Irfan Siddiqui and his selected couplets

'Shama-e-tanha ki tarah, subah ke taare jaise/ Shahar meN ek hi do honge hamaare jaise'--Irafan Siddiqui (1939-2004) was probably the most important poetic voice to emerge from Uttar Pradesh in the last few decades.

It was only in late 80s that he got pan-Indian popularity and surprisingly was more popular in Pakistan. He never participated in 'mushairas' and kept aloof. It was not until that Naiyar Masud (prose) and Shamsur Rahman Faruqui (critic) formed a close association with him that this unique poet was re-discovered by Urdu world.

He had avid interest in Sanskrit and had translated Kali Das' works Malvika Agnimitr and Rupsingar in Urdu.

raat ko jiit to saktaa nahiin lekin yeh chiraaGh
kam se kam rat ka nuqsaan boh't kartaa hai
--
lapaT sii daagh-e-kohon ki taraf se aatii hai
jab ek hawaa tere tan ki taraf se aatii hai
--
kahiiN Kharaaba-e-jaaN ke makiiN nahiiN jaate
daraKht chhoR ke apnii zamiiN nahiin jaate
--
usko rahtaa hai hamesha meri vahshat ka khayaal
mere gum-gashta GhazaaloN ka pataa chaahti hai
--
maiN ne itnaa use chaaha hai ki woh jaan-e-muraad
Khud ko zanjiir-e-mohabbat se riha chaahtii hai
--
magar giraft meN aata nahiin badan uska
Khayaal Dhunndhtaa rahta hai iste'aara koii
--
inheN diivaar-e-jaaN hii se ulajhne do ki vahshi haiN
agar chheRa to diivar-e-jahaaN mismaar kar denge
--
tujhko paa kar bhii terii hi talab siine meN rakhta huN
tamasha karke maiN kashkol ganjiine meN rakhta huN
--
tishna rakha hai na sarshaar kiya hai usne
maiN ne puchha hai to iqraar kiya hai usne

[To read his ghazal on Gujarat riots 'haq fateh-yaab mere khuda kyoN nahiiN hua...' click http://urduindia.wordpress.com/2006/07/11/irfan-siddiquis-ghazal-on-gujarat-riots/]