Sunday, July 28, 2024

NAZIR AKBARABADI: PEOPLE'S POET FROM INDIA

                                        
                                  

                                        

PEOPLE'S POET ...NAZIR  AKBARABADI...( 1735-1830)
...

"Aashiq Kaho Aseer Kaho Aagray Ka Hai..
.Mulla Kaho Dabeer Kaho Aagray Ka hai ....
Muflis Kaho Faqeer Kaho Aagray Ka hai ...
Shayaar Kaho Nazir Kaho Aagray Ka Hai ..."
......,.
He loved , lived and died in Tajganj Agra.A sample of his  Dohas .. I quote some..

"Kook karoon to jag hansey
Chhu  ke laage gaav..
Aissay kathin sneh ko
Kiss vidhi karoo upaav."

"Jo me aissa jaanati
Preet kiye dukh hoye
Nagar dindoraa peetati
Preet na keeje koye.."

"Dil chaahe dildaar ko
Tan chaahe aaraam
Duvidhaa mein dovoo gaye
Maaya mili na Raam.'

"Virah aag tan mein lagi
Jaran lage sab gaat
Naari chhoovat vaid ke
Parray fafolay haathh.."

"Neh Nagar ki reet hai
Tan mun dehoo khoye
Preet dagar jab pag rakhaa
Honee ho so hoye."

And Nazir Akbarabaadi writes this about  Guru Nanak Dev Ji  :,-

Dukh Dard Mein Apnay Dhyaan Lagaa
Jis waqt Guru Ka Naam Liyaa
Pal Beech Guru ne Aan Unhein
Khush-haal Kiyaa aur Thaam Liya
Iss Baksheesh Ke Iss Azmat ke
Hain Baba Nanak Shaah Guru
Sab sees Navaa Ardaas Karo
Hardam Bolo Sab Vaahe Guru "

In is Poem  "Mussadas Kareema" , Nazir writes this :-

"Sada Dil Mein Aey Momin e Paakbaaz
Vuzoo Kar Ke Parr Panj Vaqti Nimaaz
Ba waqt e Munaajaat  Ba Sad Niyaaz
Yeh Keh Apne Haathon Ko Kar Ke Daraaz
"kareema e Bakshaaye bar Haal maan
Ki hastam Aseer e Qamandhe Hawaa "

In his poem  "Ganesh Ji Ki Astuti " Nazir writes this :-

"Ek Dant Ko Jo dekha Kya Khoob Hai Bahaar
Iss par Hazaar Chand ki Shobhaa Ko Daaloon Vaar
Inn Ke Gunaanuvaad Ka Hai Kuchh Nahin Shumaar
Har  waqt Dil mein Aataa hai apnay yehi Vichaar
Har Aan Dhyaan Keejiye Sumiran Ganesh Ji
Deveingay Ridh sidh aur Ann Dhan Ganesh ji"

Some lines from his poem Banjara-naama ..

"Tuk Hirso Hawa ko Chhod Miyaan
Mut Des Bides Phire Maara
Qazaak Azal Kaa Lootey Hai
Din Raat Bajaa Kar Naqaara
Kya Bagiyaa, Bains ,Bhael ,Shutur
Kya Goune Palla Sar Bhaara
Kya Gainhoon, Chaaval, Moth ,Matter
Kya Aag, Dhuvaan, Aur Angaara
Sab Thaath Pada Reh Jaavega
Jab Laad Chalegaa Banjaara......"

.
On Idd ul Fitr Nazir writes this :-

"Rozon ki Sakhtiyon me na hotey agar Aseer
Tau Aisee Eid ki Na Khushi Hotee Dilpizeer
Sab Shaad hain Gadhaa se lagaa Shah Ta wazir
Dekha jo Hum ne Khoob to Sach hai Miyaan nazir
Aisee na Shab Baraat na Bakr Eid ki Khushi
Jaisi Har Ek Dil Ko Hai Iss Eid Ki Khushi."

