[Opinion | Munir Niazi: An unmatched Poet By Faridoon Shahryar]
"Andar ki poetic conviction ki kamzori aisa karvaati hai. Kamzor aadmi jiske andar sheri urge kamzor hai, taqleeqi (creative) jazba usko chhoti chhoti panahgahon (rest houses) ki taraf jaane ka ishaara karti hain," said maestro Urdu and Punjabi poet Munir Niazi while answering a question of poetess Parveen Shakir on why he didn't become a part of any 'camp' in the world of writing. He was born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab and died in Lahore. The fictitious boundaries couldn't stop his poetic urge to express his thoughts the way he wanted to. One word that is often used to describe Niazi sahab's single minded quest for excellence in Art is 'Munfarid' (unmatched).
Ek aur dariya ka saamna tha Munir mujhko
Main ek dariya ke paar utra to maine dekha
I read this couplet by Niazi sahab when I was graduating from my teens to twenties. Life is full of challenges. When you cross one turbulent river of 'aazmaish', you shall be faced with another daunting river of fresh uncertainties. I would say that Niazi sahab is one of my biggest teachers even though I never met him. He taught me a very important lesson in life to always anticipate new set of difficulties and how being mentally prepared always helps us in dealing with life's aberrations in a relatively better manner.
Chhota sa ek gaanv thha
Jisme diye thhe kam aur Bahut andhera
Bahut shajar thhe
Thhode ghar thhe
Jinko thha
Doori ne ghera
Itni badi tanhai thhi
Jisme jaagta rahta thha
Dil mera
Bahut qadeem
Firaakh thha usme
Ek muqarrar
Had se aage
Soch na sakta thha
Dil mera
Aisi soorat mein dil ko
Dhyaan aata
Kis khwaab mein tera
Raaz jo hadd se baahar
Mein thha
Apna aap dikhata kaise
Sapne ki bhi
Hadd thi aakhir
Sapna aage jaata kaise
When I heard Niazi sahab recite this Nazm 'Sapna aage jaata kaise', on a television show, what fascinated me was the simple manner in which he unleashed his poetry weig