ek savaal achchhaa hai
dekh le bulbul-o-paravaanaa kii betaabii ko
hijr achchhaa na hasiinon kaa visaal achchhaa hai
aa gayaa us kaa tasavvur to pukaaraa ye shauq
dil men jam jaaye ilaahii ye Khayaal achchhaa hai
us kii hasarat hai jise dil se miTaa bhii na sakuuN
DhuuNDhane us ko chalaa huuN jise paa bhii na sakuuN
Daal kar Khaak mere Khuun pe qaatil ne kahaa
kuchh yeh mehandii nahiin merii ke miTaa bhii na sakuuN
zabt kambaKht ne aur aa ke galaa ghoNTaa hai
ke use haal sunaauuN to sunaa bhii na sakuuN
us ke pahaluu men jo lejaa ke sulaa duu.N dil ko
niind aisii use aaye ke jagaa bhii na sakuuN
naqsh-e-paa dekh to luuN laakh karuuNgaa sajade
sar meraa arsh nahiin hai ki jhukaa bhii na sakuuN
bevafaa likhate hain vo apanii kalam se mujh ko
ye vo qismat kaa likhaa hai jo miTaa bhii na sakuuN
is tarah soye hain sar rakh ke mere zaanon par
apanii soii huii qismat ko jagaa bhii na sakuuN
tund mai aur aise kamsin ke liye
saaqiyaa halkii sii laa in ke liye
mujh se ruKhsat ho meraa ahad-e-shabaab
yaa Khudaa rakhanaa naa us din ke liye
hai javaanii Khud javaanii kaa singaar
saadagii gahanaa hai is sin ke liye
sab hasiin hain zaahidon ko naapasand
ab koii huur aayegii in ke liye
vasl kaa din aur itanaa muKhtasar
din gine jaate the is din ke liye
saarii duniyaa ke hain vo mere sivaa
mai.n ne duniyaa chhoD dii jin ke liye
laash par ibarat ye kahatii hai 'Ameer'
aaye the duniyaa men is din ke liye
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kah rahii hai hashr men vo aaNkh sharmaaii huii
haaye kaise is bharii mahafil men rusvaaii huii
aaiine men har adaa ko dekh kar kahate hain vo
aaj dekhaa chaahiye kis kis kii hai aa_ii hu_ii
kah to ai gulchiin asiiraan-e-qafas ke vaaste
toD luuN do chaar kaliyaaN main bhii murjhaaii huii
main to raaz-e-dil chhupaauuN par chhipaa rahane bhii de
jaan kii dushman ye zaalim aaNkh lalchaaii huii
Gamzaa-o-naaz-o-adaa sab men hai hayaa kaa lagaao
haaye re bachapan kii shoKhii bhii hai sharmaaii huii
vasl men Khaalii huii raqiibon se mahafil to kyaa
sharm bhii jaaye to jaanuuN ke tanhaaii huii
gard uDii aashiq kii turbat se to jhunjhalaa ke kahaa
vaah sar chaDhane lagii paaNv kii Thukaraaii huii
jhonkaa idhar na aaye nasiim-e-bahaar kaa
naazuk bahut hai phuul charaaG-e-mazaar kaa
phir baiThe baiThe vaadaa-e-vasl us ne kar liyaa
phir uTh khaDaa huaa vahii rog intazaar kaa
shaaKhon se barg-e-gul nahiin jhaDate hain baaG men
zevar utaar rahaa hai uruus-e-bahaar kaa
har gul se laalaazaar men ye puuchhataa huuN main
tuu hii pataa bataade dil-e-daaG_daar kaa
is pyaar se fishaar diyaa gor-e-tang ne
yaad aa gayaa mazaa mujhe aaGosh-e-yaar kaa
hilatii nahiin havaa se chaman men ye DaaliyaaN
muuNh chuumate hain phuul uruus-e-bahaar kaa
uThataa hai naazaa men vo sarahaane se ai 'Ameer'
miTataa hai aasaraa dil-e-ummiid_vaar kaa
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ishq men jaaN se guzarate hain guzarne vaale
maut kii raah nahiin dekhte marne vaale
aaKhirii vaqt bhii pura na kiyaa vaada-e-vasl
aap aate hii rahe mar gaye marne vaale
uThe aur kuucha-e-mahabub men pahuNche aashiq
ye musaafir nahiin raaste men Thaharne vaale
jaan dene ka kaha main ne to haNs kar bole
tum salaamat raho har roz ke marne vaale
aasmaaN pe jo sitaare nazar aaye 'Ameer'
yaad aaye mujhe daaG apane ubharane vale
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haNs ke faramaate hain vo dekh kar haalat merii
kyon tum aasaaN samajhate the muhabbat merii
baad marane ke bhii chhoDii na rafaaqat merii
merii turbat se lagii baiThii hai hasarat merii
main ne aaGosh-e-tasavvur me.n bhii khenchaa to kahaa
pis gaii pis gaii bedard nazaakat merii
aaiinaa subah-e-shab-e-vasl jo dekhaa to kahaa
dekh zaalim ye thii shaam ko suurat merii
yaar pahaluu men hai tanhaaii hai kah do nikale
aaj kyon dil men chhupii baiThii hai hasarat merii
husn aur ishq ham_aaGosh nazar aa jaate
terii tasviir men khinch jaatii jo hairat merii
kis DhiTaa_ii se vo dil chhiin ke kahate hain 'Ameer'
vo meraa ghar hai rahe jis men muhabbat merii