Nazir wrote a beautiful poem of Baal leela or childhood of Sri Krishna...I quote some lines:-

"Taareef Karoon Ab Mein Kya kya
Us Murli Adhar Bajaiyaa ki
Nit Seva Kunj Firayaa ki
Aur Bun Bun Gavoo Chareyaa ki
Gopal, Bihari , Banwaari
Dukh Harna Mehr Kareyaa ki
Girdhari Sunder Shyaam Baran
Aur Haldhar Joo Ke Bhaiyaa ki
Yeh Leela hai Us Nand Lalan
Manmohan jasumati Chhaiyaa ki
Rakh Dhyaan Suno Dhandout Karo
Jai Bolo Krishen Kanhhaya ki.."

Nazir was born  in the year 1735. Around this time,  Nadir shah had started his plunder and attacks on  Delhi . .Ahmed Shah Abdali also attacked and ransacked Delhi thrice ( 1748,1751and 1756 ). Fed up with this loot and plunder , Nazir's family shifted to Agra permanently and lived in Taaj Ganj. He was proficient in Urdu , Persian , Punjabi , Marwari , Purbi and Hindi . For most of his life he did nothing except teaching six sons of Lala Vilaas Ram of Agra wherefrom he got 13 rupees per month as his salary for many years . He spent his life with this income only. Nawab Saadat Ali Khan of Lucknow and the Nawab of Bharatpur repeatedly requested Nazir to shift from Agra but this simple man was content with an income of just 13 rupees per month . Nazir wrote for all. He wrote for children , youth , old people and women. He wrote for hindus , Muslims and Sikhs.This Indian poet is also known as "Father of Nazm", who wrote Urdu ghazals and nazms under nom de plume (takhallus) "Nazeer", most remembered for his poems like Banjaranama (chronicle of the Nomad), a satire.He left for us about 600 Ghazals, although his nazms are said to be more worthy of admiration. In fact, Nazeer's growing popularity is due to his nazms. He was purely a "People's poet" and his nazms reflected various aspects of the daily life of his age, all types of religious and social events with even minor details in which common people can be seen laughing, singing, teasing, playing. He wrote nazams about religious and social festivals, such as Diwali, Holi, Eid, Shab-e-baraat, about fruits and about animals and birds, about seasons and even inanimate objects, such as paisa, rupaiya, rotiyaan, aata-daal (meaning "flour" and "lentils"), "pankha" (meaning "fan") and "kakrhi" (a kind of cucumber). He wrote nazms about different aspects of human life, such as "muflisi" (Urdu word meaning "poverty") and "kohrinamah" (chronicle of a leper).

Nazir's father was Muhammad Farooq and his mother was the daughter of Nawab Sultan Khan ,the then governor of Agra Fort. Agra, the Indian city, was known as Akbarabad after Mughal emperor Akbar at that time.
Nazir was a people's poet. Read him  and you find him a master who  knows the art of representing pain with a smile and wit. It is said that Nazir’s poetic treasure consisted of about 200,000 couplets. His poems are loved by ordinary folks even  to this day. He wrote nazms about different aspects of human life, such as "muflisi" (Urdu word meaning "poverty") and  "kohrinamah" (chronicle of a leper). The canvas of Nazir's nazms is so vast that it encompasses all aspects of human behaviour and every person can find nazms that can suit his taste.
He wrote poems, drawing upon the Indian locale for his themes. Being an exponent of nature, festivals, and the common folk, Nazir Akbarabadi was hailed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as one of the foremost poets of Urdu.

                                     

               ( Mazaar of Nazir Akbarabadi ) 

Since many decades. citizens  of Agra, gather at the ‘Mazaar’ of  the poet in Tajganj area on Basant Panchami, to pay tributes to him and pray for communal harmony.

Nazir  is  ever matchless...

(Avtar Mota )



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