An Urdu poet I love …

Zahoor Nazar's collection of Nazms

I bought this book in 1978

and have read it many many times.

Although he never became as famous

as I thought he would,

this collection is superb.

From his poetic Paysh Lafz,

a 7-page poem that starts with these lines

Maéñ shaaér hooñ

Maéñ nay jo mahsoos kiyaa haé jo daykha haé vohi kahaa haé

Chaahay voh dükh ho yaa sükh ho …

to his last nazm, Shahré Saba,

this collection provided me wth a lot of things to think about.

If you can still get a new edition, do get it.

Although I like many poems,

here is list of my real favourites.

(1)

His 5 poems of people's victories

that follow each other in style: 

Inqilaabé Cheen

Jagtay Jazeeray

Faith Suez

Inqilaabé Iraq

Maojé Sada

(2)

His 5 Martial Law poems:

Shabkhoon

Shabkhoon Kay Baad

Islaahaat

Ayk Eed

A'eené Nao

(3)

His brilliant poems

(about life, the universes, and everything?):

Sannaata

Mahaasabah

Aé Ghamé Sübhé Tarab

Maéñ Tera Kaon Hooñ

Vasvasah

Chiraagh Talay

Khamyaazah

Ayk Raat

Pathraao

Patja∂h Ki Ayk Shaam

Ayk Mülaaqaat

Tanhaai

(4)

And, finally,

my two absolute favourites:

Naee Gali

Taxi

Read him if you can find the book.
It'll be old, because it never got published again.