Na kisii ke dil ke nuur huuN...Not Bahadur Shah Zafar's ghazal

It is surprising how the ghazal....na kisii ki aaNkh ka nuur huun.....is often mentioned as Bahadur Shah Zafar's ghazal. I think it is because the meloncholic mood of this ghazal is similar to a popular ghazal by Zafar and it does reflect the similar pain which poet-King who was exiled might have undergone.

Also, various versions of these ghazals got in circulation. Probably for their convenience some singers even mixed these ghazals and several forms of this ghazal with changes in order and sequence of words came in circulation.

Muztar Khairabadi (1865-1927) was born in Khairabad in 1965. His mother Saeedunnisaa was a poet who gave him initial 'islaah'. Interestingly Muztar took 'islaah' from Amir Meenai but still chose the style of Dagh Dehlvi. He spent his life in Tonk where he was sessions judge.

He is considered a giant among Urdu poets. His son Jaan Nisaar Akhtar and grandson Javed carry the legacy. Scores of his couplets are spread across Urdu world and used in daily conversation.

Muztar ki qaadirul kalaami ka aalam tha ki muqaddame ka faisal filbadih manzuum sunaa dete the ie entire verdict of case in poetry, extempore. It is well-known that once Dagh had mistakenly recited Muztar's ghazal that was in the same style at a mushaira because he probably got confused.

The ghazal of Muztar Khairabadi:

na kisii ki aaNkh ka nuur hai, na kisii ke dil ka qaraar huuN
jo kisii ke kaam na aa sake maiN woh musht-e-ghubaar huuN

meraa rang ruup bigaR gayaa mera baKht mujhse bichhaR gayaa
jo chaman KhizaaN se ujaR gayaa maiN usii kii fasl-e-bahaar huuN

pa'i fatiha koii aaye kyuun, koi chaar phuul chaRhaaye kyuuN
koi shamaa la ke jalaaye kyuuN, ki maiN bekasii ka mazaar huuN

na maiN muztar unka habiib huuN, na maiN muztar unka raqiib huun
jo palaT gayaa woh nasiib huun, jo ujaR gayaa woh dayaar huuN

Muztar Khairabadi

Iroically even the maqtaa has been tampered with and people put Zafar after playing with it. Here I have posted only four couplets. For reading complete ghazal in Urdu script. Click at www.urduindia.wordpress.com