Table of Contents
Overview of Major Urdu Literary Figures
In this chapter you meet some of the most important writers and poets of Urdu. The goal is not to study their work in depth, but to recognize their names, basic contributions, and a few very famous lines that you will hear again and again when you read or listen to Urdu.
We will focus on a selection of poets and prose writers from different periods, especially those who are often quoted in modern Urdu.
Classical Poets: Foundations of Urdu Literary Tradition
Mir Taqi Mir (میر تقی میر)
Mir Taqi Mir (1723–1810) is often called “khudā-e-sukhan” (خداے سخن, God of Poetry). He wrote mostly ghazals and shaped early Urdu poetic style.
Key points about Mir:
- Period: Late Mughal era, Delhi and later Lucknow.
- Style: Simple-sounding language, deep sadness, intense personal emotion.
- Themes: Love, separation, loss, the ruined city of Delhi, fragility of life.
Famous couplet:
میر کیا سادہ ہیں، بیمار ہوئے جس کے سبب
اسی عطار کے لونڈے سے دوا لیتے ہیں
Transliteration:
Mir kyā sādā haiñ, bīmār hue jis ke sabab
usī attār ke loṇḍe se dawā lete haiñ
Very loose meaning:
“See how simple Mir is. He fell ill because of someone, and now he is taking medicine from that same person.”
This couplet shows Mir’s self-mockery and the contradictions of love.
Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (مرزا اسد اللہ خان غالب)
Ghalib (1797–1869) is probably the most famous Urdu poet worldwide. His ghazals are central to Urdu culture.
Key points:
- Period: Decline of Mughal Delhi, 1857 Revolt.
- Style: Philosophical, witty, layered language, playful use of logic and paradox.
- Themes: Love, existence, God and fate, irony of life, self-reflection.
Famous couplet:
ہزاروں خواہشیں ایسی کہ ہر خواہش پہ دم نکلے
بہت نکلے میرے ارمان لیکن پھر بھی کم نکلے
Transliteration:
Hazāroñ ḳhvāhishēñ aisī ke har ḳhvāhish pe dam nikle
Bahut nikle mere armān lekin phir bhī kam nikle
Meaning:
“Thousands of desires, each strong enough to take my life.
Many of my wishes were fulfilled, yet still they were too few.”
Ghalib is often quoted in conversation, TV dramas, and songs, so recognizing his style is very useful.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal (علامہ محمد اقبال)
Iqbal (1877–1938) is a philosopher-poet and national figure. He wrote in both Urdu and Persian. He is called “Shāʿir-e-Mashriq” (Poet of the East).
Key points:
- Period: Late colonial India.
- Style: Powerful, inspirational, often didactic.
- Themes: Selfhood (khudī), awakening of individuals and nations, spiritual and political revival, critique of passivity.
Famous couplet (often taught to children):
خودی کو کر بلند اتنا کہ ہر تقدیر سے پہلے
خدا بندے سے خود پوچھے بتا تیری رضا کیا ہے
Transliteration:
Khudī ko kar buland itnā ke har taqdīr se pehle
Khudā bande se khud pũchhe, batā terī razā kyā hai
Meaning:
“Raise your selfhood so high that before every destiny,
God Himself asks you, ‘Tell me, what is your wish?’”
Iqbal’s shorter poems are still memorized in schools, and many of his lines are used in political speeches.
Important Modern Poets
Faiz Ahmed Faiz (فیض احمد فیض)
Faiz (1911–1984) is one of the most beloved modern Urdu poets, closely associated with progressive and leftist movements.
Key points:
- Period: 20th century, especially after independence.
- Style: Romantic language mixed with political and social themes.
- Themes: Love and revolution, oppression, hope, beauty and injustice together.
Famous couplet:
اور بھی دکھ ہیں زمانے میں محبت کے سوا
راحتیں اور بھی ہیں وصل کی راحت