Progressive · 1911–1984 · Sialkot – Lahore
Faiz Ahmad Faiz was born in Sialkot and became the foremost voice of the Progressive Writers Movement. Twice imprisoned in Pakistan for his politics, he wrote some of the most beloved Urdu poems of the century, from "mujh se pahli si mohabbat" to "hum dekhenge". His work carries the classical ghazal idiom into the language of struggle and hope, and has been sung by generations of qawwals and ghazal singers.
husn se dil laga ke hasti ki
har ghadi ham ne aatishin ki hai
subh gul ho ki shaam mai khana
madh us roo naaznin ki hai
shaikh se be haraas milte hain
ham ne tauba abhi nahi ki hai
zikr dozakh bayaan hoor w qusoor
baat goya yahin kahin ki hai
ashk toh kuchh bhi rang la na sake
khoon se tar aaj aastin ki hai
kaise maanin haram ke sahal pasand
rasm jo aashiquon ke din ki hai
faiz auj khayaal se ham ne
aasman sanadh ki zamin ki hai
na kisi pe zakhm ayan koi na kisi ko fikr rafoo ki hai
na karam hai ham pe habeeb ka na nigaah ham pe adoo ki hai
saf zaahdan hai toh be yaquin saf mai kashan hai toh be talab
na wo subh wird w wazoo ki hai na wo shaam jaam w suboo ki hai
na ye gham naya na sitam naya ki tiri jafa ka gala karein
ye nazar thi pahle bhi muztarib ye kasak toh dil mein kabhoo ki hai
kaf baaghban pe bahaar gul ka hai quarz pahle se beeshtar
ki har ek phool ke pairhan mein numood mere lahoo ki hai
nahi khauf roz siyah hamein ki hai faiz zarf nigaah mein
abhi gosha geer wo ik kiran jo lagan us aaeena ro ki hai
ham saada hi aise the ki yoon hi pazeeraai
jis baar khizan aai samjhe ki bahaar aai
aashob nazar se ki ham ne chaman aaraai
jo shay bhi nazar aai gul rang nazar aai
ameed taltaf mein ranjeeda rahe donon
toh aur tiri mahfil mein aur miri tanhaai
yak jaan na ho sakeeye anjaan na ban sakeeye
yoon toot gai dil mein shamsheer shanaasaai
us tan ki taraf dekho jo quatl gah dil hai
kya rakkha hai maqtal mein ai chashm tamaashaai
yaad ghazaal chashman zikr saman azaaran
jab chaaha kar liya hai kunj quafas bahaaran
aankhon mein dard mandi honton pe uzr khwaahi
jaanaana waar aai shaam firaaque yaaran
naamoos jaan w dil ki baazi lagi thi warna
aasan na thi kuchh aisi raah wafa shaaaran