Firaq Gorakhpuri poetry

Firaq Gorakhpuri (1896-1982) was an Indian Urdu poet, critic, and one of the leading voices in modern Urdu poetry. He was born as Raghupati Sahay in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Firaq was a versatile poet and his work covered a wide range of themes, including love, politics, and spirituality. He was a master of the ghazal form and is considered one of the most influential Urdu poets of the 20th century. His poems are known for their lyrical beauty, profound emotion, and complex imagery.

 Firaq's most famous works include "Rasāʾil-i Firaq" (Letters of Firaq), "Āshiq" (Lover), and "Javānī" (Youth). He was also a noted critic and his critical works, including "Ādhārāʾi-i Urdu Adab" (Foundations of Urdu Literature) and "Naqd-i Adab" (Literary Criticism), are still widely read today.

 Here is a couplet from one of Firaq's ghazals:

 "Mere qatl huye hain mujh pe jin ke honth the ham-dam

un ke pāas rah gaye log mire, ab maiñ qatl hua huñ"

 Translation:

"Those with whom I was once close, have now died by my hand

The people have gone to be with them, now I have died alone."

 here are a few more couplets by Firaq Gorakhpuri:

 "Tere bina rahne ko dil karta hai, akela hi chalna seekh liya"

Translation: "The heart wants to live without you, but has learned to walk alone."

 "Na samjha hai mujh ko koi, na samjhenge kabhi

Main bhi kabhi samjha karta tha, ab samjha nahi"

Translation: "Nobody understands me, and they never will

I used to think I understood, but now I don't."

 "Jis ko paa liya woh bewafaa hogaya

Jis se na paa saka woh aziz hogaya"

Translation: "The one I got is now unfaithful

The one I couldn't get is now dear to me."

 "Zindagi ka maza to tab hai, jab dard bhi ho

Aur pyar ka maza to tab hai, jab intezaar bhi ho"

Translation: "Life is only fun when there is pain too

And love is only fun when there is waiting too."

 "Gham ke sannate mein ek awaaz aati hai

Aaj bhi woh tere zikr se pehle aati hai"

Translation: "In the silence of sorrow, a voice is heard

Even today, it comes before your name."

 These couplets showcase Firaq Gorakhpuri's mastery of the Urdu language and his ability to express complex emotions with simple, yet powerful words.

 Firaq Gorakhpuri was a versatile poet and his work is considered a benchmark of Urdu poetry. He continues to inspire generations of poets and his legacy lives on through his poems, which are still widely read and enjoyed today.

हज़ार बार ज़माना इधर से गुज़रा है, नई नई सी है कुछ तेरी रहगुज़र फिर भी

Hazaar baar zamana idhar se guzara hai,
Nai nai si hai kuch teri teri rahguzar phir bhi.

Though I have passed a thousand times 

Yet I feel the path anew,  leading to you

Download Firaq Gorakpuri book Gul-e-Naghma