Shakeb Jalali is a famous Urdu poet. His real name was Syed Hassan Rizvi. He was born in a small town called Jalali near Aligarh, India on October 1, 1934. He passed his matriculation exam from Badayun (UP) and then moved along with his sisters to Rawalpindi. His life as a poet began in 1947. It is said that he gave a new grace to Urdu ghazals. Following is a collection of some of his work.
Shakeb was the only son of his parents. When he was ten years old, his mother died in an accident. This unexpected incident and suspension from his job due to political conflict in India totally disturbed his father who also died in early 1960s.
Shakeb worked in many literary magazines and later moved to Lahore, where he got his Bachelor of Arts degree, and found employment in many local newspapers.
He had 3 of his sisters married during his time in Lahore. Shakeb later joined the Thal Development Authority and was posted at Jauharabad and Bhakkar.
Shakeb didn’t live a long life. At a young age of 32, for some unexplained psychological disease he killed himself on railway tracks on 12 Nov 1966. This tragedy happened in Sargodha where he was doing a transit course. A ripe chapter of Urdu Poetry thus came to end with him. His poetry work was published after his death. Raushni Ae Raushni in 1972 by maktaba-e-funoon and several additions by Mavara Publications and Kuliyat e Shakeb Jalali in 2004 by Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore.
References: Urdustan and Wikipedia
Beautiful post Owais. He was no ordinary poet. People say many poets today would not have taken up poetry if it wasn’t for Shakbaib Jalali’s poetry. Underlying sorrow of his lines is haunting and at times he surpasses all others in this regard. I take a pause each time I remember his verse:
kal raat kis tarah kee udaasee thee kia kahoo’n
maahtaab apni qabr kaa pathar laga mujhe!
another verse:
ik yaad hay ke daaman-e-dil chortee nahee
ik bail hay ke lipti hoowee hai shajr key saath
and:
aalam mein jis kee dhoom he uss shahkaar pur
deemak nay jo likhay kabhi tu wo tabsarey bhi daikh
This post was a good break from the current political mess. I am just tired of it. What good can one expect with Qazi Hussein and Fazlurahaman and other worthless politicians in the middle of it. May the force be with lawyers.
Umda post hai. Kuchh tishnagi zaruur rah gaii. Mera khayaal hai ki Shakeb kii zindagii ke zyaadaa halaat aam taur phar maalum nahiiN haiN….Still, a good rememberance.
Shakeb apne taaruf ke liye yeh baat kafi hai
hum us say bach kay chaltay hain jo rasta aam ho jaye
and
is marhale ko maut bhi kehtay hain dosto
ik pal main toot jain jahan umr bhar kay saath
Excellent post. If I am not mistaken, Shakaib committed suicide?
PS: Is there a way to contact the admins of this website to post a new thread at all?